Ingrown Toenails

What Are Ingrown Toenails?

Ingrown toenails have the potential to become a very painful skin condition. Ingrown toenails usually occur when the corner or entire edge of your toenail begins to dig into the skin nearby. It can happen on either one or both nail side borders and on any toe. 

However, the big toes are the most vulnerable. They will usually become increasingly painful, swollen, and red as time goes by. Ingrown toenails will often cause pain with only the smallest bumps causing pain.

While there is a chance that ingrown toenails will go away on their own, untreated cases will often get far worse over time and become infected. This can be very dangerous for people living with diabetes. The reason for the danger is that diabetes often leads to neuropathy. Neuropathy blocks feeling in the limbs, so a person with neuropathy will not feel the pain of an ingrown toenail. This can then lead to an infection and if untreated can go down a path no one wants to go down.

What Causes Ingrown Toenails?

Ingrown toenails can be caused by many different things. Usually, they are caused by some sort of injury or physical pressure, though this isn’t always the case. When it comes to ingrown toenails, at least one of the following factors will be involved:

  • Improper footwear
  • Improper nail trimming
  • Direct injuries
  • Genetic inheritance 

Treatment for Ingrown Toenails

If there are no signs of infection and you aren’t dealing with diabetes or neuropathy, you can attempt to soak your feet a few times a day. However, if you have any doubt, it is recommended that you come to see us. At-home treatment can often be dangerous.

Professional treatment options include:

  • Lifting the nail
  • Taping the nail
  • Gutter splint
  • Removing the nail and tissue causing the ingrown toenail
  • Partial removal

Most ingrown toenail conditions will need to be fixed with a non-invasive in-office procedure. We will numb your toe to ensure you don’t feel any pain during the process. This makes the entire process seamless and pain-free. These procedures usually only take an hour, and most patients can completely recover in only weeks after they have received treatment.

Don’t Live with Pain Any Longer

Ingrown toenails can be extremely painful, annoying, frustrating, and even dangerous if you have underlying conditions that could make it hard for you. 

Our doctors will have you back on your feet and be performing tasks the same day! We make sure to provide you with all of the information you need to heal and come back better than ever. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you out!