Ingrown toenails are a common occurrence and affects individuals of all ages. The great toe is affected a majority of the time, however, it can occur on any toe. After many failed attempts at removing the offending nail, patients typically present with pain, swelling, redness, and occasionally drainage and odor to the side of the toe. Although antibiotics and trimming the nail can sometimes suppress the symptoms of an ingrown toenail, the underlying problems still exist.
An ingrown toe nail can occur as a result from poor or lack of trimming the nail, trimming the nail to far back as is the case with some pedicures, trauma, and wearing tight shoe gear. The nail grows into the side of the toe underneath the skin as it grows out from the nail root. This unfortunately is too deep to remove during “bathroom surgery” and therefore never really goes away until treated by your podiatrist. Visiting one of our podiatrists can help alleviate the pain and the problem permanently by performing a simple in office procedure. The procedure, which generally takes less then 5 minutes, is roughly 80-90% affective in preventing re-occurrence of the painful nail. Typically, after the offending nail has been removed and the toe as has healed, the overall appearance of the toe is minimally altered from a cosmetic standpoint. If you are suffering from a painfully ingrown toenail, call today to see one of our specialists.
