An ingrown toenail can be painful! If left untreated, it can lead to significant pain which forces you to change the way you walk or move to protect their affected toe.
An ingrown toenail occurs when the edges or corner of the nail dig into the skin next to it causing pain, inflammation and sometimes infection. An ingrown toenail doesn’t always puncture the skin and can affect the big or small toes.   When a toenail does pierce the skin at the side, there may be bleeding, oozing and subsequent infection.
Risk factors and causes of ingrown toenails:
Modifications to footwear are prudent for many reasons. In addition to removing pressure from painful areas and giving more appropriate support to those in need, traditional footwear sizes and fit may need to be adjusted for feet that are thicker, wider, or have bony prominences like bunions, bunionettes, or dorsum exostosis (a bump at the top of the foot). Footwear modifications may also be a solution for someone who needs additional support but is unable to financially afford custom-made orthotics.
- Toenails come in all shapes and sizes. They can be flat or straight, or they can be curved. Curved or involuted nails, have a curvature on one or both sides of the nail plate. This curvature may be so severe that the sides of the nail come together resulting in pinching of the nail bed tissue, also known as a pincer nail.
- Footwear that is unsupportive or doesn’t fit well, including shoes that are too tight, narrow or shallow may place excess pressure on the toes causing an ingrown.
- Sweaty feet can be problematic because skin that is too moist becomes weakened and is easily punctured when a sharp nail digs into the side of the nail.
- Toes that are bent or curly may cause more pressure to be placed on the sides of toenails. Hammer toes and bunions are commonly associated with ingrown toenails.
- Cutting toenails the proper way is important for your health and comfort. When toenails are cut too short or ripped off, nails can easily dig into the surrounding skin.
- A fungal infection can cause thickening of the nail and can also change the shape. This increases the risk for painful ingrown toenails.
- Many of us have experienced an inadvertent toenail injury. Stubbing the toe or dropping a heavy object on a toe can both cause injury to the nail and nail bed. This can affect the way the nail continues to grow over time, affecting the shape and thickness.
Ingrown toenail prevention and treatment?
Regular routine footcare is crucial as it will ensure your toenails are being cut properly. During a routine footcare appointment, your BioPed clinician will use an antiseptic before cutting the offending nail. After cutting the nail, a small file is used to make sure the nail is smooth and is no longer digging into the skin at the sides.
Well-fitting footwear appropriate for your foot type, size and shape. BioPed lower limb clinicians will measure your feet in length and width and recommend the best shoe for you.
Toenail bracing using a composite band, trains the nail to grow straighter and less curved. It is non-invasive, and described by many as a painless treatment with zero downtime. This method of nail correction has been proven safe and effective for persons of all ages, with all nail types including children and people with diabetes. Pain, pressure and discomfort dissipates almost instantly and the correction effect is long-lasting.
Nail avulsions are minor surgical procedures performed in the clinic by a Registered Chiropodist. It is a long-term treatment option that involves removing part of or the entire nail plate and using a chemical to kill the cells from which the nail itself grows. This procedure will take some time to heal but can be an excellent option for chronically painful and infected ingrown toenails.
If you have been suffering from pain or recurrent infections due to an involuted or ingrown toenail, contact your local BioPed clinic today to book an assessment with one of our Registered Chiropodists or Footcare Nurses to start feeling relief once and for all!
