The Handiest Foot Tool You'll Ever Buy - Ingrown Toenail File
Scourge of healthy, happy feet across the globe, ingrown toenails
are one of
life's niggling annoyances. Yet, with a little care, one can
all but ensure
that these painful, irritating and downright unpleasant foot complications
almost never occur. Something that is important not only because
of the pain
and discomfort they cause, but because ingrown
toenails can, if left
unattended, result in dire consequences. The need for proper nail
care then,
is rather self-evident. In fact, improperly trimmed nails are one
of the
leading causes of ingrown nails, the reason for this being that
broken,
peeled or incorrectly cut nail edges are more likely to grow outward
towards
the edge of the toe instead of straight out. This propensity for
skew growth
is what causes the nail to push into the skin, penetrate the cuticle
and
become 'ingrown' as the name so succinctly indicates. As such, an
ingrown
toenail file is an indispensable tool in the fight against ingrown
toenails.
These relatively inexpensive (although, professional nail files
can be found
for as much as $20 and more) nail files are designed to be able
to reach
those awkward, difficult areas so that you are able to correct the
problem
or catch ingrown nails before they get out of hand, or foot as the
case may
be! Shaped like a pencil, ingrown toe nail files are most often
constructed
of stainless steel and feature specifically designed tips that aid
in
lifting and filing the nail without damaging the surrounding tissue.
These
can be used on wet and dry skin.
Just to recap, two of the most common causes of ingrown nails are:
- - External pressure, that is, ill-fitting shoes or trauma that
causes the
skin of the toe to compress against the edge of the nail causing
it to cut
into the surface.
- - Improperly cut nails. While cutting the nail straight is important,
so too
is not cutting it too short. Doing this will allow the nail to
grow sideways
into the sides of the toe.
In-grown nail files are well-suited to the task of correcting painful
ingrown nails, but it wouldn't hurt to avail yourself of other useful
nail
care products such as toenail softening cream for instance. This
prepares
the nail, making it easier to handle and therefore cut correctly.
Alternatively, you can soak your feet in warm water for 15 to 20
minutes and
place dry cotton wool at the edge of the nail to help alleviate
pain.
Swelling, increased redness and fluid are symptoms that the problem
is
getting worse. Although rare, minor surgery may be needed to correct
the
situation if the problem persists.
To make sure that your bothersome nails do not get to that stage,
however,
we've pulled together a collection of links (all neatly arranged
and stacked
ever so handsomely to the right of this article) that will direct
you to the
finest quality ingrown
nailfiles and foot care implements that money can
buy.
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