Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown Toenails
Effective Pain Relief After the First Treatment!
Ingrown toenails can be a very painful and potentially serious condition if left untreated.
It is highly recommended that you see your healthcare practitioner for a detailed assessment and optimum treatment plan.
Podiatrists are medical professionals with training and skills which would be best suited for treatment of pain related to ingrown toenails.
Our Approach
What are Common symptoms?
- The skin next to the nail will be very tender, swollen, or hard.
- The pain increases when pressure is applied on the toe, such as with wearing shoes.
- You may notice fluid building up around the toe.
Signs that your toe may be infected:
- Red, swollen skin around the area
- Constant pain or pain with direct pressure
- Bleeding and pus
- Overgrowth of skin around the toe
Role of Podiatrist in treatment of ingrown toenails:
A podiatrist will remove the ingrown portion of the nail and may prescribe a topical or oral medication to treat the infection.
The podiatry procedures aim to treat and eventually permanently prevent ingrown nails from reoccurring.
Several treatment options exist for treatments for ingrown toenails ranging from home-based remedies to surgical treatments.
These treatments are aimed at relieving pain and pressure with an overall aim of preventing any recurrence.
Lifting the ingrown toenail.
Less severe cases of ingrown nails can be treated by the podiatrist by carefully lifting the ingrowing nail edge and placing a cotton pad or a splint under it.
This procedure is done to separate the nail from the overlying skin and helps the nail grow above the skin’s edge.
The podiatrist will give you a detailed plan for home care and management after the procedure to aid recovery.
Taping for an ingrown toenail.
This type of treatment involves pulling the skin away from the ingrown toenail and will help to reduce pain and pressure in the toe.
Partially removing the nail.
The podiatrist will perform this procedure if there is more severe inflammation pain or even pus in the ingrown toenail.
During the treatment, the podiatrist will numb the toe and trim or remove the ingrown portion of the nail.
Removing the nail and tissue.
It is not uncommon to have recurrent problems on the same toe.
In such cases, the podiatrists may recommend removing a portion of the nail along with the underlying tissue also called the nail bed.
This procedure may prevent that part of the nail from growing back.
Post-Treatment Recovery
After any procedure for ingrown toenails, your podiatrist will provide you with a home care plan which will also involve resting the foot for about 12- 24 hours or until your podiatrist tells you it’s okay to do so. It’s okay to shower the day after surgery.
For certain surgical procedures, specially in severe cases the normal recovery timeline is between 2 – 6 weeks.
Home Treatments for Ingrown Toenails
It is highly recommended that you seek professional advice for ingrown toenails. Podiatrists are trained in assessment and effective treatments for this condition.
However while you wait to see the podiatrist, there are some simply home treatments that can be done:
- Immerse the foot in a warm saltwater soak, or a basin of soapy water, then apply an antiseptic and bandage the area.
You can soak the foot in warm water 4 – 5 times a day, while using a cotton bud to gently push the skin away from the toenail. - Avoid repeatedly cutting the toe nail as it may further aggravate the pain and potentially cause an infection.
- Wear open toed footwear to allow room for movement while avoiding physical contact of the toe with the shoes.
Please Note: People with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or other circulatory disorders must avoid any form of self-treatment and seek professional help.
Some Frequently Asked Questions by Our Patients
After the procedure, your podiatrist may recommend that you keep your foot elevated for a few hours and rest for the next 12 – 24 hours post treatment. Usually, people are able to return to work 3 days after the procedure. Running or vigorous exercise for 2 weeks after the surgery is not recommended.
The podiatrist will use a local anesthetic prior to treatment. If an anesthetic injection is required, it may cause discomfort from the injection itself, but after the injection takes effect and the numbness sets in, the remaining process is comfortable.
In more severe cases, you may need antibiotics along with warm soaks. If after 2 to 3 days of antibiotics the toenail doesn’t get better or gets worse, part of the nail may need to be removed to drain the infection. With treatment, it can take 1 to 2 weeks to clear up completely.
The procedure normally takes about 10 minutes.
You should ideally wear cotton socks and open toed shoes for about 2 weeks.
After the ingrown toenail surgery, like any procedure, there is a risk of infection. In case that does occur, some signs to look out for include:
Redness around the toe.
Swelling and the pain that may constantly get worse.
The podiatrist will advise you about homecare after the procedure. However, in majority of the cases the bandage will stay on for atleast 7 days after which you can remove the bandage and gently wash around the wound with clean water 2 times a day.
The pain usually within 24 hours.
It is advised that the patient should avoid driving for the first couple of days after surgery until healing has occurred.
Leaving an ingrown toenail untreated can potentially become very serious, leading to infection that can spread to the bone beneath and infect your bone. This can lead to serious consequences such as development of gangrene.
Your Treating Podiatrist
We can assure you are safe in the hands of our highly experienced podiatrist Jacque who has been in consulting for over 30 years.
