Ingrown toenails can quickly change from a mild annoyance to a serious, pain-inducing infection. If you’re dealing with swollen, red, and painful ingrown toenails, contact Navrit Randhawa, DPM, and his colleagues at New Jersey’s Carteret Foot & Ankle Center. The experienced podiatrists safely and gently resolve ingrown toenails with minimal discomfort. Call Carteret Foot & Ankle Center to arrange an ingrown toenail evaluation or schedule a consultation online today.
Ingrown toenails are nails (usually on your big toes) that grow into the surrounding skin and flesh. An ingrown toenail can cause the following issues:
If your ingrown toenail becomes infected, it might produce pus. The infection could potentially spread into the bone if you don’t get treatment. For this reason, ingrown toenails are particularly problematic for people with diabetes.
Ingrown toenails often develop when people trim their nails too close to the skin or cut them in a crescent shape instead of straight across. Both trimming styles make it more likely that your toenail will burrow into the skin as it regrows rather than straightening out.
Another common cause of ingrown toenails is very tight shoes that don’t have enough toe room or squeeze your toes tightly together. Some ingrown toenails develop because of an injury, like stubbing your toe. Or you may simply have toenails that naturally grow into a curve.
You can soak your foot in warm water if you have an ingrown toenail to ease the discomfort. But don’t attempt to cut the ingrown nail portion, lift it with tweezers, or do other home treatments, as it can cause additional problems. Instead, contact Carteret Foot & Ankle Center immediately for personalized care.
Depending on your symptoms, your podiatrist may treat your ingrown toenail in several ways. You might need a prescription antibiotic to relieve infection and/or a corticosteroid cream to accelerate healing. You may also need oral medication.
Usually, surgery isn’t necessary for ingrown toenails, but more severe cases might require partial nail removal. Your Carteret Foot & Ankle Center podiatrist numbs your toe before surgically removing the ingrown part of the toenail. Then, they place a tiny piece of cotton under your remaining nail to guide new nail growth away from the skin.
If your ingrown toenail keeps recurring, your podiatrist may perform a chemical or laser procedure to remove that nail’s root. This prevents regrowth permanently. Your podiatrist can remove the entire nail if your condition is particularly severe.
Call Carteret Foot & Ankle Center for expert help with ingrown toenails, or book an appointment online today.