Ingrown Toenails Treatment
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 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—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. So if you’re suffering, don’t wait to get help!
What Are Ingrown Toenails?
Ingrown toenails occur when the corner, edge, or border of a toenail drives into the soft surrounding flesh, rather than grow out over the toe like normal. The big toe is by far the most commonly affected digit, but they can occur on other nails as well.
The resulting symptoms include pain, redness, swelling, tenderness and drainage — sometimes extreme. Ingrown toenails that do not resolve quickly may become infected.
There are several possible causes:
- External pressures. It could be that 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 injuries can drive the nail border downward and inward.
- Poor nail trimming. If you cut them too short or leave them too long, they are more likely to become ingrown. Keep them at a medium length, and try not to round the corners too much.
- 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
As we said, professional care for ingrown toenails is quick, easy, and painless. So regardless of the state your toenails are in, we’re always happy to help!
That said, mild ingrown toenails which are not causing a major disruption in your lifestyle may sometimes resolve themselves on their own. You can try giving yourself a warm foot soak each day with Epsom salt, or taking over-the-counter medications to alleviate temporary discomfort.
However, you should seek professional care under the any of following circumstances:
- Pain is severe or interfering with daily activities.
- There is any sign of infection.
- Your condition has not improved or gotten worse after several days of home care.
- You have diabetes, poor circulation, neuropathy, or any other condition that could complicate your recovery.
Professional Care
It only takes a single, quick same-day procedure for us to remove an ingrown toenail.
The “worst” part is the shot (however, our Doctors are so good, most patients don’t experience any pain during the numbing process!). Once the toe has been numbed with a local anesthetic, we will carefully trim out and remove the part of your nail that’s causing the problems.
Once the anesthetic wears off, your pain should be gone. 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 activities there’s no downtime. You can return to work and school right away.
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 prevents that part of the nail from growing back.
Yes, your nail will be permanently thinner, but most of the time the results still look quite natural—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!
If ingrown toenails are making it difficult to go about your day comfortably, please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone. Appointments are quick and easy, and we’ll get you in as soon as we possibly can. To schedule an appointment with us in Commerce Township, please call (248) 360-3888.
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 | 7:30 am – 4:00pm |
Saturday | - Closed - |
Sunday | - Closed - |
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