Sometimes a thick, sharp nail begins to grow and incarnate in the skin that surrounds it. Usually it is the nail in the big toe. This can be very painful. Ingrown nails can be caused by shoes that are very tight, or because the person has not been clipping nails properly. Nails should be cut in a straight line and not on a curve.

If the ingrown nail case is very severe there is no other solution than going to the doctor and have a small surgery done. But to relieve pain and swelling, here are some home remedies.

Foot bath for relieving an ingrown nail: Salt and hot water. Put feet in a basin with hot water and salt for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also use chamomile tea instead as chamomile relieves inflammation.

Tea tree oil: This oil is a natural antibiotic that helps prevent infection. Rub a few drops of oil on the affected nail and toe.

Old bacon: Apply a piece of old bacon on the affected area.

A peculiar remedy: The person from whom I learned this remedy ensures that she and her grandmother have used this remedy for ingrown nails and it has worked wonders. Get the tobacco from all the cigarettes in a cigar box. Boil your urine along with the tobacco. Using a cotton swab, apply the solution as hot as you can stand it to the affected area. Apply some of the tobacco directly on the nail and cover with a band aid. Do it three times a day until the blood and pus have dried out and the toe is not swollen anymore. Now you can cut the piece of nail that was bothering you.

V-shaped cut: Some say that making a v-shaped cut in the center of the nail helps to relieve the pressure. Some say it doesn’t work.

Calendula or witch hazel extract: Soak the foot with the ingrown nail in two pints of warm water and add two teaspoons of marigold (calendula) tincture. Or, instead of calendula, you may add a tablespoons of witch hazel extract.