Ingrown Toenails - Click to Download Post-Op Instructions

There are many causes of ingrown toenails and there are many treatments our grandmothers have suggested to treat them. The most common source of the infection is the nail border curving and cutting into the skin, allowing an infection to start. When the infection occurs, this usually makes things worse with more pain, inflammation and an inability to resolve.

The nail border grows under the skin and is not in a position to be trimmed away from the skin adequately. This is why many people attempt to cure their ingrown nail with a simple trimming of what they can see of the ingrown nail but are surprised when it does not solve the problem or it comes back quickly. What they are unable to see is the rest of the nail under the skin that is still causing problems.

The consistent treatment for most ingrown nails is to administer anesthesia to the toe and remove the entire nail border, both the part seen and the part unseen under the skin. Just the side against the skin is removed not the “entire nail”. This will allow the infection to subside and the pain and inflammation to resolve.

After the infection subsides, a chemical can be applied in the corner where the nail border grows to prevent regrowth of the incurvated nail border. This is very useful to avoid reoccurrence of the ingrown nail.