Painless Ingrown Toenail Treatment
in Commerce Township
Sometimes the “smallest” conditions can be the most frustrating or painful. Exhibit A: Ingrown toenails.
If you’ve ever had one, you know there’s nothing insignificant about them. When the sharp edge or border of a nail has been digging into the skin, the pain when you bump your toe—or even when you put on a shoe—can be intense. In the worst cases, an ingrown toenail can become infected. This is a dangerous situation, especially for people with diabetes.
Fortunately, ingrown toenails are quite simple for a podiatrist to treat. We fix them all the time, and the process is about as smooth and painless as can be. If you’re suffering from ingrown toenail pain, don’t wait to get help! To find out how to get rid of ingrown toenails painlessly, read on below or contact Lakes Foot and Ankle Associates for an ingrown toenail quick fix.
What Causes Ingrown Toenails?
Ingrown toenails occur when the corner, edge, or border of a toenail curves down into the soft surrounding tissue, rather than growing out over the toe like normal. The big toe is by far the most commonly affected digit, but the problem can occur on other nails as well.
With an ingrown toenail, extreme pain is common. You may even be unable to wear shoes or walk. Other symptoms include redness, swelling, tenderness, and drainage — sometimes extreme. Ingrown toenails that do not resolve quickly may become infected.
There are several possible risk factors and causes of ingrown toenails:
- External pressures. You’re wearing shoes that are too tight—or alternatively, so loose that your toes keep slamming into the front of the toe box. Constant pressure or repetitive trauma injuries can drive the nail border downward and inward.
- Poor nail trimming. If you cut your toenails too short or leave them too long, they are more likely to become ingrown. To prevent ingrown toenails, always clean your nail trimmer before using it, keep nails at a medium length, cut the nails straight, and try not to round the corners too much. Use a sharp nail trimmer, as improper trimming with a dull one may bend the nail into the surrounding skin.
- You were born that way. Unfortunately, some people are simply more prone to developing ingrown toenails due to the way that their toes or nails are shaped.
What Can I Do About My Ingrown Toenails?
Home Care to Treat Ingrown Toenails
If you notice the start of an ingrown toenail, keep your feet clean to prevent infection. A mild ingrown toenail that’s not causing a major disruption in your lifestyle may sometimes resolve itself on its own or with the help of home remedies. Here are a few things you can try for at-home non-surgical ingrown toenail treatment.
- Soak your foot in warm water with Epsom salts each day to loosen the skin.
- Massage the affected toe to reduce inflammation and push the skin away from the nail edge.
- Use waxed dental floss to slide below and gently lift the nail edge out of the affected area.
- Take over-the-counter medications to alleviate temporary discomfort.
At Lakes Foot and Ankle Associates, we know how to fix an ingrown toenail painlessly. Professional care for ingrown toenails is quick and easy. Regardless of the state your toenails are in, we’re always happy to help!
Are Ingrown Toenails Dangerous?
An ingrown nail might seem like a minor annoyance. However, if left untreated, severe ingrown toenail complications may include bone infection, gangrene, foot ulcers, and circulation problems. Always seek professional care under the any of following circumstances:
- Pain is severe or interfering with daily activities.
- There is any sign of infection (inflammation, pus, etc.)
- Your condition has not improved or has gotten worse after several days of home care.
- You have diabetes, poor circulation, nerve damage/neuropathy, or any other condition that could complicate your recovery.
- If the skin grows too far over the edge of the nail, a surgical approach may be necessary.
Poor foot hygiene can lead to some major problems. Prevent ingrown toenails by keeping your feet clean and dry as often as possible.
Professional Care for Ingrown Toenails
Most ingrown toenails can be cared for at home, but extreme ingrown toenails may require professional intervention. Fortunately, it only takes a single, quick same-day procedure for us to remove an ingrown toenail. Here’s how it works.
- First, you’ll receive a numbing shot for ingrown toenail treatment. For most people, this is the “worst” part—however, our doctors are so good, most patients don’t experience any pain at all during the numbing process!
- Once the toe has been numbed with a local anesthetic, we will carefully trim out and remove the ingrown portion of your nail that’s causing the problems.
- By the time the anesthetic wears off, your ingrown nail pain should be gone.
- Keep your foot dry. It may take a week before we’ll let you submerge your toe in a lake (no swimming!) or return to full-speed athletic training, but for most other activities, there’s no downtime. You can return to work and school right away.
- Infected ingrown toenails may also require the use of oral antibiotics or topical antibiotic ointment.
If your ingrown toenail keeps coming back, we can also destroy a small portion of the nail bed underneath the part of the nail we remove. This extreme ingrown toenail removal is called a partial nail avulsion and it prevents that part of the nail from ever growing back. Yes, your nail will be permanently thinner, but the exposed nail bed is usually not noticeable—and the odds that you’ll get another ingrown toenail there will be virtually zero. For someone suffering the same problem over and over again, that’s a pretty good trade!
Put Your Best Foot Forward with Lakes Foot and Ankle Associates
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When foot pain keeps you from enjoying your favorite activities, get the help you need at our Commerce Township podiatry office. Our friendly podiatric physicians Dr. Shanahan and Dr. Petronella are proud members of the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Michigan Podiatric Medical Association. They regularly treat ingrown toenails as well as plantar fasciitis, bunions, warts, heel spurs, and other common foot conditions.
If ingrown toenails are making it difficult to go about your day comfortably, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and speak with a foot specialist. Appointments are quick and easy, and we’ll get you in as soon as we possibly can. For painless ingrown toenail removal in Commerce Township, please call (248) 453-2028.
It's Time To Leave Foot & Ankle Pain Behind!
*NOTE: Appointment request times are not guaranteed, nor do they constitute a scheduled appointment. Once you submit your request, a member of our staff will contact you as soon as possible to confirm your appointment time. For your safety and privacy, please do not submit any Protected Health Information (PHI) through the contact form found on this page.
Phone Number
Location
9640 Commerce Rd Suite 102 Commerce Township, MI 48382
Hours
| Monday | 8:30am – 5:00pm |
| Tuesday | 9:00am – 5:00pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30am – 5:00pm |
| Thursday | 9:00am – 6:00pm |
| Friday | By Appointment |
| Saturday | - Closed - |
| Sunday | - Closed - |
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