Podiatrist Ingrown Toenail Removal [We FIX & Deal with Ingrown Toenails]

What are the common causes of ingrown toenails?

• If you injure your toenail
• If you wear tight, pointed shoes that crowd your toenails
• If you have unusually curved toenails
• If you cut your toenails very short and not straight across
• Engaging in activities where repeated pressure is put on toes for long periods such as ballet, soccer, football, kickboxing

What are the symptoms of an ingrown toenail?

• You may develop pain and tenderness along the sides of the toenail
• Redness around the toenail
• Swelling in the surrounding tissue (edema due to inflammation and fluid buildup)
• Signs of infection – oozing of pus, you may feel hot and shiver

Ingrown Toenail, Dermatologist or Podiatrist?

Although many doctors, including Dermatologists and family physicians, can treat an ingrown toenail, Podiatrists are the best qualified medical professionals to treat this condition. As they are foot and ankle specialty doctors, they will offer you complete foot care.

When to see a podiatrist for ingrown toenails?

You may have tried several home remedies, but the condition may not subside or may worsen with time. Then it is time to seek help. If your pain is severe and uncomfortable and the swelling and redness spread, seek help from a podiatrist. You may see pus around the toenail, which points towards infection in the surrounding tissue. You might get a fever with chills because of the ongoing infection. If you have diabetes or have problems with blood circulation, you are at a greater risk of developing complications.

Ingrown toenails can cause complications such as;

• Bone Infection – If the infection is not treated, the underlying bone can get infected too. This is especially seen in patients with diabetes because of poor blood flow and loss of sensation.
• Gangrene – If left untreated, tissue death (gangrene) can occur, resulting in amputation and loss of a toe.

Therefore, you have to take an ingrown toenail seriously. Seek help from your podiatrist early, especially if you have diabetes or any other condition which leads to poor blood flow in your feet.

How will your podiatrist deal with ingrown toenails?

Your podiatrist can diagnose an ingrown toenail clinically based on your history and symptoms. They will do a complete physical examination of your toenail and the surrounding tissue. Sometimes blood investigations such as FBC and CRP will be ordered to determine the severity of infection.

An X-Ray will be helpful to see how deep your nail has grown into the skin, especially if there is an infection. It will also reveal whether your ingrown toenail was caused by injury. The X-Ray will show if the ingrown toenail is infected and complicated with infection passing to your underlying bone.

How do Podiatrists treat ingrown toenails?

Depending on the severity, treatment options may vary.

1. By lifting your toenail

If your toenail is only slightly ingrown, your podiatrist will carefully lift the edge of the ingrowing toenail and place cotton, a splint, or dental floss under it. Nail lifting is done when there is pain and redness but no pus and other features of infection. This will separate your toenail from the overlying skin while helping it to grow above the skin edge. You will be taught to replace the material daily after soaking your toes.

2. Partial removal of the toenail (Partial nail avulsion)

If the ingrown toenail is more severe with pain, redness, and pus, your podiatrist will trim and remove the ingrown portion of your toenail. They will temporarily numb your toe by injecting an anesthetic so that this procedure is pain-free.

3. Removal of the nail along with surrounding tissue

If you have repeated problems with your toenail, your podiatrist will remove a part of the nail, along with some underlying tissue of your nail bed. That part of the nail will not grow back following this procedure. A local anesthetic will be injected to relieve pain during the procedure.

Complete nail plate avulsion means removal of the whole ingrown toenail. It may take 3 -4 months for the nail to regrow after complete removal.

Following surgery, your toe will be bandaged. You need to keep your foot raised, rest at home for 1- 2 days, and wear special footwear to heal your toe properly. Once the bandage is removed, wear open shoes and daily soak your feet in warm saltwater.

Apart from the surgical options, a podiatrist will use LASER, chemicals, or other methods to treat ingrown toenails.

• Treatment of infection – Infection will be treated with topical antibiotics or even oral antibiotics, depending on the severity of the infection.

• Pain relief – medications will be prescribed by your podiatrist to ease your pain, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen (Advil), or Naproxen (Aleve)

Podiatrist tools for Ingrown toenails:

Toenail removal sets are comprising of all necessary tools to perform a toenail surgery. These tools are specially made of surgical-grade stainless steel to be used by professionals. This kit is called ‘Toenail Surgery pack,’ and it contains;

• Scalpel Handle #3
• Elevator
• Curette Excavator 1.5/2.0mm with Holes
• Micro-Blade Scalpel Handle
• Adson Forceps 12cm
• Mosquito Forceps 12.5cm Straight
• Mosquito Forceps 12.5cm Curved
• Cuticle Nipper Double Spring Back Lock
• Adson Brown Forceps 12cm 7:8
• Nail Splitter 12.5cm English Anvil
• Platypus Nail Pulling Forceps 14cm Standard
• Platypus Nail Pulling Forceps 14cm Narrow
• Lister Bandage Scissors 17cm
• Iris Scissors 11cm TC Curved

These products are reusable and can be sterilized.

Here are some tools considered must-have items to perform an ingrown toenail removal surgery by podiatrists.

• Nail Clippers Set – 2 Pack Stainless Steel.
• Podiatrist Toenail Clippers, Professional Thick & Ingrown Toe Nail Clippers.
• Nail and Cuticle Oil.
• 8Pcs/set Ingrown Toenail Tools Kit.
• Ingrown Toenail File and Lifters.

Podiatrist ingrown toenail cost:

Ingrown toenail treatment is typically covered by health insurance. For those without health insurance, ingrown toenail treatment with a podiatrist can be approximately $100 to $200 to take care of your ingrown toenail pain.

How can a Podiatrist fix an ingrown toenail?

After complete care of your ingrown toenail, your podiatrist will give you advice on the prevention of further recurrences;

• How to trim your nails straight across and not too short.
• Regarding lifestyle changes and home remedies – such as soaking your feet in warm water, pain relief, etc.
• Advice regarding shoes – how to select shoes that fit well and not crowd your toes.
• How to check your feet for early signs of ingrown toenails or any other foot problems.

If you cannot do this on your own, your podiatrist is always there to help when it comes to ingrown toenails or any other foot problem, from trimming your nails to complete foot care.