27/07/2023
Ingrown Toenails
Hi everyone! We’re not sure about you, but we have been noticing a huge trend in the number of ingrown toenails we are getting in this colder season. So, we thought that we would just give you a little update on them.
What are they?
An ingrown toenail is when a section of nail grows or cuts into the flesh of the surrounding skin, causing large amounts of pain or in worse cases an infection. Sometimes it can also include a build-up of callous or corns within that edge of the toenail. It is most common on the big toe but can occur to any toes.
How can I prevent this?
The most common cause of an ingrown is actually an incorrect cutting technique, this is when a person cuts either cuts badly on the entirety of the nail causing a spike or tries to cut too far down into the edge leaving some nail. Another common form is tight footwear, as the toes can be pushed together causing the nail to be pushed into the skin, also people not lacing correctly causing the feet to move a lot in shoes. Other causes can be involuted nails, trauma or genetics.
What can I do?
The initial treatment for an ingrown is conservative care, we implement this at Rhodes Podiatry in our initial and standard treatment sessions but carefully clearing out the debris and nail from this edge in a sterile environment, giving you advice post treatment for after care. In severe cases local anaesthetic and surgical intervention may be needed, but this will be assessed and recommended by your podiatrist depending on the case.
So, if you are experiencing any discomfort on or around your nails come in for an assessment today!
Thanks, from the team at Newington Podiatry
