A doctor has issued a gruesome warning, telling people to trim their toenails a certain way or risk a painful condition. According to Doctor Joe Whittington, who is better known online as Dr Joe MD, the way you cut your nails could leave you vulnerable to inflammation, discomfort and even infection.

More specifically, he urged people to cut their toenails straight across rather than following the curve of the nail.

The latter could result in an ingrown toenail, he told his 1.9m followers on social media platform TikTok.

To demonstrate his point he posted an animated video created by account @zackdfilms.

This video said: “Some people cut the sides of their toenails to avoid them becoming ingrown but this can actually make them worse.

“You see, if you cut them with a rounded edge, the nail will follow this curved path.

“As it grows, this can make the nail dig into the sides of your toe, causing it to pierce the skin and grow inward. Instead, you should just cut them straight across.”

Commenting on the video, Dr Joe said: “Cutting toenails straight across is crucial to prevent ingrown nails, a common and painful condition.

“When toenails are trimmed in a curved fashion or too short, the edges can grow into the surrounding skin, leading to inflammation, infection, and discomfort.”

Instead he advised: “By cutting straight across, you ensure that the nail grows out properly and reduces the risk of the nail digging into the skin.

“It’s also important to avoid cutting the nails too short and to file any sharp edges to maintain smoothness, further minimising the chances of ingrown toenails.”

This advice is also backed by the NHS, which advises people to “cut straight across the nail, not the edges” when trimming their toenails.

The health body describes an ingrown toenail as a “common” but “painful” condition.

If your toe is red, painful and swollen, and the nail has curved into your toe it is likely ingrown.

An infection caused by the ingrown nail could cause pus to leak from the toe and you to feel hot or shivery.

You should see your GP if:

• Treating your ingrown toenail at home is not helping
• Your toe is painful and swollen with pus coming out of it
• You have a very high temperature or you feel hot or shivery
• You have diabetes and an ingrown toenail – foot problems can be more serious if you have diabetes.

To minimise your risk of an ingrown toenail the NHS also recommends you:

• Do not cut your toenails too short
• Do not wear shoes that are too tight or do not fit properly
• Keep your feet clean and dry them thoroughly.