Ingrown Toe Nail

Ingrown toenails are a common ailment for young kids. There are several causes of ingrown toenails including tight shoes, but the most common one is that they tend to be genetic. Although they are pretty common and many people won't have pain with them, they are a common source of infection. They can start out as just being painful and then all of a sudden you will notice your toe is getting puffier and you may see some oozing from the corner. This is a good sign that your toe has an infection and this needs to be taken seriously.

The treatment for ingrown toenails is getting the offending nail corner out. There are a couple of ways that this can be done and it just depends on how ingrown your toenail is. A deep corner can be cut out of your nail if it is just the edge that it is an issue. However, if the entire side is under t he skin, then you will need to have your toe numbed up and that corner trimmed out. There is a permanent procedure that can be done if you don't ever want that part of the nail to grow back again, but this cannot be performed if you have an infection. So, you will need to take antibiotics and clear up the infection so that it is a healthy area.

If you notice your toe nail has a painful corner  you should seek care from your podiatrist. There could be an ingrown nail that is causing you pain, so it’s always important to get it checked out. If you live in the North Reading or Tewksbury, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your feet. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.