Do ingrown toenails always need surgery, or can they heal without it?

[TapestryNeedle]

If you have ingrown toenail, do you always necessarily need a toenail surgery? How people cured it in the past?

I've cut the corner out and lifted it with cotton wool until it has grown out.

I have had lots of issues over the years with them

Cut a v shape in the middle of the toenail. This will release a bit of pressure and the nail will grow away from the sides towards the middle

Pour baby oil down the nail morning and night for a week, buy some extra strong nail clippers. After the oil has softened the nail you maybe able to cut it.

From the side?

right in the middle of the nail or on top where you normally cut it?

You can cut a v-shaped notch out of the middle of the nail, that seems to take the pressure off. Keeping them soft with long soaks in warm water and using moisturiser or something like Savlon or Germolene helps. Once they are softened, I have in the past pushed a tiny piece of tissue or cotton wool under the nail at the sides. Always cut the nails straight across, not curved, and don't wear tight shoes or socks.

Where you normally cut the toenail- the white bit :-)
just a little v. I use toenail clippers. Easy and it works

See a podiatrist and ask advice.

unfortunately the toenail has a surgery on one side and the wound is not healing, the other side is red now and the other toenail on the other foot is getting red also

If you are not confident about doing the V cut please see a podiatrist, they can assess the extent and start treatment getting the nail back to normal.

The growing bit you trim off.

can they do this or will keep making operations??

X post.

Ask the organisation that performed the original surgery for advice.

Great minds!

It is too much money and I think the operation is not successful....

I would like to know is there any way to stop ingrown nails becoming too bad and in need of surgery? I can always go to the podiatrist....

Yours is not a simple case, you have now told us you have had surgery already so I would encourage you to seek medical advice ASAP.

Take the feet to a chemists shop in the morning and show them to the pharmacist. They will advise whether you need further intervention and if antibiotics are needed.

my manicurist/pedicurist has always treated the occasional edge that curls into the skin. with careful trimming and with time it grows forward without the curl.

Yes, I do....but the other side of the nail seems ingrown also and the podiatrist told me it is not....when clearly it is because it is bleeding in there and the skin is over the nail.....

How they do this please?

@TapestryNeedle how? they trim away the section that curls on the side and the more normal shaped flat part then grows forward. Lots of online video's

I've managed to dig mine out with the hooky thing tha you get on the big nail clippers before now. Scraped away all the gunk, soaked in salt water several times a day and whacked loads of Sudocrem on. Did the job and it didnt come back. Probably not to be recommended technically though.