Your feet experience a lot of daily wear and tear, from sweaty socks to cramped shoes to cracked, irritated skin. Foot problems are more common than you might think. Toenail fungus affects about 1 in 10 people. Additionally, 2 out of every 10 people who seek professional care for a foot condition have an ingrown toenail. Ingrown nails are often caused by trauma from tearing or incorrectly cutting your toenails. A lack of foot care can increase your risk for these conditions and even affect your mobility.
You can support your toenail health by trimming them often and using the correct technique. Properly cutting your toenails can also help you identify if they’re becoming thicker, more brittle or inflamed. Learn how to properly care for your toenails and look for signs that may be concerning.
Why Is Proper Toenail Care Important?
As with any part of your body, maintaining your feet and toenails should be included in your hygiene routine. Your toenails are living, growing parts of your body that require maintenance, like cleaning and trimming. Just like your fingernails, your toenail health can also be an indicator of your overall health. If your toenails are painful, ingrown or frequently infected, it could suggest an underlying condition like diabetes.
Proper toenail care is also essential to prevent certain medical issues, like wounds, fungus and warts. Overgrown toenails put pressure on your skin, which can lead to small cuts and cracks that can become infected. Cutting your toenails improperly can even result in ingrown toenails as the nail grows out with jagged edges and pinch the skin. Long toenails easily get caught on things like blankets and socks, which can cause tearing. Over time, untreated toenails can also make it painful to walk or wear certain types of shoes.
The Correct Technique for Trimming Your Toenails
Did you know there’s a right and wrong way to trim your toenails? While it seems like one of the most basic grooming skills we learn during childhood, it does require some technique. The shape of your nails can impact your risk of developing an ingrown toenail.
Here’s how to trim healthy toenails:
- Get a pair of nail clippers or nail scissors. Make sure you use nail clippers specifically intended for toenails, as they tend to be thicker than fingernails.
- Carefully trim your toenails straight across. Simply follow the natural shape of your nail, even if it’s slightly curved. Cutting your toenails into an unnatural rounded or pointy shape can encourage the corners of the nail to grow into your skin. Avoid trimming them too short, as you accidentally cut your skin or damage your nail bed. They should be long enough for you to get your fingernail under the sides of each toenail.
- Once you’ve cut your toenails, use a nail file to smooth out any sharp or rough spots. It’s important to file in one direction instead of filing back and forth, as this can cause the nails to splinter. Always make sure your toenails are dry before using a nail file.
If you have particularly thick toenails that are difficult to trim or a condition like a fungus, your technique might look a bit different.
- For thick toenails: Soak your feet in warm water for about 10 minutes until they’re softened. Towel dry your feet, then trim your toenails in small amounts. Use a nail file to smooth out any sharp edges that could snag.
- For toenails with fungus: A fungal infection can also cause your toenails to thicken. You may require medical-grade toenail clippers. However, you might be able to trim them at home if you soak your feet for 30 minutes in warm water and then use the same technique as above. If you have a fungal infection, be sure to make an appointment with a podiatrist.
Tips for Cutting Your Toenails
Frequent ingrown toenails, infections or other issues can be a sign you’re not quite caring for your feet correctly. Here are the dos and don’ts when it comes to your toenail and foot health.
1. Use the Right Tools
Use good quality, sharp toenail clippers to lower your risk of broken nails, ingrown nails or toenail fungus. Never share your nail tools, and be sure to thoroughly clean them with isopropyl alcohol before and after each use.
2. Trim Them Often
Depending on how fast your toenails grow, you can likely get away with trimming them once every six to eight weeks. If you have thicker toenails, you’ll likely need to trim more often. It’s important to stick to a regular toenail trimming schedule so you remember to take a thorough look at your feet for signs of ingrown nails or infection.
3. Wear Comfortable Shoes and Socks
Make sure to change your socks every day or more often if they get damp during the day. Sweaty socks that stick to your feet all day can be a breeding ground for bacteria, which leads to common issues like fungus and infections. You should also take care to wear proper fitting shoes. Too tight shoes can put pressure on your feet, causing blisters, bunions and thicker toenails. Walking barefoot in public places is also not recommended, as you may not realize you have a small cut on your foot that could invite fungi and bacteria.
4. Avoid Cutting Your Cuticles
Though it’s a typical part of manicure and pedicure, you actually should not push back or cut your cuticles. Your cuticles are there to keep your toenails healthy and protect them from debris and infections. Trimming them leaves your toenail roots exposed to bacteria and pathogens.
5. Moisturize Your Nails and Feet
Moisturizing your skin is important for maintaining a healthy barrier. Chronically dry skin is more likely to become irritated and cracked, which can increase your risk of infection. Regularly moisturize your feet, including your heels, toes and nails. Unlike dry toenails, moisturized toenails can stay more flexible and may be easier to trim. Moisturizing your toenails can also keep your cuticles from getting dry or flaky.
What to Do If You Experience Common Toenail Problems
If you think you’ve been trimming your toenails improperly and experience discomfort when doing so, it might be time to contact a specialist. Swollen, painful or itchy skin on your toes and feet can be a sign that you need medical attention. Podiatrists can help you keep your feet and toenails clean and healthy.
A foot and ankle specialist can also diagnose underlying conditions that could be affecting the health of your toenails, such as a foot fungal infection, and recommend treatment and prevention options. For example, some individuals with diabetes experience poor circulation and nerve damage in their feet which can make it challenging to identify an infection.
If you have mobility issues, diabetes or other conditions that impact your feet, a podiatrist can help you maintain good hygiene and minimize the risk of health complications.
Contact Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates to Maintain Toenail Health
Do you have trouble trimming your toenails? Have you experienced abnormal changes in your feet? At Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates, we’ll work with your unique foot needs to reduce discomfort and provide high-quality care. We can treat ingrown toenails, dry skin, fungus or bacteria.
Our podiatry team can also show you the proper technique for trimming thick toenails and recommend treatment methods to prevent future issues. At Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates, we offer a wide range of podiatry services to address foot pain or limited functionality. It’s our goal to improve your mobility and reduce stress on your feet as much as possible. Call us today at 360-754-3338 to learn how we can help you put your best foot forward!
