For those undergoing ingrown toenail surgery, it can feel like a massive weight has been lifted off of your shoulders (or toes), finally giving you much-needed relief from the pain and discomfort. And as with any minor surgical procedure, having proper care after your procedure is essential for a smooth and speedy recovery. To ensure you heal quickly and safely, we have compiled eight tips to guide you through the recovery process.Note: you should also receive post-surgical recovery instructions from your specific clinic and podiatrist, so always ensure that you always follow those and ask your podiatrist if you have any questions.
1. Keep the surgical area clean
Following your podiatrist’s instructions for wound care, keep the surgical area (the toe that had the partial nail avulsion procedure) clean and dry to help minimise your risk of infection. Use mild, fragrance-free soap when cleaning the area and pat it dry gently.
2. Wear comfortable footwear with a spacious toe box
Opt for shoes that provide ample room for your toes and avoid putting pressure on the surgical area. This may be ones with a spacious toe box, to make room for your thick winter socks. Ultimately, you want to choose breathable and supportive shoes to aid in the healing process. If necessary, we can recommend specific footwear or shoe modifications.
3. Elevate your feet when resting
Elevating your feet when resting (or at least the foot that has had the procedure) can help reduce your swelling and help improve circulation. Prop up your foot on a pillow or cushion whenever you’re sitting or lying down. Aim to keep your foot elevated above heart level for optimal results.
4. Use NSAIDs as needed
If you’re experiencing pain or discomfort after your procedure, you don’t need to put up with it. You can use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) as needed to help you manage your pain, assuming that you have no contraindications to the medicine.
5. Avoid excessive pressure or trauma
During the recovery period, avoid any activities that may put excessive pressure or trauma on the toe(s). This includes high-impact exercises, running, and activities that require prolonged standing or walking.
6. Maintain proper foot hygiene
Practise good foot hygiene to prevent infection. Keep your feet clean and dry, follow your podiatrists’ dressing change instructions, change your socks daily, and avoid wearing tight or restrictive footwear that may increase moisture and bacteria buildup.
7. Avoid self-treatment
While it may be tempting to follow the advice of well-meaning family members or friends who may be trying to help or support you after your procedure, it’s important to carefully follow your post-op instructions, and leave any other additional ‘home remedies’ aside. Leaving your care to the expertise of your podiatrist to prevent complications and promote proper healing will help you get the best results.
8. Any questions? Just ask.
Don’t be afraid to get in touch with your podiatrist as often as you need to if you have any questions in the days and weeks following your procedure. You should also have some follow-up appointments scheduled to check on your progress and help with any wound redressing.
We’re Auckland’s Ingrown Toenail Experts
Our experienced podiatry team is here to help, and leave you feeling great on your feet. Book your appointment online here or call us on 09 523 2333
Ingrown toenails are undoubtedly painful and frustrating, especially if you continue to get them over and over. While there are many causes of ingrown toenails, such as picking or pulling at the nails, or trimming the toenails too far down the sides of the nail to give them a curved appearance, one causative factor that is often overlooked is the shoes you wear. Specifically, wearing shoes that are too tight – and in some cases even too loose can cause your toenails to grow down into the skin, leading to yet another ingrown toenail. So what should you be looking for in shoes that help protect your feet against ingrown toenails? Here are five great places to start.
Get the Right Fit
The first step in choosing the right shoes to avoid ingrown toenails is to make sure your footwear is the right fit – and style – for your foot type. Tight shoes can cause ingrown toenails by putting pressure on the toes, which can push the toenails into the skin. When the toenails are constantly pressed against the skin, they can become inflamed and swollen, making it easier for them to grow into the skin. Additionally, tight shoes can cause the toes to be compressed, which can lead to an imbalance in the pressure distribution in the toes. This can cause the toenails to grow abnormally, making them more likely to become ingrown. When shoes are too loose, the foot can slide forward inside the shoe, causing the toes to press against the front of the shoe. This can lead to the toenails being pushed into the skin, especially if the shoes are repeatedly worn without being properly adjusted or tightened. Loose shoes can also cause the foot to move around inside the shoe, which can cause the toenails to rub against the inside of the shoe or each other. This friction can irritate the skin around the toenails and make it more likely for the nails to grow into the skin.When you’re buying shoes, make sure you try them on and walk around in them to see how they feel. You should be able to wiggle your toes comfortably, and there should be enough space between the end of your shoe and your longest toe.
Choose Shoes with a Wide Toe Box
Shoes with a narrow or pointy toe box can squeeze your toes together, causing your toenails to grow into the skin. Instead, look for shoes with a good-sized toe box. They don’t even have to be super wide – just suitable for your foot and foot type. This will allow your toes to spread out naturally. Shoes with a rounded or square toe box are a good starting point to help give your toes the space they need. If you have wide feet or bunions, you may need to look for shoes that are specifically designed for these conditions – but thankfully today’s market has a lot of variation and options for those with a range of foot conditions.
Look for Shoes with Soft, Flexible Uppers
The material of the shoe’s upper can also affect how your toenails grow. Shoes with stiff, rigid uppers can put pressure on your toes, causing them to curl under and grow into the skin. Look for shoes with soft, flexible uppers that allow your feet to move naturally. Leather and mesh are good options as a starting point.
Avoid High Heels
High heels not only overload your forefoot which can lead to a range of pains and problems, but they can also contribute to the development of ingrown toenails. High heels force your toes into the front of the shoe, putting pressure on your toenails and causing them to grow into the skin. If you must wear heels, look for shoes with a lower heel height and a wider toe box.
Consider Orthotics
If you have flat feet or other foot problems, and have had a pair of orthotics in the past, you may benefit from continuing to wear them as a way to help prevent your ingrown toenails from recurring. While orthotics are typically designed to support your feet and improve your foot alignment, they can also help prevent ingrown toenails by reducing pressure on your toes through the way that foot alignment is adjusted.
Getting Help For An Ingrown Toenail
If you’re concerned about recurrent ingrown toenails and aren’t sure if your shoes are the source of the problem or if it’s something else, we can help. Our team offers treatments that fix both one-off and recurrent ingrown nails, as well as helps you get to the cause of the problem to help prevent them from continuing to cause you pain and discomfort in the future.Book your appointment by calling us on 09 523 2333 or book online here.
Noticed an area of red, swollen skin at the side of your baby’s toenail and wondering if it’s possible that they’ve developed an ingrown toenail? It absolutely is – we’ve treated ingrown nails in infants as young as three months old – and it can happen earlier than that, too.
Signs Your Baby Has An Ingrown Toenail
The image to the right shows an ingrown toenail uncovered by a parent at just 3.5 months old. Some signs that your baby may have an ingrown toenail include:
A peeling skin appearance at the corner of the nail and toe, as illustrated
Redness and swelling on one distinct corner of the toe (or both if baby has an ingrown nail on both sides of the nail)
You notice them cry or squirm when the toe is touched, either accidentally or from things like swaddles and clothing
You see any discharge coming from the toe (this indicates that the nail has likely pierced the skin)
Why Has My Baby Developed An Ingrown Toenail?
The most common reason we see for ingrown toenails in babies is simply having a genetic predisposition for it – such as naturally having curly toenails, or still having a lot of skin surrounding the toenail for the nail to grow into. Other causes include the position of the babies in the womb – particularly if the foot is squished up with pressure being applied to the toes. The use of tight swaddling, tight booties or other clothing can also contribute to ingrown toenails, though this is less common at this age where footwear is not often worn. An incorrect nail-cutting technique is a very common attribute in adults, but is also much less common in babies. However, it can occur if the nail was ‘pulled’ off and a sharper or prominent nail edge was left behind at the side of the toenail.
What Should You Do If Your Baby Has An Ingrown Toenail?
The most important thing at this stage is to help get your baby out of pain and discomfort. Ideally you want to trim back the part of the nail that is pressing against the skin and causing the ingrown nail, though you will need very thin nail scissors and not standard clippers to achieve this. There are a few things parents should know: most likely, your baby will not enjoy the process of their sore and painful nail being trimmed back. This is normal – you are not hurting them, their ingrown toenail is. Once the nail is out of the skin, they will get so much relief. The next is that in some cases, there may be a little bleeding. If there is, again know that most likely it is not you that has caused this – think of the nail as a potential dagger that has embedded itself into the skin (depending on the nature of the nail). It makes sense that when the nail spicule is removed, there may be a little bleeding. Dress it, care for it and monitor it carefully.For many of our patients, trimming the nail back does feel a bit too much, and they’re uncertain on exactly what to do, how to do it safely, or the right tools to use. Many just don’t want their baby to be in pain. If that’s the case, you are always welcome to bring your little ones in here to see our podiatrists. We’re parents too – so we’ve been there, and we absolutely get it. We’ll get rid of the ingrown nail quickly and easily using our safe, medical podiatric tools – while you entertain your baby and keep them distracted. It’s often a very fast process and parents find it a big relief – and much more enjoyable than trying to manage things at home.Book your appointment by calling us on 09 523 2333 or book online here.
Just like you’re reading this article now, for many people with an ingrown toenail, particularly if it’s their first time with one, they’ll also head online to seek out the best way to treat an ingrown toenail. And after hearing some interesting feedback from our patients in terms of their online search results, we decided to jump online to have a look ourselves – and set the record straight on what we found. And you can bet we were surprised! Here are seven treatment options presented by an article – and our thoughts on these findings.
“Soak the affected foot: Soaking the affected foot in warm water several times a day can help reduce inflammation and ease pain”
While regularly soaking the foot that has your ingrown toenail can help relieve your pain, there are two misconceptions here: first, this effect is very temporary. Next, it doesn’t actually treat, fix or resolve an ingrown toenail. The ingrown portion of your toenail still remains embedded in the surrounding skin, and so the pain and problem will continue to bother you – and is likely to continue to get worse over time.
“Wear comfortable shoes: Wearing comfortable, non-restrictive shoes can help reduce pressure on the affected toenail”
While we always support the advice to wear comfortable shoes, this advice also doesn’t fix the problem of your ingrown toenail. It can help you feel more comfortable and reduce your immediate pain – but it doesn’t remove the painful nail spicule from the skin. This advice also doesn’t clarify what shoes you should wear, beyond being comfortable and being non-restrictive. Specifically, you want shoes that either have a big, spacious toe box for your toe to sit freely in without being pressed on, or ones with an open-toe region.
“Lift the nail: Gently lifting the edge of the ingrown nail with a small piece of cotton or dental floss can help it grow out straight”
If treating an ingrown toenail was as simple as just “lifting” the ingrown piece of the nail out of the skin, then we wouldn’t have a whole clinic dedicated to treating this painful and frustrating condition – and the pain and frustration is often linked to not being able to do anything to ease the pain (beyond temporary medicated relief) at home. When cotton is used to lift the nail, in most cases the offending nail spicule is still left in the skin, continuing to cause ongoing pain and irritation, even if the severity is somewhat reduced. It also doesn’t stop the ingrown nail from recurring in the future.
“Apply antibiotic ointment: Applying an antibiotic ointment to the affected area can help prevent infection”
While it’s true that antibiotic ointment can help prevent infection, which can help ease symptom severity, this also does not fix the problem of your ingrown toenail. This is because antibiotics don’t remove a nail spicule of the skin and don’t treat the underlying cause of an ingrown toenail. We’ve written specifically about antibiotics here.
“Take pain relievers: Over-the-counter pain relievers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can help reduce pain and inflammation”
It is correct that pain relievers can help reduce pain and inflammation, but once again, offering this temporary relief from your pain and symptoms does not fix or treat your ingrown toenail. The nail spicule still remains deeply embedded in the skin, and only growing further in as time passes.
“See a podiatrist: A podiatrist can trim or remove the ingrown nail and may prescribe antibiotics if there is an infection”
Yes! You absolutely should see a podiatrist for an ingrown toenail. The first piece of advice we can agree on – and yes we can remove your ingrown toenail, though we won’t prescribe you antibiotics for an infection. For those that do need antibiotics, which many of our patients don’t, these are prescribed only by your GP.
“Surgery: In severe or recurrent cases, surgery may be recommended to remove the ingrown nail and prevent it from growing back”
Again, ingrown nail surgery is good advice. This is called a Partial Nail Avulsion (PNA) and involves your podiatrist removing a small section of the nail (including the ingrown portion with the nail spicule) so that you no longer have the nail piercing your skin. We can also apply a chemical to prevent the ingrown edge of the nail from returning. We recommend this for both severe cases, and when this isn’t your first time having an ingrown toenail. So this one is spot on – finally!So the morale of the story? Don’t trust everything you read on the internet – unless it’s from qualified health professionals that specialise in treating the exact problem you have. If you’re currently struggling with an ingrown toenail, book your appointment with our podiatrists by calling us on 09 523 2333 or book online here.
As a clinic specialising in ingrown nail care and treatment, we often see patients who have been battling with an ingrown toenail for many weeks and come to us to finally get rid of the problem. During the appointment, it’s surprisingly common to hear: “but I went to my doctor and got antibiotics – I’m not sure why they didn’t work?”The reason they didn’t work is because antibiotics are fantastic when it comes to treating infections caused by bacteria – but ingrown toenails are unfortunately a mechanical issue caused by the growth of the toenail into the surrounding skin. While an ingrown toenail can become infected, antibiotics would only be effective in treating the infection and would not address the underlying issue of the toenail growing into the skin. Hence, your ingrown toenail continues to persist and cause you pain while putting you at risk of recurring infections, given that the wound never gets a real chance to close and heal.
How Can You Tell If Your Ingrown Toenail Is Infected?
Some signs that an ingrown toenail may be infected include:
Redness and swelling around the edge of the toenail
Drainage of pus or other fluid from the area
Warmth and tenderness to the touch
Pain, especially when pressure is applied to the area
A fever, which is a sign of a systemic infection
If My Ingrown Toenail Is Bleeding, Does That Mean It’s Becoming Infected?
No. Ingrown toenails often bleed because a sharp piece of nail has broken the surrounding skin and is now growing into it. But if your toenail is bleeding, it does mean that you’re at risk of developing an infection. This is why it’s important to get your ingrown toenail treated promptly. Before you can get in to see a podiatrist, keep the affected area clean and dry, and avoid picking at or squeezing the nail or surrounding skin, as this can increase the risk of infection.
What Is The Best Way To Treat My Ingrown Toenail?
The best treatment option for you will depend on the cause of your ingrown toenail, its severity, and whether this is your first time with an ingrown toenail or the nail is a repeat offender. Here at the Auckland Ingrown Toenail Clinic in Remuera, we treat ingrown nails in one of three ways:
Conservative nail care: for first time ingrown toenails, as well as for those where the cause is unlikely to recur again in the future, our podiatrists are able to remove the offending nail spicule using our specialised surgical instruments, simply and easily. We will then provide you with a series of instructions on how to trim your nails in the future to reduce your likelihood of the problem returning. For tips on what not to do for an ingrown toenail, read this article.
Partial nail avulsion: for recurring ingrown toenails, our podiatrists specialise in removing the offending nail spicule permanently. This uses a chemical to prevent the problematic edge of the nail from growing back in the future, while giving you instant relief when the nail is removed from the skin.
Total nail avulsion: for recurring ingrown toenails that have a secondary problem, like a thickened, damaged or distorted nail, we can perform a total nail avulsion. This involves removing the entire nail and allowing it to grow back naturally, ideally without the previous issues.
Auckland’s Ingrown Toenail Experts
If you have an ingrown toenail and need help, get in touch with our ingrown toenail experts located inside the One Health building on Remuera Road, close to Newmarket. You don’t need to have been taking any antibiotics prior to your appointment. Our podiatrists will assess your toe and present you with a series of options to help you get the best outcome and much-needed pain relief. You can book your appointment online or by calling us on 09 523 2333
Having thick toenails can be frustrating, disheartening and painful for several reasons. They can be extremely difficult to cut through, can lessen the room in the toe box of your shoe and become painful – and can make wearing open sandals that show off the toes unappealing. Thickened toenails often become discoloured and can look like they have a fungal nail infection brewing.On top of all this: could thicker toenails increase your likelihood of developing an ingrown toenail? Actually – they can. As the nail bulk increases, part of the nail can start growing into the skin – whether that’s from a thicker nail having more frayed edges and nail spicules, from shoes ‘pushing’ against the end of the toe and nail and driving it into the skin, or simply from the way the thickened nail is growing.So what should you know about thickened toenails and how can you stop them from growing thicker? Let’s take a look.
Signs & Symptoms Of Toenail Thickening
Toenail thickening occurs gradually. As such, you may not notice it developing, especially early on. As the condition progresses, some common signs and appearance changes include:
The nail becomes firmer and more difficult to trim
You may find dirt, dead skin and debris building up beneath the nail
You may feel pain or discomfort from pressure on the nail from footwear
Your nail may become brittle, may flake or split – if this happens you may find it your nail catching on your socks or hosiery
An unpleasant smell may begin at the nail
The nail may lift from the nail bed
What Causes Toenails To Become Thick?
Most often, our toenails get thicker as we grow older as a simple byproduct of our natural ageing process. With age, the rate at which our toenails grow slows down due to reduced blood circulation, especially in our extremities. This causes our nail cells to build up and our nails to thicken. Interestingly, men are more likely to suffer from thickening nails than women.
Am I At Risk Of Getting Thick Toenails?
While age is a common factor, there are a number of other risk factors that may contribute to the thickening of toenails:
Fungal nail infections – these may also create a yellow/white discolouration in the nails, there may be some brittleness or flaking, the nail may lift upwards, and there may be an unpleasant smell
Reduced blood flow to the feet – can also promote nail thickening, whether it happens naturally due to ageing or from medical conditions like diabetes or peripheral vascular disease
Repeated trauma or injury – this means repeated knocking or damaging the toe bed by objects falling onto the feet, stubbing the toenails, or even participating in sports: runners, dancers, football and rugby players commonly lose their nails and have thickened toenails
Footwear– the pressure from wearing tight or restrictive footwear such as high-heels or where toes are unable to be splayed can cause damage to the nail cells over time. When the nail growing cells become damaged, the nails may grow back thick and disfigured over time
Psoriasis – psoriasis is often mistaken for a fungal nail infection with thickened, discoloured, brittle or flaky nails
Can I Do Anything To Stop My Nails From Thickening With Age?
While we can’t stop the natural ageing process, we may be able to reduce the risk by completing regular exercise to help promote our circulation, being proactive in treating any fungal infections when we first notice them, and making the effort to wear quality ergonomic shoes that have plenty of space in the toe box for our toes to move freely. If our workplace means we’re at higher risk of falling objects on our feet, we can protect them by wearing steel-capped boots.
How Should Thickened Nails Be Trimmed?
It is very difficult to cut a thickened toenail without the correct tools, and many standard nail clippers have been broken in the process! It is recommended to file a thickened nail rather than cut it, in order to prevent harming the nail and the surrounding skin. Filing the nail 2-3 times a week can help to keep the thickness reduced, however, it can be awkward and difficult to do this safely at home. This is why patients choose to see our podiatrists, who professionally reduce the thickness of the nail easily and accurately with precision tools and the right equipment.
Qualified Podiatrists For Thick Toenails And Ingrown Nails
We’re proud to be Auckland’s leading podiatry team, trained in providing expert care for both thickened nails and ingrown toenails – including when both occur together! To safely and painlessly treat thick toenails, we start by using heavy-duty nail clippers to reduce the length of the toenails, and then use a unique burr to significantly reduce their thickness – and give them a clean, smooth finish. We also used a blacks file to clean down the sides of the nail, and beneath the nail where possible. Our patients greatly enjoy this process, and they often walk out feeling much happier and more confident to show their improved toenails with open-toed shoes and sandals. We can also help to determine the cause of your thickened nails to help reduce the likelihood of them recurring.Book your appointment with our podiatrists in Remuera by calling us on 09 523 2333 or book online here.
We recently had a patient come in who was experiencing her very first ingrown toenail – and initially, the cause of it was a bit of a mystery. She had relatively flat nails (compared to the typical excessively curved nails we often see with ingrown toenails), her shoes were roomy and spacious at the toe box – she didn’t like shoes that cramped her toes. Her foot posture and gait pattern were also relatively neutral – we didn’t see any excess pronation (rolling inwards) that places more pressure down the inside of the toe with every step that can contribute to an ingrown toenail.We kept asking questions and investigating… (after all, knowing why an ingrown toenail has occurred helps guide how we treat it and how we help you prevent it from happening again in the future) until our patient remembered something, and reached into her jacket pocket. And this is what she pulled out (image on right).This is the shellac polish that she had applied at a nail salon two months ago. The polish had done a great job of staying on her toes for that long, but she recalled that about a week ago when she was in bed, she felt like her nail was falling off. Really, it was the shellac that was coming off – and taking some of the outer layers of her toenail with it.She said when she reached down to feel it, it was barely hanging on by the side of the nail – so she gave it a quick (and somewhat painful) tug to rip it off. And suddenly, everything made sense…
How Did Shellac Cause An Ingrown Toenail?
In this case, it wasn’t necessarily the Shellac on its own, but how the tough Shellac substance gripped firmly onto the nail and then pulled the surface layers of the nail off, peeling them away until it got down to the side of the nail. Here, it was hanging on, and our patient pulled it off – much like how many people choose to pull the nail as an alternative to using proper nail trimming instruments – a very common cause of ingrown nails.By pulling the nail off, it left behind a sharp nail spicule down the side of the nail – and it even left a similar sharp spicule of the natural nail that had been pulled off by the shellac – you can see it in the picture below.When a sharp nail spicule is left behind down the side of the nail, invisible to the naked eye, as the nail naturally grows out, it can grow into the surrounding skin and cause an ingrown toenail. Unfortunately, this tends to get worse as the nail grows, not better.
How Was This Ingrown Toenail Treated?
For this patient, we treated her ingrown nail using our conservative treatment method. This is a simple method we use for first-time ingrown toenails where the cause is something that is a one-off, and that isn’t likely to happen again. It doesn’t require any anaesthetic and involves our podiatrists using specialised tools to trim the nail to safely and effectively remove the nail spicule. Once the spicule is gone and nothing is pressing into the skin anymore, the pain and swelling can settle, and we would expect it to clear completely within a few days, after the wound from the ingrown nail has closed.
Recommendations For This Patient With Shellac For Next Time
We discussed a range of ways to prevent this from happening again – both relating to the Shellac, and to other factors, too. One thing we noted is that the shellac had been on for two months or even a little bit longer. As the shellac was thick and heavy, this contributed to its strong attachment to the nail and why it tore at the nail layers. We agreed that polish should only be kept on for a few weeks at a time to prevent this from happening again, and should be removed safely.If you’re struggling with ingrown toenails resulting from using shellac or visiting a nail salon, we can help. Book your appointment by calling 09 523 2333 or book online here.
Noticing some slight redness, irritation or swelling on the side of your toenail, especially if it’s still mild and in its early stages, may seem like no big deal. Some people presume that when the nail grows in by itself, it can grow right out. Unfortunately, ingrown toenails rarely get better on their own – and in fact, in some cases, they can cause complications. While ingrown toenails usually have a simple fix and don’t need to be serious or severe, today we thought we’d share what can go wrong with ingrown toenails and what you should look out for.
Ingrown Toenails: The Basics
An ingrown toenail is a nail that has pierced the surrounding skin. Often, it’s a small piece of the nail, like a little spicule that has been left behind after part of the nail was trimmed, that is the culprit. Once it has pierced the skin, it can cause great pain because it continues to move around with every step – much like walking with a splinter in the side of your toe.Ingrown toenails can affect one or both sides of any toenail, though usually affect the big toe. In most cases, the nail edge will curve down into the skin, however, the presence of extra or swollen skin surrounding the nails may obstruct regular nail growth and result in the nail growing into it.Initially, the nail may push tightly against the skin which can cause tenderness and redness, but it is the moment the nail cuts through the skin that it is deemed ‘ingrown’ and the risk of complications such as infection begin.
Causes Of Ingrown Toenails
The most common cause of ingrown nails we see is poor nail cutting technique (where nails are left frayed or curved down the sides) as well as picking or pulling the nails off. Tight footwear can also create pressure on the sides of the toes that can push the nail into the surrounding skin. The shape of the nail can also play a role, especially where the nail is particularly involuted or curved. This is often linked to uncontrollable genetic factors that dictate the features and shape of the nail.
Complications Of Untreated Ingrown Toenails
When ingrown nails are left untreated, they can get infected and you may notice yellow discharge and bleeding from the toe. If this infection is unmanaged, it can form an open sore, and ultimately an ulcer. If a secondary infection is then picked up and reaches the bone, you may develop a bone infection. While these latter complications are much less common and very avoidable if the right care is taken, we simply wanted to illustrate that ingrown toenails do carry very real risks to your health, and that you should treat them carefully and promptly.You may have a higher risk of these complications if you have conditions like diabetes or problems with blood flow and circulation. This is as good blood flow is necessary to support healing, close wounds and fight off infections. Without this, your wound stays open for longer and you are more vulnerable to a persistent infection.
Treating Ingrown Toenails
Here at the Auckland Ingrown Toenail Clinic, our experienced podiatrists make treating ingrown toenails easy, simple and painless. We remove the offending nail edge from where it is lodged in the skin, trimming that part of the nail that often lies deep beyond where you can see without the right instruments and experience. If you’re concerned about pain, we can use local anaesthetic to numb your toe.We can either do this as a one-off treatment, best suited for first-time ingrown toenails that are unlikely to come back, or as a permanent solution, taking extra steps to stop the problematic nail edge from growing back again – and eliminating the risk of another ingrown toenail in the future. Our treatment options include:
Conservative nail care – for first-time ingrown toenails, we remove the offending nail spicule if it doesn’t look like the nail will re-grow back and keep causing you pain.
Partial nail avulsion – for recurring ingrown toenails, we remove the nail spicule permanently, using a chemical to prevent the problematic edge of the nail from growing back in the future.
Total nail avulsion – for recurring ingrown toenails that have a secondary problem, like a thickened, damaged or distorted nail – or one with a fungal infection too – we can perform a total nail avulsion. This involves removing the entire nail and allowing it to grow back naturally hopefully without the previous issues.
To get help from our trusted podiatrists, our clinic is located in the One Health building in Remuera. Book your appointment by calling 09 523 2333 or book online here.
We were recently having a conversation with a patient who was advised that soaking her foot in Epsom salts would fix her ingrown toenail. While it helped her get some temporary relief from the pain, the pain kept returning every time – until three months had passed and her ingrown nail pain was worse than ever. This is when she decided to seek help, and was able to get permanent relief from her ingrown nail pain in one appointment.This example is one of many that we see where home remedies have been suggested without explaining that most of the time, they only offer temporary relief – much like taking a painkiller. Then there are a bunch of others we’ve heard, like cutting a V in the top of the nail, which simply don’t work at all. Here’s a look into the truth (and biology) behind ingrown toenails and their recurrence.
Had Repeated Ingrown Nails? They’re Likely To Keep Coming Back
The first thing to note is that if you’ve suffered from the terrible pains of ingrown toenails more than once, the reality is that you’re almost definitely going to suffer from them again. One-off ingrown toenails absolutely do occur, but the cause is usually a particular pair of tight shoes that push the nail into the skin and they don’t tend to occur again after you’ve stopped wearing them. Repetitive ingrown toenails are the best indicator that there’s something more going on, like your nail cutting technique, or that the nail has now started growing in an abnormal way that ends up penetrating the skin, and that it’s going to continue to happen unless you get professional help.
Why We Don’t Recommend Treating Ingrown Nails At Home
Without knowing exactly what you’re doing when it comes to ingrown nail care, you could be encouraging the nail to continue to become ingrown, and it may leave you in much more pain than when you started.Take the way your nail is cut, for example. If you think that cutting down into the corner and removing the piece of nail will discourage it from growing there again – the reality is the exact opposite. Curving down and removing that painful nail edge will likely encourage the nail to keep curving and growing down – unless you know what you’re doing and understand the characteristics of nail growth.
Even Antibiotics Don’t Fix Ingrown Toenails
To better illustrate how deep the misconceptions about ingrown toenails go, many people take antibiotics for their ingrown toenails, without realising that antibiotics don’t remove the sharp nail spicule from the surrounding skin – they just help fight against any infection present, thereby reducing inflammation and pain. The nail is still left in the skin, and your pain will continue to come back until it’s removed. This is why antibiotics must be used hand-in-hand with a treatment that fixes ingrown nails.
How To Fix Ingrown Nails For Good
Fixing ingrown nails means removing the part of the nail that has penetrated the surrounding skin and is serving as a sharp splinter down the side of the toenail. To fix them for good means preventing the problematic edge of the nail from returning and growing back. We do this using a procedure called a partial nail avulsion (PNA). It involves removing a small part of the nail (the part that causes you pain!) and applying a chemical that will stop that small portion of the nail from growing back and continuing to cause you grief, over and over again.
Our patients love this procedure because:
It’s done simply and effectively in-clinic
It’s completed in 60 minutes (with the procedure time typically around 20 minutes)
It’s performed under local anaesthetic so is pain-free
You do not need to take any additional time off work or school following the procedure and can go home immediately
You don’t need any special boots or braces while the toe heals
The procedure causes very little post-procedure discomfort
We dress your toe, provide you with a take-home dressing pack and re-dressing instructions
We monitor your progress to ensure it’s healing well
While we perform conservative one-off care for first-time ingrown toenails or those with a definitive cause that is not likely to recur, the PNA is our best recommendation for those that are repetitively putting up with and suffering from ingrown toenails. We have great success with the procedure and have prevented hundreds of patients from continuing to regularly suffer. Our team are experts when it comes to ingrown toenails and we love seeing the difference that having this procedure makes in the lives of our patients.For more information about the PNA procedure, click here. To book an appointment, you can give us a call on 09 523 2333 or book online.
There’s a lot of information out there about ingrown toenails, and unfortunately, some of it is not accurate. Which, when you’re struggling with an ingrown nail and the methods you’re reading online aren’t working, can be very frustrating, disheartening, and painful. So today, we’ve debunked some of the top ingrown nail myths that we hear regularly from our patients – many of whom have tried treating their ingrown toenail on their own for weeks first, without success.
1. It’s Not An Ingrown Nail Unless It’s On The Big Toe
This one stems from many people being unsure of the cause of their toe and toenail pain on their smaller toes, despite having similar signs and symptoms to previous ingrown nails they’ve had on their big toe. The truth is:
Yes, you can absolutely develop ingrown toenails on the lesser toes, and we see this often
The side of the toe is likely to appear red and swollen, and pushing on the area will elicit pain
As the nail is so much smaller, it’s usually a very quick and easy fix
Some of the time, there’s notable debris built up in the side of the nail (including discharge from the nail piercing the skin) that when removed, can instantly feel significantly better
2. Cutting a ‘V’ In The Centre Of Your Nail will Fix An Ingrown Toenail
While it is true that other cells in the body work by ‘coming together’ during repair and therefore could hypothetically ‘pull away’ from the sides of the ingrown toenail, unfortunately that’s not how the nail cells work or grow. Your nail grows in only one direction – out. What you do to the ends of your toenails doesn’t change this – nor does it change the painful nail spicule that is embedded into your skin when you have an ingrown nail.We recommend saving yourself the hassle – and the potential of shredding through socks and hosiery with your sharp nail edges after a ‘V’ cut out.
3. Ingrown Toenails Are Only For School-Aged Children & Above
It makes sense that this sounds viable, after all, school comes with strict shoe requirements that kids must stay in all day everyday, and footwear is a primary cause of ingrown toenails. While it’s true that we see a lot of ingrown nails in school-aged children, we also see them in babies and toddlers too! If your young child has a red and swollen toe, or it looks like they have an ingrown toenail, bring them in for an appointment.
4. An Ingrown Toenail Will Get Better On Its Own
Think of an ingrown toenail like a sharp, big splinter – but instead of disappearing into the skin, being attached to your nail means that it continues to pierce through, growing as your nail grows, and leaving a painful, open wound where it has pierced the skin (which is vulnerable to infection). This is not something that goes away or just gets better on its own – not without removing the painful nail spicule first.There are definitely things you can do to help relieve your painful symptoms – soaking the nail, taking painkillers, taking antibiotics, but none of these actions remove the nail from the skin.
5. Antibiotics Will Fix An Ingrown Nail
Antibiotics are a fantastic medication for managing infections. And if you have an infected ingrown toenail, it’ll do a great job to kill that bacteria and give you relief. But what antibiotics don’t do is remove hard, sharp pieces of nail from the skin – which is the only way to truly fix an ingrown toenail. Unfortunately, many people are simply given antibiotics from their GPs and told to wait it out and soak their toes, which while it can give them some much-needed relief from their painful symptoms, that relief is only temporary as the nail is still lodged in the skin. Having the ingrown nail removed will give you symptom relief and prevent it from continuing to bother you.
6. Ingrown Nail Surgeries Leave Ugly Looking Nails
It makes sense to think that when part of your nail is removed as part of a partial nail avulsion procedure to permanently fix ingrown toenails, that your nail will be left looking less than ideal. But as a clinic that specialises in ingrown toenail surgery, we only remove the very bare minimum of the edge of your nail so that the difference is barely noticeable. The only difference is that your nail will appear to have a very straight nail edge, instead of one that curves down the side. Our podiatrist will be able to explain exactly how much of the nail we’ll need to remove at your appointment, and what cosmetic results you can expect.
Got Any More Ingrown Nail Questions?
We’re here to help – email them to us at info@performpodiatry.co.nz and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. To book a consultation for your ingrown nail, call us on 09 523 2333 or book online here.
In this case, it wasn’t necessarily the Shellac on its own, but how the tough Shellac substance gripped firmly onto the nail and then pulled the surface layers of the nail off, peeling them away until it got down to the side of the nail. Here, it was hanging on, and our patient pulled it off – much like how many people choose to pull the nail as an alternative to using proper nail trimming instruments – a very common cause of ingrown nails.
