Ingrown toenail? Diabetic? Well, those two certainly do not go together all that well! But what if you have an ingrown toenail and you are not a diabetic? Well, the good news is that you can try some things at home to find relief for your foot pain before your call your physician. Home treatments can give you quick relief from the pain, redness and swelling which are the hallmarks of an ingrown nail. It is certainly acceptable to try to help yourself before calling your physician, but remember, if you have diabetes, any other foot condition or a circulatory problem, then you must call your doctor first. You should not try and treat it yourself.

If you can successfully treat your ingrown nail at home, then you have a shot at preventing an infection and avoiding surgical intervention. So be brave and give it a try.

First of all, keep your affected foot clean and dry. Take the time every day to wash and dry your foot. Do this at least twice a day. Wash your foot with warm water, paying close attention to the affected area. Be sure to dry your foot thoroughly, especially between the toes, when you are done.

Self-care for ingrown toenails that often feels the best is to soak your foot in warm water at least four times a day. There is no need to add any antibacterial agents or even any soap to the soaking water. Soak your foot for approximately 20 minutes.

An important ingrown toenail treatment is to make sure that you pick the right kind of shoes. Do not wear high heels, narrow toe boxed or even shoes that fit too snugly. None of these are good for your feet. If you are suffering with a lot of pain and swelling then you might think about wearing an open toe sandal instead. Your ingrown nail will thank you!

One of the most important aspects of ingrown toenail self-care is to try to lift up the corner of the toenail that is digging its way into the skin. Take a very tiny piece of cotton or gauze and roll it between your fingers to form a wick or small roll. Then place the roll between the toenail and the skin to keep it elevated and to keep it from continuing to dig into the delicate skin area. There is just no way around it. This is incredibly painful. But this is also the most important part of self-care for ingrown toenails. This home treatment can help you to avoid surgery. After every 20 minutes that you spend soaking your toe and after drying your feet thoroughly try to push the roll in a little farther each and every time.

Home care therapies may also include the use of ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help you with the pain of your aching foot.

However, the catch is that if you have seen no improvement in 72 hours after you've started to try and treat your ingrown toenail at home, then you should contact your healthcare provider for help. You simply should not ignore your nail since infection can set in leaving you with an even bigger problem.

Self-care for ingrown toenails doesn't take long at all and doesn't cost a dime (except for the medications, which I bet you already have in your cabinet), so unless you are diabetic or have other foot conditions or circulatory conditions, then give it a try and see if you can find some pain relief today.