Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails dig into the skin and often become incredibly painful. At Foot and Ankle Specialists, with offices in Summit and Hamilton, New Jersey, the state’s leading podiatrists offer prompt ingrown toenail treatment so you can avoid complications and walk with ease again. If you have an irritated ingrown toenail, call the office in your area or click the online booking feature for help. 

What are ingrown toenails?

An ingrown toenail happens when a nail grows into one of the lateral nail folds (the skin on either side of the toe). Ingrown toenails almost exclusively occur in the big toe. The toenail’s growth beneath the skin causes irritation and, often, severe discomfort.

Ingrown toenails more or less split the skin in one small area, leaving an open area where bacteria can enter to cause infection. Even if that doesn’t occur, a nail growing within the skin can lead to an infection. 

How can I tell when I have an ingrown toenail?

You can usually identify an ingrown toenail by examining the corner of the toe. Common symptoms are:

• Red skin
• Puffy skin
• Discomfort or pain
• Pus leakage (if infection occurs)
• Warm-feeling skin

Early in the course of an ingrown toenail, you might not see or feel serious symptoms. But, even in the early stage, an ingrown toenail usually causes at least some minor discomfort when you wear shoes or press the nail. 

How are ingrown toenails treated?

Foot and Ankle Specialists examines and diagnoses your ingrown toenail, then determines the best treatment. There are many approaches for ingrown toenails, based on the severity. 

A few conservative approaches include elevating the corner of the nail using a tiny splint and taping to pull the edge of the nail gently out of the skin. 

But, if your nail causes severe pain or keeps returning after treatment, partial nail removal might be the best approach. The team administers local anesthesia and removes the ingrown part of the toenail, leaving the rest intact. 

You’ll probably also receive an antibiotic prescription if your nail is infected.

For recurring ingrown toenails, the team may suggest removing a whole strip of the nail (the part that’s ingrown) down to the nail root. Then, they treat the nail’s growth center with a chemical or other means to prevent nail regrowth. 

Ultimately, this leaves you with most of your toenail intact. Though your toenail is slightly narrowed, it’s not too noticeable, and you won’t have to worry about ingrown toenails there anymore.

Ingrown toenail treatments at Foot and Ankle Specialists take just a few minutes, and you’ll feel better immediately. If you’re in pain, don’t try bathroom surgery and make matters worse: Contact the office nearest you or click the online booking tool now.