Ingrown toenails are a painful condition in which the side of the toenail grows into the soft tissue surrounding the nail leading to inflammation and discomfort. If untreated infection can develop as bacteria enters the area where the skin is broken by the toenail.
It is important to see your Podiatrist as soon as you feel discomfort to avoid infection particularly if you suffer from Diabetes or conditions involving poor blood supply to the foot.
If you have Diabetes or another condition that causes poor blood flow to your feet you are at greater risk of complications of ingrown toenails.
Common ingrown toenail causes include:
- Wearing shoes that crowd your toenails
- Cutting your toenails too short or not straight across
- Injuring your toenail
- Having unusually curved toenails
Treatment
The Podiatrist at Richmond Podiatry can help you to manage ingrown toenails by removing the area of nail causing the problem. This is generally a pain free procedure.
In some cases where the patient has a persistent ingrown nail a procedure may be required to prevent the nail from returning.
