Correct nail care is essential for the health of your nails and feet in general and knowing how to cut your nails correctly helps to keep your nails and toes in good condition. Cutting them incorrectly can cause ingrown toenails which can be painful and lead to other complications like infections and may even need surgery to correct. Thankfully, ingrown toenails are easily preventable with the correct nail care tools and routine.
How to prevent ingrown toenails properly
Ingrown toenails happen when the side or corner of a toenail grows into the skin beside it. They are painful and can cause redness, tenderness, and infections. But they are preventable with the proper toenail care. All you need is a pair of good-quality nail clippers and the right technique to prevent your nails from becoming ingrown.
Use toenail clippers
Using the correct type of nail clippers is essential to keeping on top of ingrown toenails. Fingernail clippers are not suitable for cutting toenails as they are not designed for the larger size, shape, or thickness of toenails. Ingrown nails are a common issue resulting from the use of the incorrect clippers.
Instead, choose a pair of high quality, heavy duty nipper style clippers that are fit for purpose such as the Swissklip Heavy Duty Toenail clipper. These toenail clippers are specifically designed to be able to cut through thick, tough nails with ease. The sharp blades and easy-to-hold handles allow you to make small, precise cuts in the correct shape your nails should be.
Avoid using nail scissors as they can lack consistency and precision, resulting in uneven growth and the risk of slipping which can cause injury. This can ultimately cause more problems such as further ingrown nails and infection.
Cut your toenails to the correct length to prevent ingrown nails
Making sure you’re cutting your toenails to the correct length is an important step to reducing the risk of ingrown nails. If you cut them too short, you increase the risk of them becoming ingrown. You should keep your toenails trimmed to about 1-2 millimetres (0.04-0.08 inches) above where they attach to your nail bed. This allows adequate protection for your nail bed as well as avoiding unnatural growth patterns which can contribute to them becoming ingrown.
Cut your toenails straight across
Always cut your nails straight across. It’s expected for there to be a small amount of curve due to the natural shape of the nail but problems can occur when you forcibly cut your nails in a rounded shape.
Instead, aim for a flatter profile for your big toe using lots of small, precise cuts with your nipper-style clippers. If you can, aim for the corners of your nails to be elevated above the skin – this makes it harder for the corners to grow into your skin which is a common cause of ingrown nails.
Why ingrown toenails develop
Ingrown toenails happen most commonly on the big toes. They can affect one or both of your big toes and will be red, swollen, and possibly even infected. They happen because the sides of the toenails grow into the skin and can be caused by more than just poor toenail clipping technique.
Wearing tight shoes
Wearing tight shoes repeatedly or for long periods of time, particularly ones that are too small in the toe box, can put pressure on your nails and cause them to become ingrown. Brogues and high heels are common culprits. If you have frequent ingrown nails, it’s worth taking your shoes into consideration and changing the style you wear on a regular basis.
Injury to the toe
Ingrown toenails don’t always occur from constant pressure though and can sometimes be the result of sudden impact or injury to your toe. For example, stubbing your toe badly or dropping something heavy on your foot. This type of trauma can change the structure of your nail and cause it to grow differently.
Although they can be painful and inconvenient, in most cases ingrown toenails are preventable with the correct nail care. We hope this guide has provided you with a solution to ingrown nails. Shop Swissklip’s nail care products
For our range of durable and innovative nail clippers – the ideal additions to your nail care routine and the perfect way to prevent ingrown toenails.
