Ingrown Toenail – Causes, Treatments And Prevention

An ingrown toenail is a condition that affects the great toenails and is caused by the edge of a nail growing sideways into the skin. When the portion of the nail digs into the skin, inflammation and infection can occur. Inflammation, in turn, leads to the thickening of the nail skin fold. This is the primary reason why people with ingrown toenails experience further pain.

Infections, on the other hand, occur because the feet are warm and moist, making it the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. Among the most common infections associated with ingrown toenails are Staphylococcus, Candida, Trichophyton and Pseudomonas.

Left untreated, an ingrown toenail can lead to further complications including bacterial infection, infection of the nail fold, and scarring of the nail fold and surrounding skin.

While this is a fairly common problem that many people encounter, there are people who are more susceptible to this condition. These include:

• Athletic teens
• People who wear ill-fitting shoes
• People who experience repeated foot injury or trauma
• People with poor foot hygiene
• People with poor posture
• People with either a congenital foot deformity or toe malformation
• People with long toes
• People with short nails
• People who are overweight
• People with diabetes
• People with toenail infections or fungal nail disease
• People with abnormal nail growth
• People who experience excessive sweating on the feet
• People with arthritis

There are two ways to treat ingrown toenails: through temporary or permanent treatments. In a temporary treatment, the ingrown border is either removed or trimmed, giving immediate pain relief. Do note that because of the temporary nature of the treatment, the likelihood of the problem occurring again is high. This type of treatment is resorted to when the permanent treatment is not possible due to other medical reasons.

In a permanent treatment, the nail matrix cells are either surgically removed or destroyed with the use of acid to prevent the problematic portion of the nail from growing further. In cases of infection, the patient is given antibiotics before undergoing the procedure. Patients who have undergone this type of treatment can go back to their normal routines in a few days while total healing can take between four to six weeks.

Ingrown toenails have a high chance of occurring again, even after permanent treatment. In order to minimize the chance of this condition occurring again, there are several practices that can help including:

• Wearing shoes with wider toes;
• Avoiding repeated injury to feet and toes;
• Using protective gear when playing sports;
• Observing proper foot hygiene; and
• Cutting toenails straight across.

If you have an ingrown toenail, give us a call today at 301-937-5666 or just fill out the short form on the top right of this page to schedule an appointment.