Nail braces are categorized based on how they are attached: adhesive and hooked.
Hooked Braces
Hooked nail braces have generally been applied by podiatrists/chiropodists and involved regular visits for tightening of the brace. With these braces, a small hook made of medical grade wire is placed around the edge of the nail with some type of tensioning in between. Now, there are a few over the counter hooked options depending on your location.
Adhesive Braces
Adhesive nail braces are relatively new and becoming quite widely used. These braces are generally made of a lightweight composite material and adhered to the top of the nail with a strong glue. Each brace application will remain attached to the nail for 2-6 weeks depending on application and environmental factors. The composite material resists bending and when glued to the nail, gently lifts up the edges of the nail in an effort to return to its original flat shape.
This relieves ingrown toenails in two ways. First, the immediate lifting of the nail away from the inflamed skin provides fast relief. Second, the sustained upward pressure on the nail trains the nail to grow in a flatter shape over time as the nail grows out. For minimally curved nails one brace application may be all that is needed. For highly curved nails, the entire retraining process may require bracing for a full growth cycle of the nail.
Two stand out adhesive braces are NailEase and CurveCorrect. For more information on ingrown toenail treatment including nail braces, visit www.ingrowntoenailtreatments.com.
