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Ingrowing Toenails

Ingrowing Toenails

Ingrown toenails (also known as onychocryptosis) can be problematic and cause considerable pain. Without treatment, they can easily become infected.
An ingrowing toenail can occur when one or both sides of the toenail grow into the surrounding skin. If the nail curls and pierces the skin, the tissue becomes swollen, red, tender and infected.

Ingrowing toenails can be the result of a variety of things, these include:
- Incorrect nail cutting
- Inappropriate footwear
- Genetics
- Trauma and injury
- Invasive medical treatment (e.g. Chemo/Radiotherapy)

It is highly important to seek effective ingrowning toenail treatment as soon as the problem develops.

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There are 3 options available for the removal of ingrowing toenails.

  •  Your Podiatrist can remove the side of the nail where the problem is located using local anaesthetic. The issue will be resolved and the nail will eventually grow back. This is suitable for a one-off ingrowing toenail or recent trauma to the nail.  

  • Your Podiatrist can perform nail surgery; a minor surgical procedure performed under local anaesthetic to permanently cure ingrowing nails. The result is a toe that retains most of its nail, minus the section that had given so much trouble. The procedure can be applied to one or both sides of the nail. This is suitable for reoccurring ingrowing toenails. Nail surgery comes as a package of care which includes the surgery, follow up appointments, dressings and a cleansing spray to aid the healing process. It should be noted that there is a very small (approx. 5%) chance of regrowth.

  • In more extreme cases the whole nail can be removed permanently.

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