Are you prone to ingrown toenails? Find out how to stop them from happening to you.

While an ingrown toenail is usually not a serious problem for a healthy individual it doesn’t make the problem any less painful. Perhaps you have found that you develop ingrown toenails often and you aren’t quite sure why. Our Port Washington, NY, podiatrist, Dr. Arthur Kaplan, has the answers you’ve been looking for to prevent ingrown toenails from happening again.

Trim Your Nails the Right Way

There are two main factors to consider when it comes to trimming your nails and keeping them healthy: length and shape. When you trim your nails you want to make sure you aren’t trimming them too short. A good guideline is to keep your nails levels with the tips of your toes. If you trim nails too short, this can leave the nail prone to an ingrown toenail.

The same goes for the shape. If you often trim your nails at a curve you need to stop. Trimming your nails straight across is the best way to ensure that you don’t develop an ingrown toenail.

Sport the Right Shoes

While we know how fun it can be to wear those cute pointed heels out, also remember that wearing tight-fitted shoes can increase your chances of developing an ingrown toenail. This is particularly important for those with diabetes and nerve damage in their feet, as they may not always know if shoes are too tight or are placing too much pressure on their feet. In this case, talk to our Port Washington foot doctor about where to shop for specialty shoes or shoes that will offer you the best fit.

Keep an Eye Out

Particularly if you have diabetes, it’s important that you continue to examine your feet regularly. It doesn’t take much for foot problems to turn into serious complications if you aren’t careful. Keeping feet clean and nails properly trimmed is one of the best things you can to protect your feet from ingrown toenails. If you do develop an ingrown toenail and you have diabetes or nerve damage then you’ll want to see us right away for care.

If you can’t seem to prevent ingrown toenails or other issues from affecting the health of your feet, then it’s time you turned to the podiatric experts at NY Sports Podiatry in Port Washington, NY, to get to the bottom of your foot problems.