Even if a pedicure, whether at home or in a salon, is your regular beauty treatment, there is still a high risk of an ingrown toenail. This phenomenon is unpleasant and even painful. But by applying several techniques, it is possible to get rid of it and even prevent it.
All this can be done with a regular set. And you can use the modern hardware pedicure service with medical specifics. What is it about?
Ingrown toenail - a serious problem or a minor defect?
Onychocryptosis - this is how, according to medical terminology, an ingrown nail is called. This problem can be easily recognized even if it appeared for the first time. Most often, a similar ailment is observed on the thumb. An ingrown nail is a bending of the edges of the nail plate and growing them into the periungual tissue. As a result, the area of the periungual fold turns red, inflamed, suppuration and pulling pains appear, aggravated by pressure.
Inflammation and redness with an ingrown toenail also affects the aesthetics of the legs. Therefore, the disease is not only a medical, but also a cosmetic defect.
Causes leading to the problem
An ingrown toenail, in which a pedicure is not contraindicated, occurs for a number of reasons:
- The appearance of toenail fungus.
- Disregard for basic hygiene.
- Pedicure, in which the edges of the nail plate were cut incorrectly.
- Permanently wearing tight shoes.
- Heavy load on the legs due to being overweight.
- Injury toes.
- Scoliosis and other postural defects that affect pressure on the foot.
- Genetic predisposition.
Appearance of disease
Most often, the problem of ingrown nails affects men under 35 years old. Women, due to the fact that they take better care of their legs, suffer less from ingrown toenails.
Only 10-15% of the population in the country experience an ingrown toenail. But as soon as this problem has made itself felt, you should definitely contact the surgeon. He will prescribe a medical pedicure course.
Although, as many people who have encountered an ingrown toenail say, self-correct cutting of the nail edge and the use of some ointments will help get rid of the disease as soon as possible.
Dignity of the medical method
Ingrown toenail treatmentwith a pedicure has a lot of advantages:
- No pain during the procedure.
- In the vast majority of cases, medical pedicure does not require additional surgical intervention.
- There are absolutely no contraindications to the procedure.
- After it, all antifungal agents work more intensively, since the hardware pedicure of the ingrown nail makes the skin softer.
- The advantage is that the procedure is aimed at protecting he althy nails from fungal infection and ingrown edges.
- In addition to the treatment, the pedicure device also has a cosmetic focus, that is, it gives aesthetics to the legs.
Contraindications for medical pedicure
Despite the benefits of a medical procedure for ingrown toenails, some problems with the body may still appear due to its effects. Therefore, it is highly not recommended to get rid of the problem of an ingrown nail with a medical pedicure:
- If there are allergic reactions to the products used in the treatment.
- With chronic dysfunction of the liver and kidneys, because as a result of such an ailment there is a metabolic disorder in the body.
- In diseases of the blood, its poor clotting. There is a risk of bleeding during a medical pedicure.
- With allergic dermatitis. The thing is that exposure to inflamed skin can increase the development of dermatitis.
- In the presence of malignant tumors on the feet,fingers and nail plates. Violation of the integrity of such formations will lead to the progression of oncological development.
- When infecting the skin of the feet and skin of the fingers, as well as the nail plate. With the tools used, there is a high risk of infection of he althy organs from already infected areas of the body.
- Diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2. Older people suffering from this disease can be especially detrimental.
Medical pedicure for ingrown toenails
The medically oriented procedure for an ingrown toenail should be carried out only by a qualified specialist with a medical education: a podiatrist or cosmetologist.
The sequence of the procedure consists of several techniques:
- Gold plate. It is applicable for hypersensitivity of the skin roller and the thin structure of the nail plate. The product is tightly attached to the nail and corrects its shape. This instrument is made of gold-plated surgical steel.
- The "Podofix" plate is made of flexible plastic, it is firmly attached to the surface of the nail plate with a special adhesive. The method is applicable with an intense inflammatory process.
- Duroplastic plate. Has a springy effect. When sticking it on the nail plate, it will be possible to lift its ingrown edge above the skin roller.
- "COMBIPED". It is relevant for the advanced form of ingrowth, when the roller becomes very inflamed and purulent accumulations form. "KOMBIPED" is a metal bracket that is brought under the edge of an ingrownnail and secure with a plastic tip. This method is used to correct an ingrown nail on one side only.
Tools for procedure
The pedicure set needed to "treat" an ingrown nail consists of several tools. As a rule, they are used in salons, but they can also be used at home.
- Pedicure machine. There is a professional one, and there is a regular one for home use. But it is better to give preference to the first one, since it is equipped with more power.
- Pedicure burr set: gold-plated surgical steel gold blade, flexible plastic podofix, epoxy-coated metal onoclip, fiberglass duroplastic.
- Equipment, large or small, for sterilizing pedicure instruments.
- Antiseptic foot treatment.
- Compounds designed to soften the skin of the feet and the nail plate.
- Scissors.
- Tweezers.
- Means for prosthetics of the nail plate, namely: the restoring gel "Gevol" (used most often, easy to use), the two-component composition "Ungizan", etc.
- Individual pedicure set, consisting of a disposable nail file, napkin, toe separators. All these devices are single-use and are disposed of after the procedure.
Sessioncorrections
So, pedicure-correction of an ingrown nail should be done every month or two. Correction consists of re-saving and trimming the ingrown nail and preventing it from becoming completely ingrown. However, in some cases, surgical correction may be necessary. The latter, in turn, is divided into several methods:
- treatment of the nail plate with radiofrequency devices;
- electric cauterization;
- corrective method with laser or chemical devices;
- surgical treatment with conventional instruments that remove the ingrown part of the nail, granular tissue and the root of the nail plate;
- if the fragmentary removal of the nail plate did not help, the doctor resorts to its complete removal.
Rules for foot care after a medical cosmetic procedure
After a medical pedicure with an ingrown toenail, you must follow the rules for further foot care. This is necessary so that the disease does not recur.
- After the procedure, do not take a hot bath for a day. Hot water and steam will dry the newly renewed layer of the nail plate.
- To keep feet he althy and prevent further ingrown toenails, a medical pedicure every 30-60 days is essential.
- In between medical pedicures, don't neglect your regular cosmetic foot care.
- Avoiding tight shoes will prevent onychocryptosis from recurring.
- Necessaryalso caring preventive procedures.
Pedicure at home
Ingrown toenail pedicure at home is not so difficult, although it requires accuracy and attention. Tools may not be used by professionals, most importantly - disinfected. You don't even need to take a pedicure training course.
The sequence of actions is as follows:
- First you need to prepare all the pedicure equipment: foot bath, towel, curette and tweezers, polishing stones for feet, machine with blades to remove rough skin or pumice stone (depending on the degree of neglect), disinfectant for instruments, foot cream or foot scrub, foot cream (moisturizing, softening or nourishing).
- The feet must be steamed out so that both the nails and the skin folds surrounding them become soft and pliable.
- Next, ingrown nails are treated with a curette, the edge of the skin roller is gently pushed aside and the ingrown edge is cut off, giving it an even vertical shape.
- Cut off the burrs, push back all the edges, forming an even shape of the nails, trim the cuticle.
- Using a loom or pumice stone, the feet are treated, removing dead skin.
- Scrub the feet.
- In conclusion, lubricate the legs with the selected cream.
You can also lubricate the inflamed area of the skin roller with "Levomekol" or another remedy that draws out suppuration and relieves inflammation. Wrap the finger with a bandage or plaster.
Preventive measures
Regulara pedicure course for an ingrown toenail is already a worthy preventive procedure. But it will not be superfluous to carry out a number of measures that will significantly reduce the risk of the onset of the disease. These include:
- permanent nail care: includes a cut of the edge of the nail plate, which should not be too short, but rise slightly on the soft periungual tissue;
- correct selection of shoes: most often it is wearing tight shoes that can lead to an ingrown toenail; and regular wearing of shoes with pointed toes is also not recommended;
- daily foot hygiene, consisting of washing, scrubbing, foot baths and masks, using products to soften the skin and nail plates.
Using a curette for an ingrown toenail
Part of the manicure or a separate procedure is the work of a curette - a special metal file. It is used for pedicure and correction of ingrown nails.
The curette is available in two types:
- one-sided;
- two-sided.
Both those and others are made of high-strength metal, resistant to corrosion damage. The difference between the two types is that one-sided has a surface for treating an ingrown nail only at one end, while a double-sided one, of course, has two.
After each use of a metal file, its antiseptic treatment is necessary. The principle of using the tool is as follows:
- The rasp (the sharp edge of the curette) is pressed tightly against the nailplate and spend several times over its entire surface.
- The ingrown edge of the nail is cut off with the second end of the file.
Ingrown toenail treatment during pedicure with a curette should only be carried out by an experienced master, since in inept hands this tool can harm the surface of the nail, which is why there is a risk of infection.
Conclusion
Where to get a pedicure for an ingrown toenail: at home or in a salon? Of course, you should trust a specialist with a medical education. And if a simple cosmetic pedicure is part of your usual life, then this ailment does not threaten you.
Homemade pedicure to get rid of an ingrown nail will be fundamentally different from a medical one, since in the process of self-treatment, as a rule, "improvised" materials are used, designed for the usual care of feet and nails.
The main thing is to try to avoid injury to the inflamed area of the skin and nail. This will not only avoid additional pain, but also reduce the risk of infection of the skin around the ungual.
