Treating an ingrown toenail isn't as difficult as you might think. It is generally a painless process that only takes a few minutes of your time. If you don't do anything about the infection on your toenail, it could end up leading to something even worse. When your toenail ends up growing into the edge of your skin, it can cause pain. To help you overcome your ingrown toenail, try out some of the remedies listed below.

Start with soaking your foot

To help alleviate some of the pain and discomfort in your foot, try soaking it in warm water with a couple tablespoons of Epsom salts. Aim for about 10 minutes of soaking time one to two times every day. By dipping your feet in the mixture, you can help minimize some of the inflammation and allow the toenail to grow properly.

Apply an ointment to the toenail

When you have broken skin from where the toenail penetrated the area, you need to put an antibiotic on the area to help prevent your chances of getting an infection. Even if the skin isn't broken just yet, you can take preventative measures by applying the antibacterial to the site.

Visit a podiatrist

Even though you might think you can handle the situation on your own, you shouldn't try to tackle the problem on your own. You aren't a surgeon. By trying to pull the toenail out, you are putting yourself at risk for an infection. Using instruments from your medicine cabinet, you are more than likely going to end up putting bacteria into the injury site. If your nail is embedded deeply into your skin, you need to let a podiatrist take care of the problem for you.

Socks matter more than you think

If your toenail has already cut through the skin, you don't want to wear colored socks. All of the dyes used for colored socks can end up running and leaking deep into the wound. This could make matters worse, especially if those who are sensitive or allergic to dyes. Your best bet is to wear white socks until your wound has healed.

Even though an ingrown toenail doesn't take long to treat, many people ignore the problem until it gets too bad and they have no other option but to seek treatment. At the first sign of pain or inflammation, you need to get into a foot specialist (like those at Accurate Foot & Diabetic Care) to have them check it out for you.