An ingrown toenail – otherwise known as  onychocryptosis – is a painful and common condition that we see and treat in our office.   An ingrown toenail not only can cause pain in your toenail but also in the foot especially if it is infected.  Recurring ingrown nails can be treated effectively and permanently in our office with little discomfort and minimal down time.

One of the main causes of ingrown nails are improper cutting of the nails in a way that are too short, which can allow the skin to fold over the nail.  Another cause is wearing shoes or socks that are too tight or short.  You want to make sure your shoes fit properly and that you have room in the front to wiggle your toes.  Finally, if you had any trauma to the nail area, like stubbing your toe or have an object fall on your toe, this can also lead to an ingrown toenail.

If you suspect that you have an ingrown toenail and you do not have an infection, an at home treatment can include soaking your foot in room temperature water and adding Espom salts.  Gently massage the side of the nail fold to reduce inflammation.  However, if you have an infection, or any medical conditions that we consider high risk, such as diabetes, nerve damage in the foot or poor circulation, call our office to get seen. 

Avoid doing a DIY surgery in your home to remove the nail because repeated cutting of the nail can cause this condition to get worse over time.  There is some belief that by cutting a notch in the nail that will reduce the tendency of getting ingrown nails but this in fact can make the nail worse over time. 

By coming to our office, we might recommend doing a surgical procedure in the office by removing the abnormal portion of the nail, making it narrower and normal appearing.  This procedure is called a chemical matrixectomy or destruction of the nail root and can be 95% successful.  You will be given a local anesthetic and takes about 5 minutes for the procedure to be completed.  Many patients take little or no medication after the procedure and return to work the same or next day.  Please note the best time to get this procedure done is when there is not infection present.  Untreated infected ingrown nails can lead to more serious problems such as bone infection, long term use of antibiotics and the loss of toe or amputation. 

If you suspect you have an ingrown toenail that is painful and infected, consider making an appointment with Dr. Margaret Withrow or Dr. Dylan Kaumaya at Roadrunner Foot and Ankle in Peoria, Arizona.  We want you pain free and you feet feeling healthy.