When it comes to ingrown toenails, there are a lot of questions that we get asked every day. From the common questions like why on earth they’ve affected you and how you can prevent the pain from ever coming back, to whether epsom salts can fix ingrown toenails, we’ve taken a handful of your FAQs and answered them today in our blog. If you’ve still got a question, check out our general FAQs here, give us a call, or send us a message!
Does trimming a V in the nail help prevent an ingrown toenail?
It used to be thought that cutting a V in the centre of the nail could discourage an ingrown toenail from growing. Now, this has largely been disproven by considering the nail anatomy and the physiological process by which a nail grows and lengthens – which starts from the base out, as opposed to growing out from the end of the nail and being influenced by the ‘V’ shape. This shape can also leave your nail vulnerable to ‘catching’ on your socks and shoes and being pulled, which can then irritate the area of the nail that has ingrown.
Can medication fix an ingrown nail?
It’s natural to want to take painkillers to help ease the pain, or to get a script for antibiotics if your ingrown toenail has become infected – and there’s nothing wrong with either. But no, neither of them – or any other medication – are solutions or treatments for ingrown toenails. Instead, painkillers temporarily mask pain (until they wear off and it comes back), and antibiotics help kill the bacteria causing the infection – but neither removes the ingrown nail from the skin it has pierced – which is the cause of your pain.
I keep treating my ingrown toenail but it keeps coming back. Why?
In this case, it looks like you’re treating the symptoms, which is the nail growing into the skin, as opposed to treating the cause behind why it keeps doing this. Without treating the cause, it’s likely to keep coming back periodically. Causes of ingrown nails can include:
Wearing tight, narrow, pointed or generally ill-fitting footwear – wearing shoes that are too tight or poorly fitting can cramp your toes together, pushing your nail into the surrounding skin. This encourages the nail to pierce and penetrate the skin, and unfortunately, will continue to do so in the future if you continue to wear the same shoes regularly
Picking or pulling the toenails – we’ve all known someone who ‘picks’ their toenail and rips it off instead of cutting the nail using nail scissors or clippers. As the ripping tends to go down the side of the nail, it often leaves behind nail spicules that, due to their location, can’t be seen – but can definitely be felt when they continue to grow and pierce the nail
Rounding the nails when trimming – even when you do use nail tools to trim your nails, curving the nails down into the sides may encourage them to become ingrown. The better way to trim the nail is to cut them straight across in a straight line, and then gently round off the very edges using a nail file if needed
It’s hereditary – your genetics may simply make you predisposed to developing recurring ingrown toenails. This is particularly true for those that have naturally curved or pinched (‘involuted’) toenails, larger toenails, or more skin surrounding the nail
If I’ve trimmed the nail and removed the ingrown portion myself, why is my nail not healing?
The most common answer is that you still have a piece of nail piercing the skin. Even if you saw a large piece of nail come out when trimming back the ingrown nail, there definitely can be more – even as podiatrists we’re often surprised when we remove a big piece of ingrown nail, have a quick check to ensure we’ve gotten it all, and find yet another piece of nail lodged in deep. Unfortunately, without the right tools, it can be very difficult to know if you really have removed all of the ingrown nail or not, especially when the surrounding skin is swollen or the ingrown nail is deep. If you’re still getting toe pain and ingrown nail symptoms after you believe it has been treated, this is usually a sign the problem hasn’t been fully fixed.
What are the early signs of an ingrown toenail?
When an ingrown nail first starts, it means that a sharp edge or spicule from the nail has recently pierced and penetrated the skin next to the spicule – even just slightly. This means that when any pressure is put on the nail, whether from being squeezed, from footwear, or even the natural vibrations through the feet when we walk, we can feel pain or discomfort. As the nail spicule has only recently pierced the skin, the skin surrounding the nail may not be red or inflamed, like is typically pictured in images of ingrown nails.The location of the nail spicule may be deep down in the nail, or toward the top of the nail in the corner – this really depends on where the spicule or sharp edge developed. Often, the spicule is deep down the side of the nail, deeper than the eye can see, meaning at the early stages it’s barely noticeable. What may give an ingrown toenail away in the early stages in a build-up of callus down the side of the nail – this can indicate that the nail edge has been rubbing against the skin for some time, and has finally penetrated.All in all, an ingrown nail in the early stages may not look so different from an unaffected nail. You can still have an ingrown toenail without any bleeding, swelling, redness or any discharge from the toe. The key is the pain when pinching the toe – if you get sharp, localised pain when pinching the toe, it could be the start of an ingrown toenail.
I have toe pain but I’m not convinced that it’s an ingrown toenail. What else could it be?
While ingrown nails are usually distinctive and common, similar toe pain can also be caused by:
Callus build up on the toe, by the nail, but without the nail piercing the skin
A foreign body like a splinter piercing the skin at the toe
Damage to the nail and nail bed from trauma – like from stubbing your toe
Toe fracture, which affects the toe bone beneath
A cyst or a clogged sweat gland may be present in the area
What happens if I leave my ingrown toenail untreated? Will it eventually go away on its own?
Given that the hard nail sits on top of our toe, it’s easy to think that the painful ingrown area is along the surface of the nail too, and so will easily grow out in time, taking the pain away with it. In most of the cases we see, the reality is quite different. The ingrown portion of the nail, which we call the nail spicule, is usually located quite deep down the side of the nail – often much deeper beneath the swollen skin than you can visibly see. Waiting for your nail to grow out then means driving this nail spicule deeper into an already tender toe. Given that toenails grow much slower than fingernails at an average rate of 1.62mm per month, and you may have multiple centimetres of skin to go through, this can mean months of severe pain, difficulty wearing shoes – and the risk of infection.
Can babies get ingrown toenails?
Absolutely, we’ve treated ingrown nails in babies as young as six months old. We’ve shared one of these case reports here.
Do ingrown toenails only affect the big toes?
No, while they most commonly affect the big toes, they can affect any of the toes. Here is a patient story and photo example of ingrown nail pain in the second toe.
My toe is starting to feel a little numb, and it’s a bit red. Could this be an ingrown toenail?
Numbness is not on the ‘typical’ or ‘expected’ list for common symptoms associated with ingrown toenails, but it is possible. More often, we would expect feelings of pain, swelling, redness, bleeding, and even clear/yellow discharge if an infection is present, a piece of nail is currently piercing into your skin and these are all fairly normal responses from your body.
Have more questions? Let us know!
If you have more questions about ingrown toenails, let us know, and we’ll include them in part two of our ingrown nail FAQs in our next blog! If you’re concerned about an ingrown nail or have toe pain that has recently started, book an appointment with our team by giving us a call on 09 523 2333 or booking online. We’re located within the One Health Clinic in Remuera, inside Perform Podiatry.
If you’ve had an ingrown toenail arise out of seemingly nowhere, and other members of your family have had ingrown toenails in the past, you may be wondering if ingrown toenails are genetic and if you’re going to keep getting them for years to come. Here’s a look into how and why ingrown toenails can run in families, as well as potential causes of ingrown toenails, and what you can do today to relieve your pain and stop them from coming back for good – even if they are genetic.
Are Ingrown Nails Inherited?
Yes, the characteristics that increase the risk of a person developing an ingrown toenail can be passed down through families. These may include:
The shape of the nail. Nails that are naturally curved, pinched or involuted are more likely to become ingrown, and the trait for the shape of the nail can be genetic
The amount of skin surrounding the nail (or its volume). The more skin you have surrounding the nail that may get pushed against the nail, the more likely the nail is to grow into this skin, and this characteristic can be genetic
The shape of the toe itself makes it more susceptible to an ingrown toenail, which can also be inherited
This means that it’s not the ingrown nail that is passed down, but factors that make it more likely for the nail to naturally grow into the skin. With this said, it’s important to know that just because you may have some genetic risk factors, does not mean that you will definitely develop an ingrown toenail. For some people, their ingrown toenails are caused by something completely different, like one of the causes below. So even if your family members struggle with ingrown toenails, doesn’t mean you definitely will too.
What Else Causes Ingrown Nails?
Aside from the shape of the toe or the nail, other factors that increase your risk of an ingrown toenail include:
Damage to the nail can increase its likelihood to become ingrown. This may be nail thickening, changes in the shape of the nail following trauma (like something being dropped on the toe) or from fungal nail infections.
Tight footwear cancreate pressure on the sides of the toes that can push the nail into the surrounding skin.
Pulling or picking the nails. Pulling the top of the nail off, instead of cutting them in a straight line with a tool, can leave a spicule at the edge of the nail where it is ripped off, often deep down the side of the nail where it is not visible or felt – until it starts growing and pierces the skin.
An improper nail cutting technique. Nails should be cut in a straight, clean line with no fraying or split edges and no curves. Curving or ‘rounding’ the edges of the nail down the side can encourage the nail to grow curved down into the skin.
Fixing Your Ingrown Toenail For Good
Regardless of whether your ingrown toenail is genetic or caused by something else, you can prevent your ingrown toenails from coming back for good. This is done using a procedure called a partial nail avulsion (PNA), performed by our experienced, registered podiatrists in our Remuera clinic.A partial nail avulsion removes the small portion of the nail that has grown into the skin, which usually looks like a small sharp spicule. Once the nail is removed, the skin can finally close and heal, and your pain will resolve. What makes the procedure permanent is that after removing the portion of the nail with the spicule, we also apply a solution to destroy the nail-growing cells at the base of the nail, meaning that this very small portion of the nail will not regrow. It will just close and heal.A PNA is a professional, safe and effective solution and one of the most common procedures carried out in our clinic. The benefits of a PNA include:
The procedure is simple for you – just sit back and relax, there is no prep work required
It’s quick! The total appointment time is one hour, and the procedure time is often around 20 minutes
The procedure is 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 do not need any special boots or braces while the toe heals
The procedure causes very little discomfort afterwards, however, painkillers can be taken should discomfort arise
We dress your toe, provide you with a take-home dressing pack and re-dressing instructions
We monitor your progress to ensure it is healing well
Recovery time is anywhere from two weeks to two months barring any complications such as infection. We provide you with all the dressings, topical antibacterial solutions and ointments, the post-op shoe and aftercare instructions, all tailored individually to your needs
Ingrown Nail Solutions For The Whole Family
Ingrown toenails are painful and frustrating – but just because they run in your family, doesn’t mean you have to put up with them for the rest of your life. Come in for a consultation with Auckland’s leading podiatry team specialising in ingrown toenail treatment.Book your appointment with our experienced podiatrists by calling 09 523 2333 or book online here.
If I’ve had an ingrown nail removed, should I have antibiotics?
These are all good questions, and ones we get asked often by our patients with painful – and often recurring – ingrown toenails. Today our podiatrists share what you should know about ingrown toenails and antibiotics.
Will Antibiotics Fix An Ingrown Toenail?
No, antibiotics are not going to fix an ingrown toenail because they are not a treatment for ingrown toenails. Antibiotics describes a medicine that helps destroy microorganisms like bacteria that have caused an infection in the body, and hence are doing harm. An ingrown toenail on its own is not an ‘infection’ – it’s a piece of nail that has pierced the skin surrounding it at the toe, and has become painful, and often red and swollen. This pain and other symptoms will continue as long as the nail remains embedded in or penetrating the skin – and antibiotics do not work to remove this or fix it.What antibiotics can do is, if an infection has developed in the area of the ingrown nail, then the antibiotics can help resolve the infection. As infections also lead to swelling and pain, this can help with settling the symptoms and giving some much needed relief. What’s important to know is that just because you have an ingrown nail, does not mean that you have an infection too. Antibiotics should be reserved for confirmed infections, not on a whim or ‘just in case’, as frequent and inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to the bacteria becoming resistant to the antibiotics, and so not working as effectively when you actually do need them. You should only take antibiotics when and if prescribed by your doctor, always finish the full course, and if you have any tablets remaining, discard them.
If I’ve Had An Ingrown Nail Removed, Should I Have Antibiotics?
Similar to the above, no, you do not need antibiotics simply from having an ingrown toenail removed, unless you have an infection that requires antibiotics. Signs you have an infected ingrown toenail include:
Clear or yellow discharge coming from the side of the nail
Bleeding from the side of the nail
Swollen, overgrown or inflamed tissue around the edge of the toenail
If an abscess develops, you’ll notice a yellow/white fluid-filled pocket
Redness around the side of the nail
Remember – you may also have some redness and swelling simply from the nail piercing the skin, without having an infection present. When our podiatrists treat ingrown toenails, we do everything we can to help minimise your risk of infection. When performing ingrown nail surgery, we prepare your toe and foot by applying an iodine solution, use only sterilised instruments, and apply incredibly high safety and hygiene protocols, dressing your toe with multiple sterile dressings and a protective cover after removing your ingrown nail. We always provide careful redressing instructions and foot care advice, including a take-home dressing pack, so you can continue to take good care of your foot at home. At your follow up appointment 2-3 days after your procedure, we always monitor for any signs of infection and advise you if we think you may need antibiotics. In some cases, your doctor may recommend antibiotics as a preventative measure due to an existing condition you have, including if you are particularly vulnerable to infections. Always follow your doctor’s advice and take any prescribed medications as directed.
If My Ingrown Nail Is Infected, Do I Need To Clear The Infection Before Treatment?
This really depends on the severity of your infection and your personal circumstances, and our podiatrists will assess this at the time of your appointment. A big part of treating an ingrown toenail and helping prevent re-infection is getting the ingrown nail out so the wound that it has created can close – and therefore not be vulnerable to another infection.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, 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
Get Your Ingrown Nail Fixed Quickly And Painlessly
If you need help with a problematic ingrown toenail, our is here to help, located in the One Health building in Remuera. Book your appointment by calling 09 523 2333 or book online
Is your ingrown toenail not healing? Maybe you’ve been soaking it in Epsom salts, removed the nail yourself, had antibiotics to help treat it or have left it to get better on its own? No matter what you have tried, if you’ve had an ingrown toenail for over a week and the pain is still going, it’s time to seek professional support. Here’s an insight from our podiatrists about why your ingrown toenail may not be healing, and what you can do about it.
Why Is My Ingrown Nail Not Getting Better?
You still have a piece of nail left piercing the skinIf you have ‘fixed’ your ingrown toenail by removing the nail spicule that had grown into the skin, but the pain and symptoms aren’t getting any better, then it is highly likely that there is still some nail left ingrown in the skin. Even if you saw a large piece of nail come out, there definitely can be more – even as podiatrists we’re often surprised when we remove a big piece of ingrown nail, have a quick check to ensure we’ve gotten it all, and find yet another piece of nail lodged in deep. Unfortunately, without the right tools, it can be very difficult to know if you really have removed all the nail or not – but if you’re still getting toe pain and ingrown nail symptoms, this can be a big sign.You have a small corn where the nail had ingrownOccasionally, when we examine the toe after removing the ingrown nail, we find a very small corn in the skin on the edge of the nail, usually at the top corner. This usually happens because as the nail was growing in, it was rubbing against the skin, leading to a corn. This is a corn is just a small specific area of hard skin that results from pressure or friction and. It can feel like a sharp splinter or pebble., Iso in this case, it’s the quick and easy to remove removal of the corn and it which can be done in a few minutes by our podiatrists, which that may finally give you that much needed relief.The toe is infectedWhen a toenail pierces the skin and becomes ingrown, an open wound is created. Any open wound is vulnerable to infection – especially given the number of microorganisms down by ourout feet on the floor. The symptoms of an infection can be similar to that of an ingrown nail – swelling, redness and pain. You may also notice some clear or yellow discharge, or an unpleasant smell with an infection too.Your treatment method didn’t fix the problemOccasionally we see patients who have ‘treated’ their ingrown nail by using an Epsom salt bath, cutting a ‘V’ in the centre of the nail or another treatment method that doesn’t actually remove the painful nail spicule that has become embedded in the skin. The same applies to antibiotics – while antibioticsantibioitcs can help manage an infection which can be a source of pain and swelling in the toe, they don’t treat the problem – and until the ingrown nail is removed – the pain and symptoms will continue.
What Should You Do If Your Ingrown Nail Isn’t Getting Better?
If your ingrown nail isn’t getting better, it’s important to get down to the cause of the problem and understand why. You may need immediate treatment, so it’s important to get seen quickly by your podiatrist.Here at the Auckland Ingrown Toenail Clinic, our experienced podiatrists will examine your toe and identify the likely cause of your ongoing pain. If some nail is still lodged in the toe, our podiatrists will quickly and effectively remove this for you during the appointment. If the toe is too painful, we have the option of using local anaesthetic to numb your toe. If a corn is present, we can also remove this painlessly at your appointment, given that the corn is simply hard dead skin. If you have an infection, our podiatrists can identify this, clean the toe and dress it with a sterile dressing, so it can stay safe while you get a course of antibiotics. If it’s somethingsoemthing else, our podiatrists will identify this and offer the best treatment to get you out of pain and back to doing the things you love.If your ingrown nail has yet to be fully treated, we have a range of treatment options to safely and effectively treat your ingrown toenail – and keep it gone for good. We can help you by:
Manually removing the nail spicule
We refer to this as conservative nail care as it doesn’t involve any ‘surgical’ aspects. We use simple and sterile podiatric tools to trim back and remove the small piece of the nail that has penetrated the skin.
Permanently removing the nail spicule
Otherwise known as a partial nail avulsion, we class this as a minor surgical procedure as it involves numbing the toe with anaesthetic and then removing a small portion of the nail. What makes it permanent is that after the nail spicule is removed, we apply a chemical that destroys the nail growing cells in the one small section of nail, meaning that the nail edge won’t grow back.
Removing the whole nail
Known as a total nail avulsion, this procedure involves the safe removal of the entire toenail. While this isn’t our go-to procedure for ingrown toenails, there are some circumstances that make it the best option for our patients, such as where both sides recurrently ingrow and there is a large curvature at the sides of the nail, or when the nail is also thickened or disfigured.
Ready To Finally Get That Ingrown Nail Sorted?
Our experienced podiatrists would love to help. Just book your appointment with us and we’ll get the nail sorted for you and get you back to pain-free walking. Book your appointment by calling 09 523 2333 or book online
So you’ve got toe pain starting but you’re not sure if it’s an ingrown toenail. What are the signs you should be looking for if it’s an ingrown toenail and what else could be the cause of your toe pain? Our ingrown nail specialists share what we look for in an early ingrown toenail.
What Does An Ingrown Toenail Look Like In The Early Stages?
When an ingrown nail first starts, it means that a sharp edge or spicule from the nail has recently pierced and penetrated the skin next to the spicule – even just slightly. This means that when any pressure is put on the nail, whether from being squeezed, from footwear, or even the natural vibrations through the feet when we walk, we can feel pain or discomfort. As the nail spicule has only recently pierced the skin, the skin surrounding the nail may not be red or inflamed, like is typically pictured in images of ingrown nails.The location of the nail spicule may be deep down in the nail, or toward the top of the nail in the corner – this really depends on where the spicule or sharp edge developed. Often, the spicule is deep down the side of the nail, deeper than the eye can see, meaning at the early stages it’s barely noticeable. What may give an ingrown toenail away in the early stages in a build-up of callus down the side of the nail – this can indicate that the nail edge has been rubbing against the skin for some time, and has finally penetrated.All in all, an ingrown nail in the early stages may not look so different from an unaffected nail. You can still have an ingrown toenail without any bleeding, swelling, redness or any discharge from the toe. The key is the pain when pinching the toe – if you get sharp, localised pain when pinching the toe, it could be the start of an ingrown toenail.
When Ingrown Nails Get Worse
As your ingrown nail gets worse, you can expect to see swelling and redness. The swelling is a catch-22 – the more swelling, the more the skin pushes against the nail and the deeper the nail enters the skin, which causes more swelling. The swelling will be present on the side of the nail where the nail has grown into the skin. If you have swelling on both sides of the nail, two of the sides have ingrown, which is not uncommon if the cause of the ingrown toenail is linked to a curved nail shape, among other causes. Sometimes, multiple toes can have ingrown toenails at the same time.You may also notice:
Increasing pain at the toe, especially when squeezed
It becomes difficult to wear tighter shoes that push on the toes
Clear or yellow discharge from the ingrown nail site, which can indicate an infection
Bleeding from the ingrown nail site
If It’s Not An Ingrown Toenail, What Else Could It Be?
While ingrown nails are usually distinctive and common, similar toe pain can also because by:
Callus build up on the toe, by the nail, but without the nail piercing the skin
A foreign body like a splinter piercing the skin at the toe
Damage to the nail and nail bed from trauma – like from stubbing your toe
Toe fracture, which affects the toe bone beneath
A cyst or a clogged sweat gland may be present in the area
What Should I Do If I Think I Have An Early Stage Ingrown Toenail?
An ingrown toenail caught in the early stages is the perfect time to nip it in the bud and treat it – before it gets worse. Leaving an ingrown toenail without care will lead to the inevitable – as your toenail naturally grows, the nail spicule or sharp edge will grow deeper into the skin, amplifying your symptoms. Treating it early saves you a lot of pain from the inflammation and symptoms that follow.Treating your ingrown toenail should be done professionally – and is our area of expertise. We love early ingrown toenails because thanks to our state-of-the-art tools, we can get it quickly, safely, easily and relatively painlessly compared to a late-stage ingrown toenail. If you’re concerned about pain, we also have the option of numbing the area too.We’ll also discuss the likely reasons that your ingrown nail has occurred, and what you can do to reduce the likelihood of it happening again in the future. We also have permanent treatments to stop the nail edge from growing back into the skin – we’ll discuss all your options at your consultation.Book your appointment by calling us on 09 523 2333 or book online.
Every so often, we have a patient come to our clinic with a severe ingrown toenail that had started weeks ago – or sometimes even months ago. The reason for waiting so long in pain? They were waiting for it to grow out.Truthfully, the idea that an ingrown toenail will just ‘grow out’ if it’s left for long enough is inaccurate – and has led many people to endure a lot of pain. Here’s what really happens when you leave your ingrown toenail untreated.
The Nail Will Keep Growing Deeper Into The Skin
Given that the hard nail sits on top of our toe, it’s easy to think that the painful ingrown area is along the surface of the nail too, and so will easily grow out in time, taking the pain away with it. In most of the cases we see, the reality is quite different. The ingrown portion of the nail, which we call the nail spicule, is usually located quite deep down the side of the nail – often much deeper beneath the swollen skin than you can visibly see. Waiting for your nail to grow out then means driving this nail spicule deeper into an already tender toe. Given that toenails grow much slower than fingernails at an average rate of 1.62mm per month, and you may have multiple centimetres of skin to go through, this can mean months of severe pain, difficulty wearing shoes – and the risk of infection.
Your Toe Can Become Infected
An ingrown toenail is when the nail spicule has pierced your skin, leaving an open wound. Open wounds are susceptible to infection for the entire time before they heal, and given the proximity of the feet to the dirtier ground, you’re left with a significant risk of infection and further pain.Treating infections isn’t always as simple as picking up a script for antibiotics, either. While antibiotics can treat simple infections, if your infection spreads to the toe bone or becomes complicated, antibiotics may not be enough, and you may develop conditions like gangrene, sepsis or osteonecrosis (bone death).
The Vicious Cycle
Another problem with leaving ingrown toenails untreated is the snowballing cycle of pain and swelling. When an ingrown nail first starts, it grows into the skin, swelling develops. The swelling puts more pressure on the nail, driving the ingrown spicule deeper into the nail. As it grows deeper, the swelling continues and may worsen, further aggravating the problem.
Ingrown Toenails Can Only Heal Once The Nail Spicule Is Removed
The only way to stop the swelling/pain cycle, remove the risk of infection, and stop the problem worsening is to remove the often small nail spicule from the skin. Once it is removed, the skin can heal, the swelling can go down, and you can get back to painless walking.
How Are Ingrown Toenails Treated?
Here at the Auckland Ingrown Toenail Clinic, our experienced podiatrists make treating ingrown toenails easy, simple and painless. Using local anaesthetic (if you want it), 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. We can either do this as a one-off, 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. Read about both of these services here.
Don’t Delay Treatment
The faster you have your ingrown nail treated, the better for your health and easier for your recovery. Book your appointment by calling 09 523 2333 or book your appointment online.
Recently over our lockdown period, as we were unable to see patients under our higher alert levels, the questions around ingrown toenails came rolling in. A lot of the queries came after people had tried fixing their ingrown toenail at home. Some felt their pain had become worse, for some it stayed the same – and most people just wanted to know what they could do to help get some relief until the restrictions eased.Given the number of people that tried fixing their nail at home first, we thought we’d share our tips for what NOT to do when you have an ingrown toenail, in case you find yourself in a situation again where you can’t get to your podiatrist for one reason or another.
1. Don’t Rip The Nail Off
When you pick, pull or rip the toenail, though it may seem like a way to get the nail off deeper than you can see, it very rarely helps an ingrown toenail – in fact, it’s often the original cause of ingrown toenails. As you get to the end of the nail and you pull it off, the nail often leaves behind a jagged edge where it is pulled. As it grows, this sharp spicule penetrates the surrounding skin and causes an ingrown toenail.
2. Don’t Cut Deep Down The Side Of The Nail, Beyond What You Can See
Toenails should be cut straight across, following the natural curvature of the toenail. They should not be cut down the side of the nail, as this encourages ingrown toenails. Often, the skin beside an ingrown toenail will swell and start to overlap the nail. This makes it difficult – and painful – to trim a toenail and see what you’re doing – and whether you’ve gotten all of the nail, or have left behind a piece of the nail – or even formed a new nail spicule to cause you pain in the future.
3. Don’t Cut A V In The Middle Of The Nail
It used to be thought that cutting a V in an ingrown toenail could help fix an ingrown toenail by encouraging the nail to grow more towards the centre of the nail to fill the V. Now we know this isn’t true and isn’t helpful. In fact, cutting the V and leaving the nail without proper treatment may worsen the situation as the nail can become infected, or the existing infection may worsen.
4. Don’t Wear Tight Shoes
Not only will it be painful, but it may push the sharp nail spicule further into the skin, causing more damage.
5. Don’t Rely On Painkillers, Antibiotics Or Other Medications To Fix The Problem
An ingrown toenail is caused by a piece of nail entering and growing into the skin. It’s a physical problem that can be relieved by carefully removing the offending piece of nail. Sometimes, rubbing from the nail may even cause a tiny corn in the area, which needs to be removed too for the pain to go away. Medications do not fix a physical problem like this. Painkillers will help relieve your pain temporarily, but the issue remains, so the pain will come back. Antibiotics can help manage any infection present in the area, or help prevent an infection, but they do not solve the problem of the nail being lodged in the skin. Other medications, like those that bring swelling down, can help give you some relief from the pain by reducing the swelling at your toe. Again, it doesn’t fix the problem. By all means, use medications to help get some relief before you’re able to get proper help, but don’t expect the problem to be fixed and always see your podiatrist as soon as you can.
6. Don’t Let Your Feet Stay In A Damp, Moist Environment
As ingrown toenails occur when a piece of nail pierces the skin, this break in the skin is vulnerable to infection. Bacteria and fungus breed best in dark, warm and moist environments. So don’t leave your feet in these conditions while you have an active ingrown toenail. Dry your feet well and let them breathe.
7. Don’t Attempt ‘Bathroom Surgery’
Finally, don’t try bathroom surgery at home – meaning digging deep into your ingrown toenail while your toe bleeds or you’re in agony. As podiatrists that specialise in ingrown toenails, we have years and decades of experience in detecting and removing ingrown nail spicules. They’re often deep and difficult to see – if you can even see them at all. Sometimes they grow softer and more breakable due to the moisture from piercing the skin. Other times they’re accompanied by a small corn that also needs removal. We see a lot more nails go wrong than right with bathroom surgery, and the nail ultimately becomes more complicated to treat once you get into the clinic. So we recommend avoiding this altogether.
Auckland’s Ingrown Toenail Experts
What you should do is to book in with our experienced podiatrist as soon as alert level restrictions allow. Once it is safe to see you according to the government’s recommendations and the advice we receive from the Podiatry Board, we will prioritise getting you in urgently to care for your ingrown nail. If you need an appointment for an ingrown toenail ASAP, book yours by calling us on 09 523 2333. Email us here if we’re currently not operating due to lockdown restrictions and you want us to contact you ASAP once we can operate.
We often have parents of 8 to 16-year-olds bring their kids in for the second time for the same problem: an ingrown toenail on their big toe that’s causing them (both mum and child), much pain and frustration. And they usually have the same questions:
Why has the ingrown nail come back?
How can we stop it from coming back?
While ingrown toenails can have different causes, one of the most common causes we see in kids of this age is an incorrect nail cutting technique. And by cutting, we mean pulling/ripping/picking the nails. Here’s what you should know about this scenario and ingrown toenails for your child.
1. The way kids trim their toenails matters – a lot
When we see multiple ingrown toenail in kids, one of the first things we check is the way they’re cutting their nails. Most often – if they’re happy to admit it – they pull at their nails and rip them off. Doing this often requires kids to pull at the very end to get it all off, and so where they pull, a small spicule in the nail is left behind – instead of a smooth, straight line across the nail.As the toenail grows, the spicule keeps moving further out until it pushes into and pierces the skin. Just like that, we have an ingrown toenail.
2. When nails are pulled, the problem is hidden
While many may try to see where the problem is and what the nail is doing, pulling the nail often hides the real problem far down the side of the nail, making it difficult for both kids and parents to fix. Even trying to trim and file the nail at this point won’t work for everyone – and often it only gives some temporary relief until the nail keeps growing out. Unfortunately, unless you deal with ingrown toenails all day every day (like us!) it’s very hard to fix what you can’t see.
3. The cost adds up
For kids with ingrown toenails, we offer two treatment types: either to remove the nail spicule as a one-off treatment, or to remove the nail spicule alongside a very small part of the nail edge, applying a solution that prevents the nail edge from growing back – and thereby solving the problem for good.The good news is that both options will help relieve your child’s pain and symptoms. The difference is that the one-off treatment means another ingrown nail can develop on this toe – while the permanent treatment will save you from coming back to see us for more ingrown toenails (on the same toe) again and again.As cost is often a consideration for parents so we feel it’s important to mention it here. A one-off treatment is less expensive than the permanent treatment, which is a minor surgery involving anaesthetic and dressings. However, after you’ve been back to us a few times for the same problem – the cost levels out and becomes the same (plus the one-off care costs you more time and frustration with getting to your appointments and hearing your child be in pain).This is why most parents choose the permanent solution. The procedure is done in our clinic, in approximately one hour, while your child plays on the phone, reads or distracts themselves. We also often see parents who have tried to control the ingrown nail with the one-off care once or twice, then decide enough is enough, and opt for the minor surgery.
Want That Ingrown Nail To Stop Coming Back?
If you’ve had enough and want to get rid of that ingrown toenail once and for all – or this is your child’s first ingrown nail and you want to give them that relief (and hopefully it won’t come back for them), we’re here to help. We offer same-day ingrown toenail treatment (pending appointment availability) so book your appointment by calling 09 523 2333 or book online here.
Does your baby have a red, swollen toe by the side of their toenail? Could it be an ingrown toenail – and do babies even get ingrown toenails?Yes, they do – and yes, swelling redness and tenderness by the side of the toenail may be an indicator of ingrown toenails in babies. Here’s an example of what happened when we saw an ingrown toenail in a baby that was just over six months old recently.Assessment – Baby K came in with her mum, who was concerned about her big toe, and suspected an ingrown nail. There was redness and tenderness present by the nail edge of one of her big toes, on one side only. Aside from this area, the rest of the toe was not red or inflamed. Baby K was not sick and had not been unwell, had no fevers in the last months, and didn’t have any other symptoms aside from being more irritable and showing signs of pain when socks or onesies were put on that pushed against the toe.Baby K’s mum had previously called the Plunket line to rule out any serious issues by the nurse – something we always recommend if you’re worried about anything to do with your child’s health.Assessing Baby K’s toe, she had all the typical signs of an ingrown toenail that we see in adults, without any signs of infection. We could see the elongated nail disappear beneath the inflamed skin. When nails do this, it can be difficult to remove the nail edge that has penetrated the skin as it can soften or become almost translucent – particularly in young baby nails.Treatment – treating Baby K’s toe was simple and quickly completed. She sat on mums comforting lap who extended her leg out to us and was given a toy to help distract her. We cleaned the area and used our medical-grade podiatry tools to seamlessly trim across the nail edge where it had disappeared beneath the swollen skin. The clean trim that we made across is something that often goes wrong when trying to trim baby toenails at home, as parents find it difficult to know where the nail ends if they can’t see it. In an effort to be cautious and careful, many do not trim far enough, end up pulling the nail, and leave a sharp edge behind. Once the trim was made, we removed the small piece of the offending nail away and out of the surrounding skin. We did a quick check to make sure no sharp nail edges were left behind. The effect was instant. Now, when we pushed onto the toe, the reaction from baby K was very different with significantly fewer signs of pain or distress.We dressed Baby K’s toe with a gentle sterile dressing and we talked her mum through what to look for and how to take care of the toe until the redness went away, which we’d expect to happen in the next day or two. We called two days later to check how baby K was doing – she was great, and the toe had returned to its normal pain-free state.
Are you worried that your baby may have an ingrown toenail?
We have children too – so we know how distressing it is to see your child in pain and feel like there’s nothing you can do to help. If you’re worried, bring your child in to see our experienced podiatry team. We specialise in ingrown toenail care for children of all ages. We have both one-off solutions available like we described here for Baby K, as well as permanent solutions for kids with recurring ingrown toenails. Book your appointment online by clicking here or call us to make your appointment on 09 523 2333
We had a patient come in to see us recently with the tip of her second toe being red, feeling tender and looking a little swollen. She had experienced ingrown toenails previously, and said it felt a little bit like that. Except this time, she had cut her toenails short a week or so prior – and the area that was painful wasn’t immediately down the side of her nail but above it, where the nail used to be before she cut it. She wasn’t sure what was going on, if it was an ingrown nail, or if it was something else. We thought we’d share what happened in case you’re also feeling like you’ve got pain towards the top of your toe but your nails are trimmed short and the area of the pain isn’t where you’d expect, so you’re wondering whether it could still be an ingrown toenail or what could be causing your toe pain.The actual toe pictured below (just for reference), about a week after we successfully treated it:
Second toe pain: Our patient’s story
When we examined her toe, it was extremely tender to touch in a particular spot only – and it wasn’t the toenail. (Note: pushing down on the toenail did cause a bit of pain, but only from the way that the pushing affected the painful area at the top of the toe). There was a small indent at the top of the toe where the pain was, and the entire tip of the toe was a little reddened and mildly swollen. Very tender to touch.Examining the part that had indented, we found two things:
A small corn in the crease – the skin was harder and firmer than the soft surrounding skin
A small piece of the nail that had embedded into the nail crease – the crease created in the skin from the previous length of the toenail before it was trimmed
Understanding how this develops, we could see that the nail must have been rubbing against the skin when it was long for some time, which both produced the corn, and encouraged the edge of the nail to become embedded into the skin. Eventually, a small piece of the embedded nail broke off, and was left behind as it was trimmed.
Instant pain relief from treatment
If there’s anything good to come out of this case, it’s that for this patient, her treatment was quick and effective, with the sharp stabbing pain easily instantly after we removed both the embedded nail spicule and the small corn. This is because the swelling, redness and pain was a direct result of the nail spicule still being left behind, which was then made worse by the corn – so once we could remove both of these, the toe would be able to heal and any swelling and pain would subside.This is a common mistake we see when patients treat their nails at home – they may trim their nails, but forget that while something foreign (and sharp!) is piercing the skin, the wound cannot close and heal. Getting it out can be tricky because the nail spicule can be difficult to see, difficult to remove, and painful when you’re using whatever you have at home to try to help, instead of our fine, specialised podiatric tools.Within 5 minutes, we were able to remove the nail spicule, remove the corn completely, and then dress the toe. Our patient had immediate relief from the sharp stabbing pain, and while some tenderness lingered as there was still a small wound there, this had subsided by the next morning, along with the redness and swelling.
Our podiatrists make treating all sorts of ingrown toenails easy
We wanted to share this because while many ingrown toenails are ‘textbook’ – big toenail, down the side of the toe – as ingrown toenail specialists, we see plenty of ingrown toenails that are atypical, but that are still very effectively and simply treated.We’re equipped with all the right tools to make treatment easy and stress-free, and unless you require ingrown nail surgery, can almost always treat and relieve your pain on the day. (If you require surgery we’ll always book you in for it as quickly as possible!). Book your appointment with us by calling 09 523 2333 or book online here.
Recently over our lockdown period, as we were unable to see patients under our higher alert levels, the questions around ingrown toenails came rolling in. A lot of the queries came after people had tried fixing their ingrown toenail at home. Some felt their pain had become worse, for some it stayed the same – and most people just wanted to know what they could do to help get some relief until the restrictions eased.
