(HealthDay News) -- Trim your toenails too short, and you could be setting yourself up for a painful problem.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says ingrown nails -- nails that burrow beneath the skin -- also stem from failing to cut the nails in a straight line by tapering them at the corners.

The academy offers these suggestions for preventing ingrown toenails:

• Avoid going barefoot, or wearing shoes without socks.
• Make sure there's plenty of room inside shoes for your toes to wiggle freely.
• Use sharp, clean nail clippers to cut toenails straight across. Don't round the corners.
• Don't cut a nail below the end of the toe.
• Make sure your feet are always dry and clean.