Ingrown Nails

An ingrown nail is characterized by the side or corner of a nail painfully digging into the skin.  An ingrown toenail may be caused by improper trimming of the nail, trauma (e.g. stubbing of the nail), hereditary, improper shoegear (e.g. tight fitting toebox).  Prevention may include proper nail trimming (trimming the nails straight across), proper shoegear (shoes with wide toeboxes), and seeking early treatment.

Both procedures are performed in the office under local anesthesia and take about 5-10 minutes to perform.  Post-op instructions are discussed and dispensed in the office.  Post-op care consists of either 1) Epsom salt soaks twice a day for 20 min/day followed by a topical antibiotic with gauze or 2) Amerigel dressings with gauze or band-aid once a day.

The time for complete healing for avulsions is usually two weeks and for matrixectomies is usually six weeks.  The day after the procedure, the patient may return to normal activity the next day with the exception of activities such as prolonged walking/standing (> 8 hrs./ day), jumping, jogging, and running, all of which may take about three days for recovery.  The patient is usually followed up in our every two weeks until complete healing has taken place. 

http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/ingrown-toenail.htm 

Symptoms of an ingrown toenail include redness, swelling, warmth, pustular drainage, bleeding, and pain. 

Once a nail becomes ingrown, there is a limitation in home treatment.  One may try Epsom salt soaks, antibiotics, and cutting back the corner of the offending border.  Usually home treatment results, if any,  are only temporary and more aggressive treatment is necessary. 

We perform two procedures: 1) avulsion – removal of the side of the nail, 2) matrixectomy – permanent nail removal of the side of the nail.