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Ingrown toenails in children

Nails trimmed too short (or grown too long) and too-tight shoes or socks can cause your baby or toddler to develop a painful ingrown toenail. Soak the affected foot and eliminate pressure on the toe to help recovery. Take your child to the doctor if there are signs of infection or the nail isn't improving.

baby's foot and hand on an old log
Photo credit: iStock / AnnaElizabethPhotography

What is an ingrown toenail?

An ingrown toenail is a nail that's pressing or growing into the skin on the corner or side of the nail. The problem can show up on any toe, although the big toe is the one most commonly affected in babies and toddlers.

How do I know if my child has an ingrown toenail?

Signs of an ingrown toenail in kids include:

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  • Redness or swelling of the skin at the edge of the nail
  • Tenderness and/or pain: Your child may cry and pull on her toe or foot. Or, she may limp or grimace when she walks.

How do I know if my child's ingrown toenail is infected?

Signs of an infected ingrown toenail in children are:

  • A blister containing white or yellowish fluid, surrounded by reddened skin – if the blister breaks, there may be some discharge
  • Increased swelling or redness as the nail grows
  • Increased pain
  • Warmth around the area
  • Red streaking on the toe
  • Odor
  • Fever

How should I take care of my child's ingrown toenail?

An ingrown toenail typically improves in a few days once you take these steps:

  • Soak your child's foot in warm (not hot) soapy water for about 10 to 20 minutes two or three times a day. Adding Epsom salts to the water may provide some relief. Afterward, dry the foot and apply a dab of over-the-counter antibiotic ointment or cream to the problem area.
  • Eliminate pressure on the surrounding skin. Try gently filing the nail away from the skin. If you can, use one of your nails to gently lift the toenail and insert a small amount of sterile cotton or gauze between the nail and the skin. Use only enough to raise the nail slightly, and replace the cotton several times a day.
  • Let your child go barefoot. When you're out, have your child wear loose-fitting shoes or sandals until the toe is healed, but at home let him go barefoot.
  • Provide pain relief. If the ingrown nail is really bothering your child, consider giving her an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen or (if she's 6 months or older) ibuprofen. (If your baby is younger than 3 months old, check with the doctor before giving him anything at all.)
  • Ask the doctor if a toe protector might help. An over-the-counter protector provides a cushioned barrier around the ingrown nail. Some contain a medicated gel that softens the nail, too.

What causes a nail to become ingrown?

Your child can get an ingrown toenail due to:

  • Cutting toenails too short or not straight across
  • Having nails that are too long or tend to curve downward
  • Wearing shoes or socks that are too tight. Shoes that pinch, especially in the front, can compress the toes and lead to ingrown nails. Even socks that are too tight can push your child's nails into her toes.
  • Stubbing a toe or repeated bumps to the toe (like when kicking a soccer ball)
  • Having a damaged toenail that falls off. The new one is more at risk of becoming ingrown than an existing nail.
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How can I prevent my child from getting ingrown toenails?

Check the fit of your child's shoes often

Be especially diligent about making sure your baby or toddler hasn't outgrown her shoes or socks. Ways to check his shoes:

  • When your child is standing, you should be able to squeeze your pinky between his heel and the heel of the shoe, and there should be a full thumb width between the end of his longest toe and the front of the shoe.
  • Squeeze the material of the shoe (if it's soft enough). You should be able to grab some of the material on the top of the foot.
  • When buying shoes, shop later in the day, because feet swell during the day. A shoe that fits in the morning may be snug by evening.
  • Let your child wear new shoes around the house for 15 minutes or so, then take them off and look for irritated spots on her feet. This is especially helpful for babies or toddlers who can't tell you when a toe hurts.

Read more about buying baby and toddler shoes.

Cut your child's toenails properly

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  • Soak your child's feet in warm water – for example, during a bath – works before trimming his nails. This will soften the nail, making it easier to cut.
  • Be sure to cut your child's nails straight across – not in a rounded shape. You might find it easier to do this with a nail clipper rather than a nail scissors, but use whichever gives you most control.
  • Cut your child's toenails before they become long enough to break on their own, for example, by snagging on a sock. If a nail tears off, the short part that's left may become ingrown.
  • Don't cut your child's toenails too short. Leave a little of the white showing at the end of the nail, and gently file the edges if they are at all sharp.
  • If your child resists having her toenails cut, do it while she's sleeping.

When should I take my child to the doctor?

If an ingrown toenail doesn't improve after about a week of home treatment, see the doctor. Call the doctor sooner if your child is in pain or if the skin appears infected (see "How do I know if my child's ingrown toenail is infected?" above).

What will the doctor do to treat an ingrown toenail?

The doctor may:

  • Drain the area if there's a pus or a blister and test the fluid for different types of bacteria.
  • Prescribe an oral or topical antibiotic if there's an infection around the nail.
  • Treat your child's nail by inserting cotton or dental floss under the nail to relieve pressure.
  • Cut the offending nail away from the skin or remove a portion of it, if other measures don't work.
  • Refer you to a pediatric podiatrist (a doctor who specializes in children's feet), if the problem is severe.

One big takeaway about ingrown toenails is that it's important to trim your child's nails correctly – not too long, not too short, and straight across. But trimming a baby's nails correctly can be especially daunting. Here are some tips for cutting your baby's nails.

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BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

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Gera S et al. 2019. Ingrowing toenails in children and adolescents: Is nail avulsion superior to nonoperative treatments? Singapore Medical Journal 60(2):94-96. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30843080/Opens a new window [Accessed August 2020]

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Mayo Clinic. 2019. Ingrown toenails. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ingrown-toenails/symptoms-causes/syc-20355903Opens a new window [Accessed August 2020]

MedlinePlus. 2019. Ingrown toenail. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001237.htmOpens a new window [Accessed August 2020]

Merck Manual. 2019. Ingrown toenail (Consumer version). https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/skin-disorders/nail-disorders/ingrown-toenailOpens a new window [Accessed August 2020]

Nemours. 2014. Ingrown toenails. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/ingrown.htmlOpens a new window [Accessed August 2020]

Karen Miles
Karen Miles is a writer and an expert on pregnancy and parenting who has contributed to BabyCenter for more than 20 years. She's passionate about bringing up-to-date, useful information to parents so they can make good decisions for their families. Her favorite gig of all is being "Mama Karen" to four grown children and "Nana" to nine grandkids.
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