Ingrown toenails are painful and, if they grow deep into the flesh next to the nail and become infected, dangerous. Surgical intervention for extremely embedded toenails is common, but less severe cases are treatable with home remedies or minor outpatient procedures. Consult a doctor about your ingrown toenail before pursuing at-home cures.
Details
Ingrown toenails require no detailed testing to diagnose. Examination of the foot is sufficient to identify the problem. The most common cause of a toenail growing deeply into the neighboring skin is improper trimming, according to Medline Plus, a division of the National Institutes of Health. The nail should be cut straight across, not rounded at the corners. Injury, such as stubbing the toe, can also lead to ingrown nails.
Appearance
The edge of an ingrown toenail appears to grow downward into the pad of flesh that borders the nail. It can cause excess skin growth at the point of contact that makes it appear as though the neighboring skin is growing up and over the nail, but that is usually a response to the ingrown nail, not the cause. Sometimes, the nail is simply too large for the nail bed, which can cause the nail to grow into the skin, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Symptoms
An infected ingrown toenail presents with redness and tenderness if the growth is not treated, and eventually the nail can penetrate deep into the skin, causing bleeding and pus discharge, according to Medline Plus.
Remedies
Soak your ingrown toenail in warm water nightly or several times a day if possible, but keep the foot dry at other times. You can apply a topical antiseptic to the area, particularly if you see any redness forming, according to MayoClinic.com. That may indicate a looming infection. Some doctors will place a piece of cotton just under the affected nail to inspire a realignment of growth, and you can carefully do this at home as well, but it may be too painful to do on your own for an especially deep ingrown nail.
Surgery
Generally, ingrown toenail surgery is minor and can be done on an outpatient basis using local anesthetic. Even deeply ingrown nails can be resected in an office visit, though more penetrating surgeries that remove a portion of the nail bed may be performed at the hospital, according to the AAOS. Removing a portion of the tissue beneath the nail prevents the nail from growing in that area, and it can be a cure for recurrent ingrown toenails.
Alternatives
Cryosurgery is an alternative to conventional methods that concentrates on the skin around the ingrown nail instead of the nail itself, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. A common treatment for plantar warts, cryosurgery uses liquid nitrogen applied to the area to freeze the skin. The skin dies and sloughs off a few days later, revealing the corner of the nail and allowing for proper trimming.
Member Comments