THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO MARKET….

If your kids are anything like mine, their feet seem to grow out of proportion to the rest of their bodies (no science here) and I feel like I’m constantly buying new shoes to keep up. Maybe I’m a little extra “tuned in” to this because I’ve seen a bunch of children who get infected, ingrown toenails, and one of the causes of this is wearing shoes that are too small. ANY AGE HUMAN CAN GET THIS!

An ingrown toenail happens when…

the nail is getting pressure applied to it, and it starts to grow into the skin next to it. The area then gets all irritated and inflamed, and infection can result. The most common causes of ingrown toenails, other than too small shoes, are:

– Nails that have been ripped or cut with a round edge instead of straight across.
– Injuries to the toes- like stubbing the toe or dropping a heavy object on it.
– Repetitive activity- like kicking.

Ingrown toenails are painful, often red and swollen and hot, and sometimes can even have some fluid leakage. If this happens, it’s worth it to try soaking the toe in hot water & Epsom salts a few times a day to relieve pain. You can try to lift up the edge of the ingrown nail out of the skin and then cut the toenail straight across, but if the pain continues, and especially if it starts looking infected (very red and with pus drainage), it’s time to seek medical care.

I’ve had to remove toenails and drain infections around the nailbed because people have waited too long to get this problem addressed. These procedures are fairly simple but it’s always better if you can avoid them.

Which brings me back to kids’ SHOES.

They don’t always alert you when they feel too small or tight, so I’m here representin’ and letting you know that you need to check the sizing fairly regularly. I’d rather buy 10 pairs of new shoes than be on the wrong end of a toenail infection.

Happy shopping.

Make sure it fits just right!

Go to previous article: Herpetic WhitWHAT?