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| Wausau Podiatry Center LTD |
Ingrowing Nails
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But this technique may encourage your toenail to grow into the
skin of your toe. The sides of the nail curl down and dig into your
skin. An ingrown toenail may also happen if you wear shoes that
are too tight or too short.
An Ingrown Toenail
Symptoms
When you first have an ingrown toenail, it may be hard, swollen
and tender. Later, it may get red and infected, and feel very sore.
Ingrown toenails are a common, painful condition—particularly
among teenagers. Any of your toenails can become ingrown, but
the problem more often affects the big toe. An ingrown nail occurs
when the skin on one or both sides of a nail grows over the edges
of the nail, or when the nail itself grows into the skin. Redness,
pain and swelling at the corner of the nail may result and infection
may soon follow. Sometimes a small amount of pus can be seen
draining from the area.
Ingrown nails may develop for many reasons. Some cases are
congenital—the nail is just too large for the toe. Trauma, such as
stubbing the toe or having the toe stepped on, may also cause an
ingrown nail. However, the most common cause is tight shoe
wear or improper grooming and trimming of the nail.
Treatment:
Nonsurgical Treatment
Ingrown toenails should be treated as soon as they are
recognized. If they are recognized early (before infection sets in),
home care may prevent the need for further treatment:
Soak the foot in warm water 3-4 times daily.
Keep the foot dry during the rest of the day.
Wear comfortable shoes with adequate room for the toes.
Consider wearing sandals until the condition clears up.
You may take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief.
If there is no improvement in 2-3 days, or if the condition worsens,
call your doctor.
You may need to gently lift the edge of the ingrown toenail from its
embedded position and insert some cotton or waxed dental floss
between the nail and your skin. Change this packing every day.
Surgical Treatment
If excessive inflammation, swelling, pain and discharge are
present, the toenail is probably infected and should be treated by a
physician (see right image ). You may need to take oral antibiotics
and the nail may need to be partially or completely removed (see
righte image). The doctor can surgically remove a portion of the
nail, a portion of the underlying nail bed, some of the adjacent soft
tissues and even a part of the growth center (see right image ).
Toenail surgery
Surgery is effective in eliminating the nail edge from growing
inward and cutting into the fleshy folds as the toenail grows
forward. Permanent removal of the nail may be advised for
children with chronic, recurrent infected ingrown toenails.
If you are in a lot of pain and/or the infection keeps coming back,
your doctor may remove part of your ingrown toenail (partial nail
avulsion). Your toe is injected with an anesthetic and your doctor
uses scissors to cut away the ingrown part of the toenail, taking
care not to disturb the nail bed. An exposed nail bed may be very
painful. Removing your whole ingrown toenail (complete nail plate
avulsion) increases the likelihood your toenail will come back
deformed. It may take 3-4 months for your nail to regrow.
Risk Factors
Unless the problem is congenital, the best way to prevent ingrown
toenails is to protect the feet from trauma and to wear shoes and
hosiery (socks) with adequate room for the toes. Nails should be
cut straight across with a clean, sharp nail trimmer without
tapering or rounding the corners. Trim the nails no shorter than
the edge of the toe. Keep the feet clean and dry at all times.
Proper and improper toenail trimming.
skin of your toe. The sides of the nail curl down and dig into your
skin. An ingrown toenail may also happen if you wear shoes that
are too tight or too short.
An Ingrown Toenail
Symptoms
When you first have an ingrown toenail, it may be hard, swollen
and tender. Later, it may get red and infected, and feel very sore.
Ingrown toenails are a common, painful condition—particularly
among teenagers. Any of your toenails can become ingrown, but
the problem more often affects the big toe. An ingrown nail occurs
when the skin on one or both sides of a nail grows over the edges
of the nail, or when the nail itself grows into the skin. Redness,
pain and swelling at the corner of the nail may result and infection
may soon follow. Sometimes a small amount of pus can be seen
draining from the area.
Ingrown nails may develop for many reasons. Some cases are
congenital—the nail is just too large for the toe. Trauma, such as
stubbing the toe or having the toe stepped on, may also cause an
ingrown nail. However, the most common cause is tight shoe
wear or improper grooming and trimming of the nail.
Treatment:
Nonsurgical Treatment
Ingrown toenails should be treated as soon as they are
recognized. If they are recognized early (before infection sets in),
home care may prevent the need for further treatment:
Soak the foot in warm water 3-4 times daily.
Keep the foot dry during the rest of the day.
Wear comfortable shoes with adequate room for the toes.
Consider wearing sandals until the condition clears up.
You may take ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain relief.
If there is no improvement in 2-3 days, or if the condition worsens,
call your doctor.
You may need to gently lift the edge of the ingrown toenail from its
embedded position and insert some cotton or waxed dental floss
between the nail and your skin. Change this packing every day.
Surgical Treatment
If excessive inflammation, swelling, pain and discharge are
present, the toenail is probably infected and should be treated by a
physician (see right image ). You may need to take oral antibiotics
and the nail may need to be partially or completely removed (see
righte image). The doctor can surgically remove a portion of the
nail, a portion of the underlying nail bed, some of the adjacent soft
tissues and even a part of the growth center (see right image ).
Toenail surgery
Surgery is effective in eliminating the nail edge from growing
inward and cutting into the fleshy folds as the toenail grows
forward. Permanent removal of the nail may be advised for
children with chronic, recurrent infected ingrown toenails.
If you are in a lot of pain and/or the infection keeps coming back,
your doctor may remove part of your ingrown toenail (partial nail
avulsion). Your toe is injected with an anesthetic and your doctor
uses scissors to cut away the ingrown part of the toenail, taking
care not to disturb the nail bed. An exposed nail bed may be very
painful. Removing your whole ingrown toenail (complete nail plate
avulsion) increases the likelihood your toenail will come back
deformed. It may take 3-4 months for your nail to regrow.
Risk Factors
Unless the problem is congenital, the best way to prevent ingrown
toenails is to protect the feet from trauma and to wear shoes and
hosiery (socks) with adequate room for the toes. Nails should be
cut straight across with a clean, sharp nail trimmer without
tapering or rounding the corners. Trim the nails no shorter than
the edge of the toe. Keep the feet clean and dry at all times.
Proper and improper toenail trimming.
| Infected Nail |
| Toenail surgery |
| Partially removed |