Most people with ingrown toenails recover with noninvasive treatments, but surgery might be necessary for a severely affected nail. If you have an ingrown toenail, visit Susan Yeager, DPM, at Yeager Foot and Ankle Center in Redding, California, for a specialized assessment. Dr. Yeager’s regular foot exams identify any problems early on and treat conditions that could increase your risk of ulcers. Call Yeager Foot and Ankle Center or request an appointment online today to benefit from comprehensive foot and ankle care.
Ingrown toenails develop when the nail grows down into your skin instead of straight out, often causing an infection. Ingrown toenails commonly develop on the sides of your big toes. They can become increasingly painful as the nail digs deeper into your skin.
Trimming toenails too short triggers ingrown toenails. Poor foot structure, pressure from constrictive footwear, injuries, and fungal infections can also increase your risk of ingrown toenails.
Without expert treatment, the skin might grow over the affected toenail, eventually surrounding it.
Ingrown toenails increase your risk of painful wounds (ulcers) if you have diabetes.
If you visit Yeager Foot and Ankle Center early for ingrown toenail treatment, you can prevent complications and avoid surgery.
Warm water soaks several times daily, wearing well-fitting shoes and socks, and trimming your toenails in a straight line rather than rounding them helps treat and prevent painful ingrown toenails. If there’s an infection, Dr. Yeager may prescribe antibiotics.
Putting a splint under your toenail helps raise the ingrown part away from your skin. Dental floss can also work. Consider ingrown toenail surgery if your toenail is too severly ingrown for these treatments.
Depending on how severe your ingrown toenail is, Dr. Yeager might need to remove all or just part of the nail. Both are typically in-office procedures.
Dr. Yeager cleans the toe and numbs it with a local anesthetic injection. She might put an elastic band around the base of your toe and raise the ingrown section with a wedge. Dr. Yeager uses scissors and special instruments to cut the ingrown side down to your cuticle and separate the ingrown toenail from the nailbed.
If your nail is badly ingrown or ingrown on both sides, Dr. Yeager repeats this on the other side of the nail and then removes the cut section. She applies a cautery (heated electrical device) or an acidic solution like trichloroacetic acid or phenol to stop the nail bed from bleeding. When the ingrown toenail surgery is complete, Dr. Yeager will likely put petroleum jelly and a bandage on your toe.
The toenail may not regrow after surgery — if it does, it’ll probably look different.
To learn more about ingrown toenail surgery and other treatments for painful feet, call Yeager Foot & Ankle Center or request an appointment online today.