What is an ingrown toenail?
An ingrown toenail can make wearing shoes or walking painful. Foot & Ankle Specialists of Utah evaluates painful or recurring ingrown nails and recommends treatment based on the condition of the toe. Care may range from advice on nail care and footwear to a minor office procedure.
What is an ingrown toenail?
An ingrown toenail occurs when the edge of a nail presses into or grows into the nearby skin. It most often affects the big toe, although any toenail can become ingrown.
The nail edge can irritate or break the skin, causing tenderness and swelling. An infection may develop when bacteria enter the damaged area.
What symptoms should I watch for?
Common signs include:
- Pain along one or both sides of the nail.
- Redness and swelling around the nail edge.
- Tenderness when the toe touches a shoe.
- Drainage or pus, which may indicate infection.
Contact a healthcare professional promptly for spreading redness, worsening swelling, drainage, or fever. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, or reduced feeling in your feet, contact your provider early rather than attempting home treatment. Our diabetic foot care team can also help with ongoing nail concerns.
What causes an ingrown toenail?
Common contributing factors include cutting nails too short, rounding the corners, wearing shoes that crowd the toes, and injuring the nail. Some people naturally have more curved nails or an inherited tendency to develop the problem.
Difficulty seeing or reaching your toes can make safe nail trimming harder. Professional nail care may be appropriate if you cannot trim your nails safely.
How are ingrown toenails treated?
Your podiatrist will examine the nail and surrounding skin and check for infection. Mild cases may improve with appropriate nail care and changes to footwear.
For a painful, persistent, or recurring ingrown nail, the provider may recommend removing the affected nail edge. A local anesthetic is used to numb the toe before the procedure. You will receive instructions for dressing the area, keeping it clean, and returning to activities.
If the same nail edge repeatedly grows into the skin, treatment of that part of the nail root may help reduce the chance of recurrence. This is discussed individually; no treatment can guarantee that a nail problem will never return.
Antibiotics may be needed if an infection is present. They do not remove the nail edge pressing into the skin.
What should I avoid doing at home?
Do not dig under the nail, cut deeply into the corners, or try to remove the ingrown portion yourself. These attempts can injure the skin and make the problem worse.
While arranging care, keep the toe clean and choose footwear that avoids pressure on the sore area. Ask your provider for advice if you have an open wound or a condition that affects healing.
How can I reduce the chance of another ingrown nail?
Trim toenails straight across and avoid cutting them too short. Wear shoes with enough room for your toes, and avoid picking or tearing at nail corners. Seek help if nails become difficult to manage or the same area keeps becoming sore.
Ingrown toenail care at our Utah locations
For a painful nail or symptoms that keep returning, contact Foot & Ankle Specialists of Utah. Our offices are in Bountiful, Brigham City, Lehi, Ogden, Sandy, Tooele, and West Valley.