Ingrown Toenail
An ingrown toenail without infection is simply a painful toenail edgeand with infection it is essentially a foreign body. An ingrown toenail can arise on its own, from cutting the edges improperly, tightfitting shoes or from trauma and fungal infections.
Ingrown Toenails are associated with other foot conditions such as:
Ingrown toenail pain ranges from dull to sharp depending upon the level of irritation and compression of the nail edge(s). Learn more about our guaranteed permanent removal of ingrown toenails - contact us today.
Ingrown Toenail Treatment - Conservative Approach
| Shoes: | A larger, softer shoe can relieve the direct or indirect pressure from ingrown toenails. Make sure that the shoe has enough room at the end about the width of your thumb and that the toe box (front of the shoe) is high enough to allow your toes to move freely. |
| Trimming: | Cutting the nail edges straight across without cutting the corners will prevent the skin at the edges from growing over the nail (becoming an ingrown toenail). Once the nail is ingrown, the painful edge(s) can be angled at the end by a professional to temporarily relieve the pressure and/or infection. |
| Padding: | There is an array of over the counter pads that can be placed between the toes or behind the painful nail edge to relieve the pain associated with ingrown toenails. |
| Medication: | Nail softening products (topical creams, gels, solutions) can ease the pain and pressure of the painful ingrown toenail. Antibiotic medication may be necessary for acute infections. |
Ingrown Toenail – Surgical Options
The ingrown toenail edge is removed to relieve the pressure and a chemical canbe applied (depending on the infection status) to stop the ingrown edgefrom returning permanently. The procedure is performed in the officewith local anesthetic or occasionally at an out-patient facility undersedation (e.g. young children, anxiety, bone infection).
Full weightbearing is allowed immediately without restrictions.
