Reviewed by Evan Lewis, PhD. Last updated 11 August 2026.
An ingrown toenail happens when the edge of the nail plate pushes into the soft tissue beside it. The two most common causes are how the nail was cut and how the foot is kept, and the single most useful thing you can do early is stop cutting it and let it grow out past the sore corner.
That is counterintuitive, which is why so many people make it worse. The instinct is to dig out the bit that hurts. Digging is what leaves a spike behind.
What actually causes an ingrown toenail?
The StatPearls chapter on ingrown toenails is direct about the top two: improper nail trimming and inadequate foot hygiene are the most common causes, because they can leave a nail spicule that penetrates the soft tissue beside the nail, which then inflames and can pick up a bacterial infection.
It lists the other predisposing factors as tight-fitting shoes, obesity, hyperhidrosis, trauma, diabetes, nail deformities and underlying structural abnormalities.
Two of those are worth pulling out. Hyperhidrosis means sweaty feet soften the skin beside the nail, so a nail edge that would otherwise sit harmlessly can press in. And trauma covers everything from a dropped weight to a season of football boots half a size too small.
How should you cut your toenails?
Straight across, level with the end of the toe, and not down into the corners. Rounding a toenail the way you would a fingernail is what leaves the corner buried, and once it is buried the nail grows into skin rather than over it.
- Cut straight, not curved.
- Do not cut down the sides to chase a corner.
- Leave a little length. Cutting too short exposes the nail bed and lets skin roll over the edge.
- Cut after a shower, when the nail is softer and less likely to split.
- Use nail nippers, not scissors, which tend to tear thicker toenails.
What helps at home?
NHS guidance is what a GP will suggest first, and it is short.
- Soak the foot in warm, salty water to soften the skin around the toe and reduce the chance of infection.
- Keep the foot dry for the rest of the day.
- Wear wide, comfortable shoes or sandals.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for the pain.
And the three things not to do: do not cut the toenail and leave it to grow out, do not pick at the toe or toenail, do not wear tight pointy shoes.
Does the cotton wisp trick work?
It is a recognised conservative measure rather than an internet remedy. StatPearls describes soaking the affected toe, then applying a mid to high potency topical steroid, then placing wisps of cotton or dental floss under the ingrown lateral nail edge.
Two things to be clear about. The steroid part of that is a prescription decision, not a pharmacy aisle one. And the cotton needs changing daily and keeping dry, because a permanently damp wisp of cotton wedged against inflamed skin is a good way to grow an infection rather than relieve one.
Is it infected?
NHS lists the signs of an infected toe as pus coming out of it, and feeling hot or shivery. Redness and swelling alone are inflammation. Pus, spreading heat, or feeling unwell is infection.
StatPearls adds detail worth knowing: recent studies conclude that polymicrobial infection or colonisation is present in most ingrown nails. The most commonly cultured organisms were Enterococcus faecalis at 14%, Staphylococcus aureus at 12%, Candida albicans at 9%, Enterobacter cloacae at 8% and Klebsiella pneumoniae at 7%.
That mix is the reason a single over-the-counter cream often does nothing. It is rarely one organism, and the nail edge keeps reopening the door.
Does cutting a V in the nail help?
No. The idea is that a notch cut into the centre of the nail draws the edges inward as it grows. Nails do not work that way. They grow forward from the matrix at the base, and a V cut in the middle simply travels forward with the nail while the buried corner stays exactly where it is.
The same applies to most bathroom-surgery approaches. If you are tempted to dig the corner out yourself, when the side of your toenail hurts but it is not ingrown is worth reading first, because a fair number of sore nail edges are not ingrown at all.
When do you need to see someone?
NHS says see a GP if home treatment is not helping, if the toe is painful and swollen with pus, if you have a very high temperature or feel hot, cold or shivery, or if you have diabetes, because foot problems can be more serious then.
That last one is not a formality. If you have diabetes, neuropathy or poor circulation, an ingrown toenail is a get-it-seen problem from day one rather than a wait-and-watch one.
What does a podiatrist actually do?
A GP can confirm the diagnosis and prescribe antibiotics if it is infected. For a badly ingrown nail they refer to a podiatrist, and NHS describes the options as cutting away part of the nail or removing the whole nail.
StatPearls covers the definitive versions: partial matricectomy and phenolisation, which treat the strip of nail-growing tissue at the side so that portion of nail does not regrow. It is done under local anaesthetic, and it is the answer for a nail that has been ingrowing repeatedly rather than once.
If you are heading for that, the aftercare routine covers what the following fortnight looks like.
Why does it keep coming back?
Usually one of four things, and they are all fixable.
| If this keeps happening | Look at |
|---|---|
| Same corner, every few months | How you cut it. Straight across, not down the sides |
| Both big toes | Shoe width, and whether the toe box is too shallow |
| After sport seasons | Repeated trauma and shoes that are half a size short |
| Alongside constantly damp feet | Hyperhidrosis, which StatPearls lists as a predisposing factor |
The hygiene half of the StatPearls finding is the part a routine covers. Dry between the toes properly, rotate shoes so each pair dries fully, change socks daily. EZ Clear Nails is the soak and spray routine we make for toenails, and Sole Shield is the daily spray for the skin and the inside of your shoes.
Common questions
Can you remove an ingrown toenail yourself?
You should not. Digging out the corner usually leaves a spike of nail behind that keeps penetrating the skin, and it opens the tissue to the mixed bacteria StatPearls found in most ingrown nails. Soak it, leave it to grow out, and see a podiatrist if it is not settling.
What does an infected ingrown toenail look like?
Red, swollen and painful, with pus coming out of it. NHS also lists feeling hot or shivery as a sign. Swelling and redness alone are inflammation, but pus or feeling unwell means it needs seeing.
Is an ingrown toenail contagious?
No. It is a mechanical problem caused by the nail edge pressing into the skin, not an infection you catch. Any infection that follows is from bacteria already on your skin.
Are ingrown toenails genetic?
Nail shape and foot structure are inherited, and StatPearls lists nail deformities and underlying structural abnormalities among the predisposing factors. So the tendency can run in families even though the trigger is usually how the nail is cut.
How long does an ingrown toenail take to grow out?
Months rather than weeks, because a toenail grows roughly 1.62 mm a month. That is why conservative care is about relieving pressure and preventing infection while it grows, rather than fixing it quickly.
Does an ingrown toenail always hurt?
Not always. An early one can look slightly red at the corner with no real pain, and one that has stopped hurting has not necessarily resolved. Loss of pain alongside numbness in the foot is a reason to be checked rather than reassured.
Is an ingrown toenail an emergency?
Rarely, but it can become urgent. Spreading redness up the foot, a high temperature, feeling hot and shivery, or any ingrown nail on a foot with diabetes or poor circulation should be seen quickly rather than managed at home.
Should you bandage an ingrown toenail?
Cover it if it is open or weeping, but keep it dry the rest of the time. NHS advice is to soak the foot and then keep it dry for the rest of the day, so a permanently damp dressing works against that.
Can an ingrown toenail be a fungal nail?
They are different problems that often sit together. A thickened, deformed fungal nail is harder to cut cleanly and more likely to press into the side, which is why StatPearls lists nail deformities as a predisposing factor.
The bottom line
Cut straight across, not into the corners. Soak in warm salty water, keep the foot dry afterwards, wear wide shoes, and let the nail grow out past the sore corner rather than digging at it. Go to a GP if there is pus, a temperature, or no improvement, and go straight away if you have diabetes. Repeated ingrowing on the same corner is what a podiatrist can fix permanently.
