Ingrown toenails are frustrating, painful, and can make performing the simplest daily tasks very difficult. They also tend to get worse and more difficult to fix when left untreated, which means that it’s important to seek treatment immediately.
Having an ingrown toenail means that part of your toenail has pierced and grown into the surrounding skin. Even the smallest piece of nail has the potential to cause severe pain and swelling. This is because while the nail continues to pierce the skin, the cut it has created in the skin cannot close and heal. When combined with the slight movement and vibrations through the nail with every step we take, leads to continuing pain, swelling and a lot of ‘ouch!‘ moments throughout the day and night.
Because an ingrown toenail is an open wound, it is vulnerable to infection if bacteria get to it – which isn’t too difficult given the location down at the feet. This is why it’s important to effectively treat ingrown toenails, especially if you have diabetes, nerve damage or poor circulation, all of which increase your risk of complications. If you fall into this category, it’s important that you don’t attempt to treat ingrown toenails at home and instead seek the help of their Podiatrist as soon as possible. If you think you have an infection, make an appointment with your Podiatrist immediately.
When Does An Ingrown Toenail Require A Visit To Your Podiatrist?
Conservative care means that we remove the troublesome nail edge that has penetrated the skin with minimal impact on the nail itself. It’s simple, quick and usually not done under anaesthetic so there may be a little bit of discomfort that is quickly followed by a lot of relief.
While this is a great option to relieve pain for those with first-time ingrown toenails, this does not permanently correct the nail or stop it from coming back again.
Surgical correction means that we complete a minor nail surgery to both remove the bothersome nail edge and importantly, apply a chemical that’ll stop that particular edge growing back! If you tend to get worried about the term ‘surgery’, then please don’t. This small procedure is done within an hour at our clinic in your regular podiatry chair and all under local anaesthetic so you don’t feel a thing.
Causes & Treatment Of Ingrown Toenails
To put you at ease, you can watch a timelapse of the procedure being completed here at Masterton Foot Clinic: (warning: discretion is advised, this is the actual procedure with no censoring)
While we can’t give direct quotes without examining your toe, we are happy to provide guidance and pricing guides if you want to send us a photo of your painful toe and toenail. You can email this to adam@
Masterton Foot Clinic is both a Southern Cross Health Insurance provider and a WINZ accredited provider. We offer no-obligation free WINZ quotes, just call to book an appointment and let our receptionist know.
When Does An Ingrown Toenail Require Medical Treatment?: John A. Scheffel, Dpm: Podiatry
The most common reasons for recurring ingrown toenails that we see in our clinic is firstly from a person’s nail cutting technique, meaning that they’re trimming their nails down the sides (or not trimming at all but instead picking or pulling at the nails). Another cause is wearing shoes that have a narrow toe box and are constantly pressing on the sides of the toes, which can push the nail into the skin. There are other factors like those we have mentioned on this page, but these are the ones we see most often.
Avoid wearing shoes that put pressure on the ingrown toenail, and try a gentle foot bath in warm water, soapy water, or water with Epsom salts. While the foot bath won’t fix the problem, it can offer you some temporary relief. You can also take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) as directed.
For our PNA procedures that permanently treat ingrown nails, these are done under local anaesthetic, so are not painful. There may be some tenderness from removing ingrown toenails as a one-off conservative care appointment as the nail is already in the skin, so any movement in the area will feel tender. However, we always aim to keep you as comfortable as possible, and our appointments are well tolerated.
Ingrown Toenail Treatment In Houston In Houston, Tx
This depends on the type of procedure you have and hence the allocated appointment time, but it takes just one appointment, whether that is 30 minutes or 60 minutes. The actual time taken to get the ingrown nail is very short, spanning just minutes, but we often have some preparation work involved too.
Yes, though your treatment approach may vary depending on the severity of the infection and if you are currently taking antibiotics. Your podiatrist will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your toe and discuss the best way forwards for you.
Absolutely, children tend to respond very well to ingrown nail surgery which prevents the recurrence of their pain and problem. We have great success rates with children and their healing efficiency is often much better than in older adults.
Surgery For Ingrowing Toenail (adult)
My toe is sore by the side of the nail, but it’s not red or swollen. Could this be an ingrown toenail?
Yes it can. The redness and swelling occurs when the nail has penetrated the skin and is acting like a little dagger, which stimulates the inflammation and redness. Before it gets to this stage, the nail will likely be pressing painfully against the skin, until it penetrates and starts growing in. This earlier stage can still be very painful and uncomfortable, despite not having some of the telltale signs of ingrown nails.
No, ingrown nails can develop on any of the toes, and on one or both sides of the toenail. They may also affect multiple toes at once, on one or both feet. The big toes is just the most common site for an ingrown nail, which is why we often refer to the big toes.
Ingrown Toe Nail Surgery
Yes, we’ve seen ingrown toenails on toddlers and babies as young as six months old. This can be very distressing, as babies at this younger age cannot communicate the problem. If you notice their toe is red or swollen, or it looks like an ingrown toenail, bring them in to see our podiatrists. We also recommend checking that a hair has not wrapped itself around the baby’s toes, as can happen particularly with postpartum hair loss.Have an ingrown toenail? Join the club. At least 40 million adults over the age of 21 have suffered from an ingrown toenail, so you aren’t alone. In many cases, you can resolve an ingrown toenail with proper nail and foot care at home. But in some cases, you’ll need the help of a medical professional.
At Precision Footcare in New York City, board-certified podiatrist Dr. John Jurcisin is an expert at relieving the pain and soreness caused by ingrown toenails. If you have an infection, he can treat it, and if ingrown toenails are a chronic problem, he can help prevent them from recurring.
Your toenail should grow straight out from the nailbed, evenly and without growth to either side. When the corner or side of your toenail starts growing into the surrounding skin, that is called an ingrown toenail.
Ingrown Toenails: Causes, Symptoms, And Remedies
This usually happens to your big toe, although other toes are not immune. Typical signs of an ingrown toenail are redness, swelling, and a stabbing pain where the nail is growing into the skin. The most common causes of ingrown toenails are:
Cutting the nail in a curve, instead of straight across. The corners of the nail should be left sticking out, almost as long as the center point of your toe.
An injury caused by dropping something on your toe, or stubbing it badly. This can cause the nail to start growing wrong.
How To Treat An Ingrown Toenail Explained
Shoes that are too small, and pinch the toes. This can also cause the toenail to flatten and start growing to the sides.
If the pain, redness, and swelling increases, it’s time for medical help. This goes double if you see pus or discharge, or the area around the ingrown toenail starts to turn gray or black. If you are diabetic, any injury to your feet is very risky and should be checked out at once.
Dr. Jurcisin will examine your toe and determine if the infection can be cured with antibiotics or if the damaged flesh and overgrown portion of the nail need to be removed. As a skilled podiatrist, he can help you resolve your ingrown toenail and keep the problem from coming back.
How To Treat Ingrown Toenails
Is an ingrown toenail making your life miserable? Call us today at 212-750-8344 or request an appointment at Precision Footcare online using our handy scheduling tool.
We offer specialized knowledge and care for the treatment of fractures. Dr. Jurcisin treats your injury every step of the way until it is completely healed.
A diabetic foot ulcer is an open sore or wound that occurs in approximately 15 percent of patients with diabetes and is commonly located on the bottom of the foot.
Caring For An Infected Or Ingrown Toenail
Do you feel pain on the bottom of the heel, arch of your foot, pain that usually worse upon arising? The symptoms can be due to plantar fasciitis. For some people, the pain subsides but returns after spending long periods of time
