Ingrown Toenails   

 

An Ingrown Toenail or onychocryptosis is a problem that will effect most people at some point in their life. Thankfully, this problem can generally be prevented as well as cured if it becomes a recurrent  problem.

 

An ingrown toenail results from the nail growing into the skin around it. 

This often occurs at either edge of the big toe. Many times they are hereditary, passed down from parent to child.  

 

Symptoms:                                                                                                                                                           You may experience a range of symptoms from mild tenderness at the tip of the nail through  to significant pain in the entire toe. You may notice swelling, redness and if infected, there may also be pus & a strong odour. It can occur on any toe, on one or both sides but most commonly affects the inner side of the large toe.

 

Cause:

It most commonly occurs for two main reasons: 

 

    1. poor cutting technique i.e. cutting the nail too far down the side & leaving behind a sharp edge or, cutting the skin & causing an infection

 

 or,

 

    2. poor nail growth (see below) i.e. the nail, instead of growing flat, has a curvature which can either irritate the surrounding skin or, make it very difficult to cut the nail.

 

 

Nail growth is genetically determined. If a parent or grandparent has had a problem, a child or grandchild is at a greater risk of developing the same problem.

 

Prevention:

The old adage "prevention is better than cure", applies to ingrown toenails. The most important point is correct cutting of the nail (see image). 

 

Use a clean pair, of good quality nippers. Attempt to cut the nail straight across. File the corners, do not cut down the sides.  If your nail has an irritating rough edge, smooth it down with an emery board, again following the natural curve of the nail. Never yank out a ragged nail fragment. This can lead to a nasty infection.

 

 

Some people, even after cutting the nail correctly, still develop problems. There are also many people that physically cannot reach their feet or toenails & also develop problems. If you can't look after your toenails then see a Podiatrist.  

 

Treatment :

Over-the-counter preparations are virtually worthless for an ingrown toenail and using them can be dangerous particularly if you have diabetes or circulation problems. Seeing a Podiatrist can save you a lot of pain & money in the long run.

 

Probing under a toenail is very risky. Many people dig scissors tips under a toenail to lift and cut its corners or attempt to place cotton wool under the nail edge. This often can lead to an infection and if  not treated, requires much more involved procedures. If an ingrown toenail should develop, you should see a Podiatrist immediately.

 

SELF TREATMENT

  • follow the normal curvature of the nail when cutting

  • file any sharp corners or thickening of the nail

  • if you should develop any tenderness, soak daily in warm salt water & apply antiseptic to the nail edge (do not attempt to remove any ingrowing piece of nail)

  • avoid any tight footwear

  • if the problem persists, see a Podiatrist immediately

PODIATRIC TREATMENT

  • most ingrown toenails, can generally be quickly & painlessly removed providing immediate relief

  • if the nail is deeply imbedded or infected, the nail can again be removed with a simple procedure that will permanently cure the problem

 

Footmed provides efficient, pain free care of ingrown toenails. From simple pain relief to permanent correction, we can make you comfortable.

 

Private health insurance generally covers a percentage of the cost of Podiatric consultations. Podiatric consultations are also covered under Workcover, 3rd Party Insurance & Veterans Affairs.  

 

[THIS INFORMATION IS OF A GENERAL NATURE & SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS A DIAGNOSIS. SEEK ADVICE FROM A PODIATRIST FOR SPECIFIC ADVICE]