How to Make a Paste Out of Alum & Pack It Around the Nail

Applying alum paste is an old folk remedy for ingrown nails. The alum soaks into the skin and relieves the pain of the ingrown nail while also restricting the flow of blood to the skin. After several applications over several days, the skin hardens and retracts from the nail.

Things You'll Need

• Alum
• Water
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Cotton or gauze

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Instructions

• 1

  Place a small amount of alum in a clean bowl and slowly mix in water until it forms a thick paste. If the paste gets too thin, add more alum to thicken it.

• 2

  Apply the alum paste to the the irritated skin that is touching the ingrown nail. Do not apply so much that the paste touches other parts of skin or spreads.

• 3

  Apply gauze or cotton to hold the alum paste in place. After the alum soaks in, the cotton or gauze can be removed.

• 4

  Reapply the alum daily until the skin hardens and retracts from the nail. If the skin becomes more irritated, apply the alum less frequently.