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Ingrown Toenails services offered in Henderson, NV
Ingrown Toenails FAQs
What are ingrown toenails?
Ingrown toenails occur when the side or corner of a toenail digs into the surrounding skin. The nail irritates your toe’s soft tissues, causing pain, inflammation, and redness. This usually happens with the big toe, but any toenail can become ingrown.
As the toenail digs deeper into the skin, it becomes increasingly painful. Without treatment, it may curl around on itself, causing deep, gnawing pain in your toe. Any pressure on the toe from a shoe, sock, or even a bed sheet feels unbearable.
Sometimes infection sets in, and pus leaks from under the ingrown toenail. This is particularly problematic for people with diabetes or poor circulation in their feet because they’re vulnerable to tissue breakdown and ulcer formation.
What causes ingrown toenails?
One of the primary causes of ingrown toenails is trimming your nails too short or rounding the sides. Other factors that can encourage ingrown toenail development include:
Ill-fitting footwear
Shoes that are too tight compress your toes together, resulting in abnormal nail development.
Fungal infections
Fungal nails thicken and get wider, making ingrown toenail development more likely.
Genetics
If a family member often has ingrown toenails, your chances of developing them are higher.
Injury
Trauma or injury to the nail can trigger ingrown toenail development.
To prevent ingrown toenails, don’t cut your nails too short — leave them about the same length as the end of your toe and cut straight across.
How are ingrown toenails treated?
You can treat it at home when you first develop an ingrown toenail. Soak your foot in warm water daily and massage the ingrown side of the nail to reduce inflammation. Don’t keep trimming your ingrown toenails, as this can worsen the problem.
If pain in the toe persists or you see any signs of infection (pus and swelling), call Las Vegas Foot and Ankle Centers immediately. Your podiatrist will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. They’ll also raise and clean the ingrown section of the nail and may remove excess tissue to help the toe heal faster.
Patients whose ingrown toenails are a recurring problem might need partial toenail removal. Your podiatrist also takes the underlying tissue to stop the nail from being misshapen when it grows back.
