What is an ingrowing toenail?

The nail becomes ‘ingrowing’ when the side of the nail cuts into the skin next to the nail. This can become painful. The skin next to the nail may also become infected or inflamed. Any toe can become infected, but the big toes are affected most commonly. It is a common problem in young people.

What causes ‘ingrowing’ nails?

• Tight fitting shoes
• Cutting toe nails very short and ‘round’. The correct way of cutting them is ‘straight across’.

Treatment

If caught early
If the ‘ingrowing’ part of the nail is small, it may be prevented from becoming worse, and sometimes cured. By the following
• Soak the toe in water for 10 minutes to soften the folds of skin around the infected nail
• Then, using a cotton bud, push the skin fold over the ingrown nail down and away from the nail. Do this starting at the root of the nail and move the cotton wool bud towards the end of the nail.
• Repeat each day for a few weeks, allowing the nail to grow.
• As the end of the nail grows forward, push a tiny piece of cotton wool under it to help the nail grow over the skin and not grow into it. Change the cotton wool daily.
• Do not cut the nail but allow it to grow forward until it is clear or the end of the toe. Then cut it straight across and not rounded off at the end.

If the nail fold becomes infected,
Sometimes antibiotic creams or tablets are prescribed.

For persistent ingrown toenails
It may be necessary to remove part of the nail. The usual procedure follows.
• The toe is made numb and painless by injecting local anaesthetic into the base of the toe.
• The toenail is then cut with scissors longways a few millimetres in from the offending edge.
• It is cut right up to the base of the nail of the toenail and the offending edge can then be pulled out.
• A small amount of acid is often put on the exposed part of the nail bed to stop the nail growing and causing another ingrown nail.
• The nail is then dressed.
Once the anaesthetic wears off the toe may be sore so you may need mild painkillers such as paracetamol for a day or so.

Source. www.patient.co.uk