An ingrown toenail (onychocryptosis) Ingrown toenails are a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, redness, swelling and, sometimes, an infection. Ingrown toenails usually affect your big toe. They can affect people at any age.
Causes:
- Wide nail
- Poor nail cutting
- Inherited
- Tight footwear
- Nail picking/pulling
- Excessive perspiration
- Repetitive trauma
- Certain activities or sports
- Foot/nail deformities – excessive curvature
- Fungal nail infection
- Self – Treatment
- Salt water soaking or flushing the area (dry thoroughly)
- Topical antiseptics
- Keep covered and clean
- Antibiotics (if infection is present)
Podiatry Treatment
If you suffer with chronic ingrown toenails a podiatrist can remove them for you conservatively and permanently. We can do it with the use of local anaesthetic or without. Conservative treatment involves removing the impacted nail spike and smoothing the nail edge off. This is a quick, often painless and effective solution. A more permanent solution is partial or total nail avulsion. This procedure is done under local anaesthetic and involves removing a single side, both sides and the whole nail and cauterising the nail matrix so the nail doesn’t regrow. This is generally done when conservative nails treatment fails
Prevention
- Regular podiatry treatment and prevention
- Cut nails straight across and avoid tampering down the sides of the nails
- Don’t cut nails too short
- Don’t pick or pull at your nails
- Wear appropriate footwear
- Avoid trauma
