Ouch! Ingrown toenails, amirite? They happen when the edge of your toenails decide to play a nasty trick and burrow into your clueless surrounding skin. The result? Pain, redness, a potential infection, and a seriously foul mood. If your case is mild enough, you can be your own foot soldier with DIY treatments; but for those serious cases, you'll need to venture into the dreaded clinic for professional intervention.

At-home self-care is an option for the lesser evils and moderately monstrous ingrown toenails, where the symptoms are more annoying than alarming. Don't go rushing in if you have diabetes or nerve damage in the foot as it can lead to more serious problems - that's when the white coats come in.

Fair warning for the solitude warriors on this toe-to-toe battle; recovery isn't an overnight thing. Patience is key, again, unless your toenail decides to go rouge or doesn't improve with the care – that's when you need to put down the foot and seek professional intervention.

How do you know when to draw the line? When the pain, swelling and discoloration parties harder, the skin around looks like it's been at the gym, or the toe seems to take a red or funky turn, that's your cue. If you have health conditions that love to party with pesky foot issues – diabetes, poor circulation – or have nerve damage, avoid at-home treatments. Instead, pull on your big kid pants and see a medical professional; antibiotics may be a lifesaver here.

Pain management for these stubborn invaders may involve OTC remedies like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Despite the discomfort, keep your body moving. But if walking feels like you're crossing a field of legos, take it easy.

On rare occasions where the inmates won't leave the toe, surgical intervention becomes an unfortunate necessity. Fret not, chances of recurrence are less with surgeries.

If you're not a candidate for these surgical procedures due to an allergy to local anesthetics, blood circulation disorder, or bleeding disorder, your healthcare provider will assess alternatives suitable for you.

Your best weapon? Prevention. Proper toenail grooming can save you from another footsie battlefield. And no, they don't grow like weeds, unlike your hands, so relax a bit on the trimming timetable.

In the case of persistent, annoyingly dedicated ingrown toenails that just don't take the hint, a matrixectomy can be your savior. Can't go down this road? A chat with your healthcare provider will steer you right.

Remember, when it comes to managing a savage ingrown toenail rave at home, start with soaking the foot, applying a corticosteroid, and wearing open-toed shoes - while kicking back on the couch, of course. But for the dangerous tag team of severe ingrown toenails and underlying health issues like diabetes or peripheral vascular disease, it's a no from us for a DIY solution.

Leave the serious stuff to the pros - when in doubt, it's always safer to check in with your trusty health care provider. They've got the right weapons and armor to bring these toenail invaders down in no time.