The condition called ‘ingrown toe nail’ is evidenced by one or both top corners of the toe nail appearing to grow into the skin. Once the skin is pierced by the nail, inflammation is evident with the affected area becoming red, swollen and sore. Although it is most common for the big toes to become ‘ingrown’, other toes can also be affected.

Ingrown toe nails have many possible causes. These include:

• Poorly fitting shoes which are tight not allowing the nail to grow normally
• Improper cutting of the nail, especially cutting down the sides of the nail
• Corns, calluses or dry skin on the sides of the nail.

Prevention and early intervention can prevent worsening of the condition. There are various nasty complications that can develop if ingrown toe nails are left untreated.

There is no need to suffer the pain of an ingrown nail. Your podiatrist can clear the nail sulcus and train the nail to grow correctly again. The Podiatry Room also offers an extremely successful surgery called Nail Wedge Resection that permanently stops ingrown nails.