Condition
Ingrowing Toenails
In-growing toenails can be very painful and, unfortunately, it’s a common problem. In-growing nails often occur due to trauma (from sports or stubbing your toe), having a wide fan-shaped nail, poor nail cutting technique, or picking (teenagers!). When a nail has become in-grown, it often pierces the skin at the side of the nail which causes pain, swelling, and can lead to infection.
Patients often try and manage in-growing nails themselves at home for a long time before seeking help from a podiatrist, but there’s only so much self-help you can do. If the nail and surrounding skin becomes infected then antibiotics can help calm the infection for a while but, without fully resolving the in-growing nail, the problem inevitably reoccurs. It can be very frustrating, painful, and prevent you from doing the activities you enjoy.
Advanced Treatment Options
At Feet and Motion we always try to resolve in-growing nails with conservative care by trimming away the problem nail spike and dressing the area to control any infection. However, in persistent cases there is another treatment option – nail surgery offers a permanent solution. Nail surgery is performed under local anaesthetic to numb your toe. The problem section of the nail is carefully cut away to remove the in-growing nail spike and reduce the width of very wide nails. If necessary, a chemical can be applied to permanently prevent this section of the nail from regrowing. If needed the entire nail can be removed.
If you’re suffering from persistent debilitating pain from an in-growing nail, ask your podiatrist for more information and let us help you get pain free for good.
