What is an in growing toenail?
Does this look familiar? An Ingrowing toenail is when the nail digs into the skin around it. It can be extremely painful and can even become infected. They can stop you from enjoying your favourite activities or even prevent you from doing everyday tasks. Maybe you have been to your GP and given antibiotics or even put on long waiting list for NHS podiatry care. Do not fear – ingrowing toenails are our specialty and we can get you feeling better and even provide a permeant cure without the need for antibiotics.
How did I get an Ingrowing toenail?
There are a few reasons you might have found yourself with an ingrowing toe nail-
1. Probably one of the most common reasons is poor nail cuttings technique. And Yes!! There is such a thing! Cutting the nail too short or unknowingly leaving a little bit of nail lurking in the corner can lead to IGTN. We call this a ‘nail spike’ and it can be very painful. We use our expertise and clinical techniques to remove this spike so it no longer digs in and causes you pain.
2. Genetics. Unfortunately, in some cases ingrowing toenails are just destined for your toes. This can be to do with the size and shape of your nail or the mechanics of your feet. You might even have family members that have experienced the same thing.
3. Trauma and footwear. These two things tend to go hand in hand. Poorly fitting footwear and hosiery that presses on the nail can lead to ingrowing toenails. Some activities can also have an impact on the nail such as football or running.
Will it get better?
YES!! You don’t have to put up with them, lets fix your ingrowing toenail.
Firstly, depending on the severity of your nail, we can use nippers or a scalpel blade to remove the nail that is digging into the corners. Sometimes this is enough to relieve the pressure and the nail grows normally after this.
Other times this is not enough or it is simply too sore and infected to get a pair of nippers near it. In this case we would offer nail surgery. This is a permeant cure where remove part of the nail or the whole nail under local anaesthetic and use a chemical to stop it coming back. Read more about this procedure here.
What if it’s infected?
Unfortunately, Ingrowing toe nails can get infected and antibiotics will help to stop that infection from progressing. However, they will not resolve the problem as the nail that’s causing the problem is still digging into the skin. Read more about antibiotics in our blog -
We have the solution to your ingrowing toe nail and you can continue to do the things you love. Book an appointment with us.
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