The last time I was at a family gathering, my sister asked me, “What’s your favorite over-the-counter product?”
That’s easy to answer: it’s New Skin®. Normally used to seal up cuts and scrapes, I love to recommend it for a completely different condition: ingrown toenails.
I ’ve spent years and years fighting the pain of getting ingrown toenails on both of my big toes. Then, as a pharmacy student sitting in class, one of my professors mentioned a product called Outgrow® that he recommended for avoiding ingrown toenails. “It’s brushed onto the skin where an ingrown toenail likes to form and like magic, it will “toughen up” the tender skin and keep the nail from cutting into it. Eventually, the nail is forced to grow out straight.”
“Aha!” I immediately went out and purchased a bottle and used it very successfully for years, until I misplaced it somehow during a move out of state. I didn’t worry about it at first, thinking I could just buy another one. But alas, when I went to the pharmacy shelf to pick up another bottle, I couldn’t find it anywhere. Further research revealed that the manufacturer had discontinued their original formulation several years back. I was willing to try anything, so I ordered the new version. Unfortunately for me, the “new” formula proved totally useless, and I was again plagued with painful ingrown toenails.
Years and many ingrown toenails later, I renewed my search for something like the original version of Outgrow® that would toughen up or protect my skin. I’d used New Skin® before on cuts, and wondered, “Could this work to prevent an ingrown toenail?” Another plus is that New Skin® contains an anti-infective compound called 8-hydroxyquinoline which can help heal your ingrown toenail! When I tried it, it worked so well that I happily recommend it to anyone else needing to avoid ingrown toenails.
Here’s how to use New Skin® to prevent or treat an ingrown toenail:
- You’ll need a bottle of New Skin®, a toothpick, a place to apply it that you can wipe up the mess if you spill or drip, and at least 15 minutes of drying time.
- Soak your toes in warm water to soften your toenail. You can also do this right after a warm bath or shower.
- Dry your foot well.
- Brush on a thin layer of New Skin® along the skin of the nail that tends to or which is already curling under your tender skin.
- While still wet, use the toothpick to lift up the edge of your toenail just a bit and work some of the liquid New Skin® underneath it so that the liquid is between your nail and your skin. You don’t need a thick coat, just enough to spread along the nail where it likes to curl.
- Let it dry for at least 5 minutes.
- Repeat if needed with a second “coat”, letting it thoroughly dry before putting on socks.
One 2-coat application lasts me several months. You’ll notice that your toenail will grow out nice and straight instead of cutting into your skin. Enjoy the freedom from the pain of pesky ingrown toenails!
