When you feel a sharp, throbbing pain at the edge of your toenail, you may have an ingrown toenail. This kind of wound often makes standing, walking, exercising, and wearing shoes especially painful. Left untreated, it can become inflamed and infected.
Ingrown toenails develop when the nail edge grows into the surrounding skin. Redness, warmth, swelling, and drainage are warning signs that an ingrown nail may be infected. Early treatment can help prevent worsening pain and more serious complications.
At Neville Foot & Ankle Centers, we understand how painful and distracting ingrown toenails can be. Our podiatrists take a personalized approach to your foot care and make sure you feel comfortable and informed every step of the way. Our patients value our quick and compassionate professional treatment.
With four convenient locations across The Woodlands, Magnolia, Spring, and Conroe, plus same-day appointments for urgent concerns, skilled help is an easy step away when an ingrown toenail starts to interfere with your life.
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Diagnosing and Treating Ingrown Toenails
At Neville Foot & Ankle Centers, diagnosing an ingrown toenail begins with an examination of the affected toe. Our podiatrist will assess the severity of the ingrown nail, check for signs of infection, and discuss factors such as the shoes you wear, how you trim your nails, and your level of daily activity.
Mild cases may be managed with conservative care, while more painful or recurring ingrown toenails are often treated with a simple in-office procedure to remove the problematic portion of the nail. This approach provides fast relief and helps prevent the nail from growing back improperly. We may use one of the following three main treatment options depending on the severity of your ingrown nail:
- Lift the nail. For nails that are only slightly ingrown, we can gently lift the ingrowing nail edge to separate it from the underlying skin, thus relieving the pain. We then place cotton or a splint under the nail to keep it away from the skin, so it can grow above the skin edge.
- Partially remove the nail. If your ingrown toenail is red, painful, and oozing pus, we may choose to remove the ingrown part of the nail. This procedure may involve the use of a local anesthetic to numb your toe as the nail is removed.
- Full removal of the nail and tissue. For most people, having an ingrown toenail is an isolated incident and one that can largely be prevented with proper foot care. For some people, however, an ingrown toenail on the same toe can be a repeating, chronic problem. In such cases, we may recommend not only removing the nail but the underlying tissue as well, using a chemical or fine laser.
