Ingrown Toenail
Assessment & Treatment
An ingrown toenail occurs when a segment of the nail pushes into the surrounding skin. This causes significant discomfort, particularly in tight shoes. The section of nail can penetrate into the surrounding skin and cause further pain, swelling, irritation and possible infection. A podiatrist is specially trained to perform many methods of treatment for ingrowing toenails.
Options Available
Conservative (Non-surgical) Management
If you have tried the at-home steps for 1-2 days (Find at-home instructions here) or are concerned, you should first see a podiatrist.
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A podiatrist can often remove the spicule of nail that is causing pain, pressure and injury to the skin in a non-surgical manner, creating little injury to the surrounding skin.
A local anaesthetic is usually available, although commonly not necessary!
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Nail Surgery
Ingrown toenail surgery is a procedure where the painful segment of the nail is permanently removed by chemical matrixectomy. It involves a podiatrist or podiatric surgeon removing the nail and then using a chemical (most commonly, phenol) to kill the nail matrix to prevent that segment of the nail growing back.
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An ingrown toenail surgery is indicated if the nail cannot be properly managed conservatively, if the infection does not settle with conservative treatment or antibiotics, if your podiatrist and podiatric surgeon is unable to remove the nail conservatively.
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Your podiatrist or podiatric surgeon can answer any questions you may have.