Ingrown Toenail Pain? When to Treat It — and Why Waiting Can Make It Worse

Ingrown toe nail - after the initial signs. This toe now has nail growing into the skin and is vulnerable to infection

Is your toe red, swollen, and hurting? Here's what you need to know before it gets worse.

What is an ingrown toenail?

An ingrown toe nail refers to a specific problem of onychocryptosis, the nail piercing into you skin.

This can be due to:

• Improper cutting leave a sharp edge to grow into the skin.

• Trauma - running, football, high impact sports activities or just stumping your toe.

• Improper fitting footwear

• Genetic shape of your nail.

Early signs

1. Redness - you will see a very small amount of redness (erythema) around the part of the nail that is growing into the skin.

2. Pain - you may feel a sharpness whenever putting pressure on the area with your fingers. Otherwise once the nail grows more you will start to feel it with every step.

3. Pus - you may see some liquid or residue around the nail.

If you have nail pain, it may not be an ingrown toenail.

It can be because of:

• Involuted nail - A nail that rather than a smooth curve like a banana, the nail has a C-shape

• Paronychia - Nail inflammation from trauma or irritation, impacting the cuticle area.

• Retronychia - A nail growing backwards and impacting on the base of the nail.

• Bony Exostosis - this is when there is a small bony growth that is cuasing irritation to the nail, very similar symptoms to an ingrown toenail.

If you're in London, we can help!

Treating early = Faster Recovery!

If you can can get treatment when you start to see/feel the early symptoms recovery is easier and you can avoid a surgery.

If left longer than a week after feeling pain, infections are common, this is because when you have pain that is a sign that the nail has penetrated the skin, allowing bacteria in easily.

Treatments

1. Conservative care

   - This Option is the first step, the clinician will slowly resect the nail with care and precision to remove the part of the nail that is causing the pain.

2. Noninvasive Procedure - Nail Surgery

   - Conservative care alone, may not permanently reslve the problem due to the shape of your nail.

   - This is a small procedure that does not make any incision into the skin, we are able to remove sections of nail painlessly and with permanent pain relief.

3. Nail Brace

   - This is a temporary solution, and does not have great efficacy. We do not recommend this solution as it cannot resolve the problem.

   
   

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   Need help? We offer gentle, expert treatment for ingrown toenails — so you can walk pain-free again.

   Questions? - Contact us! We will give free advice.

   Book your appointment today!