Ingrown Toenails
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Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic
Podiatrist & Foot & Ankle Surgeon located in Lombard, IN, Michigan City, IN & Chesterton, IN
Millions of Americans experience painful ingrown toenails every year. Whether you’ve just noticed your nail border turning red or you already have a painful skin puncture that’s making you limp, your ingrown toenail needs special care from a foot specialist. At Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic, caring podiatrist Aamir Mahmood, DPM, works as your partner in all areas of foot and ankle care. He uses the best integrative and scientifically proven practices to end your ingrown toenail problems quickly. Call any of the three practice offices in Michigan City and Chesterton, Indiana, and Lombard, Illinois, or book an appointment with online scheduling now.
Ingrown Toenails Q & A
What are the symptoms of an ingrown toenail?
An ingrown toenail grows into your skin around your nail borders. It usually occurs in big toes. Although you can’t always see where the nail is growing into the skin, your skin often shows the effects. Common symptoms include:
- Pain or soreness
- Skin swelling
- Red skin
- Weeping fluid and pus, if infected
- Granuloma: New tissue growth over the edge of your nail
Ingrown toenail symptoms frequently get worse over time, so if you’re already feeling some discomfort, it’s best to get treatment before you’re in too much pain to even wear shoes or walk.
How do you treat ingrown toenails?
At Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic, Dr. Mahmood uses proven strategies to end your ingrown toenail problems. Usually, treatment includes partial nail avulsion, which may include matrixectomy.
In a partial nail avulsion, Dr. Mahmood administers local anesthesia and then removes the corner of the nail that’s embedded in your skin.
If you have recurrent ingrown toenails, you may also need a matrixectomy, in which Dr. Mahmood applies a special chemical to the nail base (the matrix).
This chemical causes scarring that prevents that part of the nail from growing back. If you have matrixectomy, you still have a nail plate, but it’s a bit narrower than it was before.
What if I don’t get my ingrown toenail treated?
If you don’t get it treated, an ingrown toenail can morph into a quite serious issue over time. For example, if you develop an infection, a common problem with untreated ingrown toenails, the infection can move into your bones and lead to toe amputation.
In the most severe cases of ingrown toenail, an infection can get into your blood and lead to life-threatening complications, such as sepsis.
How can I prevent ingrown toenails in the future?
Ingrown toenails can sometimes occur because of the way you cut your nails, your footwear, or other controllable factors. To prevent ingrown toenails, a few things you can do include:
- Trim toenail straight (no curve at corners)
- Don’t wear tight shoes
- Keep your toenail length at the tips of your toes
Dr. Mahmood may have additional advice to help you avoid chronic ingrown toenails.
Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic is ready to treat your ingrown toenail now, so reach out by phone or through online scheduling today.
