Getting Rid of Ingrown Toenails with Salt Water

Foot pain can occur due to various reasons, of which ingrown toenails is a major cause. According to experts, about six million people in America itself are known to develop an ingrown toenail each year. In most cases, these ingrown toenails are very painful and cause a lot of discomfort. So, how to get rid of them?

Salt Water for Treating Ingrown Toenails 

According to scientists at California’s Stanford University, soaking the affected foot in a solution of warm salt water can cure ingrown toenails within a period of 4 days. When preparing a salt water bath for soaking your feet, ensure that the temperature of the water is ‘warm’ and not ‘hot’, otherwise you risk getting problems like chilblains, which would increase your discomfort.

The researchers say that the salt in the warm water solution naturally removes inflammation. In addition, salt is anti-bacterial, so it quickly gets rid of the tiny germs around the ingrown toenail that is causing the swelling and pain. All you need to do is take 1 teaspoon of salt for each cup of water, heat the solution to a warm temperature, and soak your foot for about 20 minutes, two times a day.

Salt water solution for treating ingrown toenails

It shouldn't be long before the infection subsides. Ingrown toenails are an avoidable health issue that is generally caused by improper-fitting shoes and not cutting toenails. Bad hygiene, not washing your feet, not changing socks etc. are some things that aggravate an ingrown toenail and lead to painful infections that make the problem worse.

While salt water helps get rid of the infection, one must avoid wearing the ingrown-toenail causing shoes during this treatment period, together with dirty socks etc. Though loose comfortable slippers would be the best, you may sometimes have to wear shoes to go to office etc. If so, take along a pair of slippers which you can change into after you are comfortably seated behind your desk. Also change the pair of shoes you are regularly using – go for something very simple, without heels, narrow toes etc.

If you live near the seaside in a warm country, nothing can be better than soaking your feet in the warm sea water on the beach. Take a stroll in the sand, and let the natural salt from the warm waves soak into your feet and get rid of the ingrown toenails.

Ash - Natural Cure For Thorn Removal

Having a thorn stuck in your foot can be a very painful experience, and here is a post about my experiments with thorn removal, including the use of ash as a natural cure.

Thorn Sticking in My Foot

Well, on Sunday morning, I went for a nature trek in a city forest. As I walked through the forest, a thorn from a branch lying on the forest floor pierced through the sole of my shoes (which were about half an inch thick btw), and got stuck in my foot. It hurt like hell. My friend yanked it out, but a tiny bit of it got stuck in the soles of my foot, causing a lot of discomfort.

Well, I limped back home and tried many methods of thorn removal. My mom told me to rub a bit of ash on it, as she had seen her brother doing so. This home remedy seemed like a lot of bull, so I didn't bother using this natural cure. I ran a search on Google, and found other natural cures. I tried soaking my foot in hot water, using tweezers, cutting the skin around it with a needle to expose the thorn, and rubbing baking soda on the area. Nothing worked.

I went to office for one day with the thorn painfully stuck in my foot. On the second day, my mother gave me a slice of onion to rub on the thorn. She said this was a good natural cure. Well, I took it to office and rubbed it on my soles in the area of the thorn, hoping that no one would notice the smell. The pain reduced a bit, but when I tried walking, the thorn still continued to prick me.

Natural Cure of Ash 

When I reached home, my mom gave me some ash (from some incense sticks) and said that this natural cure really works. Well, I rubbed the ash on my sole, and after some time I noticed that the pain had gone. When I tried walking, I could not feel any pricking sensation as before. While the thorn still seemed stuck in my foot, I could walk just fine.

Cigarette ash can be a good home remedy for removing thorns/splinters from your foot or hands.

A few decades ago, very few people wore shoes (at least in India where I am from). Almost everyone used to walk barefoot in fields, forests and tracks, and thorns/splinters sticking in one's foot was a very common issue. Nobody went to the doctor to treat this - most people knew a bit of ash rubbing would solve the problem. People living in villages still do the same.

Visiting a Doctor to Remove a Thorn

Having a splinter or a thorn stuck in your foot can be very inconvenient and painful. No one likes to limp about the city looking silly. A doctor's visit can prove to be very expensive. Some doctors even recommend surgery and injections. While this may be required in rare cases, some doctors, hospitals or clinics do this just to make a bit of extra money (because they know how much discomfort you are in).

People would pay anything to get rid of a thorn in their foot, and unscrupulous medical professionals take advantage of that. Well, the solution and treatment for thorn removal is very simple really. Just rub a bit of ash in the area of the thorn or splinter. The pain would go and you will be able to go about your daily tasks in comfort. This ash could be from any naturally burning substance, such as incense sticks or a cigarette. Here is where a cigarette can actually be beneficial for your health - just don't inhale any smoke.

What do you think of using 'Ash' as a natural cure/home remedy for removing a thorn in your foot? Did you try it? Let me know about your experience.