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What Is An Ingrown Toenail?
Having an ingrown toenail means that part of your toenail has pierced and grown into the surrounding skin. Even the smallest piece of nail has the potential to cause severe pain and swelling. Think of it like a small dagger constantly piercing the skin that cannot close and heal. Now, think of the slight movements and vibrations that go through the toe when you walk and move - it's like the little dagger moving around. That's why ingrown toenails continually cause pain, swelling and a lot of ‘ouch!‘ moments throughout the day and night. It's also why ingrown toenails need prompt and effective treatment.
What Does An Ingrown Toenail Look & Feel Like?
Ingrown toenails can appear red and swollen, or only mildly irritated, depending on which stage the nail is at, so symptoms can vary greatly. Ingrown toenails start as a mild discomfort, worsening over time as the nail digs in. One or both toes can be affected, and one or both sides of the nail may be ingrown. You may have an ingrown toenail if:
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The skin surrounding the nail is red, swollen or tender
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You feel pain in the toe which is worsened when you touch it
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The toe may bleed or there may be yellow/white/clear discharge
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It’s painful to wear (tight) shoes because of the pressure on your toe
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Even the pressure from bedsheets feels like daggers or causes an ache/throb
What Causes An Ingrown Toenail?
Ingrown toenails can affect anyone at any age - even toddlers. Causes include:
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Having a poor nail cutting technique
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Cutting down the sides of toenails
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Pulling off the nails instead of cutting them properly
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Toe deformities (bunions or claw toes) that push toes against one another
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Abnormal nail shape (involuted nails) - this can be hereditary
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Trauma (sports involving kicking and toenail impact)
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Poorly fitting footwear - especially tight footwear that has a narrow toe box
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Sweaty feet that lead to fragile and soft skin
Treating Ingrown Nails
Ingrown toenail treatment doesn't have to be complicated, difficult or painful. We can immediately alleviate your pain in one appointment by removing the ingrown nail. We can do this either as a one-off treatment, which may be best suited for those unlikely to get another ingrown nail, or as a permanent solution to stop another ingrown toenail developing in the future. Learn more about our proven, evidence-based treatments below:
Ingrown Nail Treatment FAQs
Does trimming a 'V' in the centre of the toenail help prevent an ingrown toenail?
It used to be thought that cutting a V in the centre of the nail could discourage an ingrown toenail from growing. Now, this has largely been disproven by considering the nail anatomy and the physiological process by which a nail grows and lengthens – which starts from the base out, as opposed to growing out from the end of the nail and being influenced by the ‘V’ shape. This shape can also leave your nail vulnerable to ‘catching’ on your socks and shoes and being pulled, which can then irritate the area of the nail that has ingrown.
Can medication fix an ingrown nail?
It’s natural to want to take painkillers to help ease the pain, or to get a script for antibiotics if your ingrown toenail has become infected – and there’s nothing wrong with either. But no, neither of them – or any other medication – are solutions or treatments for ingrown toenails. Instead, painkillers temporarily mask pain (until they wear off and it comes back), and antibiotics help kill the bacteria causing the infection – but neither removes the ingrown nail from the skin it has pierced – which is the cause of your pain.
What happens if I leave my ingrown toenail untreated? Will it eventually go away on its own?
Given that the hard nail sits on top of our toe, it’s easy to think that the painful ingrown area is along the surface of the nail too, and so will easily grow out in time, taking the pain away with it. In most of the cases we see, the reality is quite different. The ingrown portion of the nail, which we call the nail spicule, is usually located quite deep down the side of the nail – often much deeper beneath the swollen skin than you can visibly see. Waiting for your nail to grow out then means driving this nail spicule deeper into an already tender toe.
Given that toenails grow much slower than fingernails at an average rate of 1.62mm per month, and you may have multiple centimetres of skin to go through, this can mean months of severe pain, difficulty wearing shoes – and the risk of infection.
Do ingrown toenails only affect the big toes?
No, while they most commonly affect the big toes, they can affect any of the toes.