To send a link and summary of this article to a friend, click here . It takes six to nine months for a toenail to grow out. But when that growing toenail takes a wrong turn, you can't wait a minute for relief. That's because ingrown nails, which usually occur in the big toe, cause big-time pain. The nail actually cuts into soft tissue around the top of the toe, and that cutting action produces swelling and redness.
Infection sometimes follows.
People with curved toenails are particularly prone to the problem. But whatever the shape of your toenail, you can aggravate the problem by wearing shoes that are too tight around the toe. Even stockings can sock it to you by pressing the nail until it cuts into the tissue. But here's how to nail those nasty ingrown nails and prevent a recurrence. Cut the nail straight across.