In-Growing Toe Nails

In-growing nails happen if the sides of the nail become pressed deeply into the skin. This can be extremely painful, which is why we treat them as urgently as possible.

In-growing nails can be caused by curved nails, wide nails, tight shoes, swollen feet, toe injuries, and poor cutting. True in-growing nails penetrate the skin. But chronic curved nails cause a tough layer of skin to grow under them. This is just as painful.

Preparation

Ask for an ordinary Chiropody appointment, but tell the reception that you have an in-growing nail and your call will be treated as urgent. If it has got to the stage where you are looking at this website for information, it is probably beyond the stage where you can treat it your self, so please leave it to us ! Wear roomy shoes to take the pressure off, and rinse an inflamed in-growing nail in cool salt water sometimes with a mild skin disinfectant to get it clean. And book an appointment as soon as possible to stop it getting worse.

What to expect

We will go through a standard health questionnaire and assess your foot health. A large majority of in-growing nails are cured or controlled on the day using careful Chiropody techniques. Often people worry but frequently it is far more gentle than they imagine.

If it is not possible to treat the nail with Chiropody, we can arrange to book you back for all or part of the nail to be removed under local anaesthetic. A temporary procedure is useful if there is a possibility that the nail can re-grow without in-growing, or if you are going on holiday and need to have a wound which will heal quickly. A permanent procedure is best for chronic or recurring in-growing nails. The technique has over a 90% success rate in preventing future pain.

Everyone is different. Many patients with in-growing nails never need to come again, after having the nail cut correctly. Others will come back occasionally as and when needed. A few will need to have the nail reshaped at a future date to address a problem with the curvature or width.