Patient/caregiver was educated on causes and risk factors of ingrown toenail development as follows:
- Excessive sweating of feet: Individuals who keep their feet completely covered all the time, without any exposure to fresh air, can present with moist feet due to sweating. Moisture is a happy medium for fungal growth and so, lead to multiple fungal infections of feet and toenails. Toenail damage from repeated fungal infections can result in abnormally growing toenails, which can contribute to ingrown toenail development.
- Inappropriate toenail trimming: Individuals trimming the toenails rounded at the edges can often get too close to the toe, cut the toenail too short, and consequently, present with a sharp edge of the toenail from inappropriate trimming. The sharp edge of toenail can grow into the flesh of the toe and lead to ingrown toenail development. Also, individuals with the habit of biting on nails can bite their nails too short and often present with a sharp edge of toenail dipping into the flesh, resulting in ingrown toenail.
