INGROWING TOE NAILS

An ingrowing nail occurs when the nail plate which is hard, penetrates the skin along the side of the nail resulting in local pain and swelling.  Often infection develops soon after.

If the toe is infected then a course of antibiotics can be very helpful in the short term.  It is never advisable just to keep taking more antibiotics if the problem comes back.

Nail surgery in the right hands will cure the IGTN permanently in around 95% of patients.

If you are at all anxious about this procedure being carried out under local anaesthetic we can easily arrange for oyu to have some sedation and or a general anaesthetic. 

Most people find their IGTN's worsen over time.  To start with the toes might just feel sore when "knocked".  Very quickly pain, swelling, oozing and infection develop.​​

Clean the toe in a salt water footbath and apply a sterile dressing.  Arrange an appointment as soon as you can.  If you are concerned that there is a serious infection, seek medical advice.

The toe nail grows from specialised cells called the "germinal matrix".  The offending area of matrix can be treated with a chemical (phenol).  This stops the offending nail section from re-growing.

Some people recommend nail bracing but this is highly ineffective.  It is usually advised by people who are not qualified to offer other more effective treatments.

There are many causes including poor nail care, trauma, excessive sweating, tight shoes. Ingrowing nails can sometimes be confused with bony growths called subungual exostosis. 

If you are fit and well and have good circulation the most common treatment is to remove the offending nail and stop it from growing back. This is called a "partial nail ablation"

In adults and older children this procedure is carried out under local anaesthetic.  For younger children local anaesthetic is seldom appropriate and can cause long-term harm.

If you have poor circulation or have had previous nail surgery, we may advise an alternative procedure which involves the surgical excision of the offending nail section.