Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails occur when the corner or edge of a toenail grows into the surrounding skin. This leads to pain, inflammation, swelling and, if left untreated, infection. 

Causes:

• toenail injury/trauma
• footwear that places pressure on the big toes including socks and stockings that are too tight
• cutting toenails incorrectly, too short, or not straight across
• irregular, curved toenails
• wide nails
• nail infections
• sweaty feet.

Signs & Symptoms:

• tender, swollen, or hard skin next to the nail
• pain when pressure is applied
• inflamed skin
• bleeding or pus
• swelling
• infection

Prevention:

• trim toenails straight across and make sure the edges do not curve in
• keep toenails at a moderate length
• wear proper fitting shoes that do not touch the toenails
• regular Podiatry treatments
• top sleeves or padding
• taping
• referral for surgery

Treatment:

Early identification and treatment of ingrown toenails is key.

Your Podiatrist will carefully remove the part of the nail impacting the skin and debride the surrounding callus if required. For most ingrown toenails, this treatment is successful.

For those with recurrent ingrown toenails, infection and/or pain, Nail Surgery may be recommended. This involves the permanent removal of part or all of the nail. The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic in the comfort of our clinic.