Ingrown Toenails

Known to physicians as onychogryphosis, ingrown toenails are a common, painful condition that occurs when the skin on one or both sides of a nail grows over the edges of the nail, or when the nail itself grows into the skin.

This condition is usually excruciating and can be associated with toe infection. Some ingrown toenails are chronic, with repeated episodes of pain and infection. Irritation, redness, an uncomfortable sensation of warmth, and swelling can result from an ingrown toenail.

Cause

Ingrown toenails develop for many reasons. Sometimes, the condition is congenital, such as too large toenails. People whose toes curl, either congenitally or from diseases like arthritis, are prone to ingrown toenails. Often trauma, like stubbing a toe or having a toe stepped on, can cause a piece of the nail to be jammed into the skin. Repeated trauma, such as the pounding to which runners typically subject their feet, also can cause ingrown nails.

The most common cause is cutting your toenails incorrectly, causing them to re-grow into the skin. Tight hosiery or shoes with narrow toe boxes only make matters worse. If the skin is red, painful or swollen on the sides of the nail, an infection may be present. This occurs because the ingrown nail is often in a warm, moist, and bacteria-rich environment. When the nail penetrates the skin, it provides a convenient entry for germs that can cause infection.

Untreated, the nail can go under the skin, causing a more severe infection. In either case, the infection must be cured with sterile instruments and antibiotics.

Treatment and Prevention

Ingrown toenails should be treated as soon as they are recognized. In many cases, people with uninfected ingrown toenails can obtain relief with the following simple regimen:

– Soak the feet in warm salt water

– Dry them thoroughly with a clean towel

– Apply a mild antiseptic solution to the area

– Bandage the toe

If excessive inflammation, swelling, pain, or discharge is present, the toenail is probably infected and should be treated by a physician. A podiatrist can trim or remove the infected nail with a minor in-office surgical procedure. He or she can also remove the offending portion of the nail or overgrown skin with a scalpel and treat the infection.

Unless the problem is congenital, the best way to prevent ingrown toenails is to protect the feet from trauma and wear shoes with adequate room for the toes.

Cutting toe nails properly goes a long way toward preventing ingrown toenails. Cut the nails straight across using a safety nail clipper to make the nail corner visible. If you cut the nail too short, you invite the nail corner to grow into the skin. It is the natural tendency, when the edge of the nail starts to grow in, to cut down at an angle at the nail edge, to relieve the pain. This reduces the pain temporarily and can begin a downward spiral, training the nail to become increasingly ingrown.