What is an ingrown toenail?
Ingrown toenails are painful conditions that occur when your toenail grows into the surrounding skin. Any of your toes can have an ingrown toenail, but they’re most common in the big toe.
Fungal infections are a common reason ingrown toenails develop because they create changes to your nail, like thickening and shape distortion. Additional causes of ingrown toenails include:
- Sustaining trauma to your toe
- Wearing shoes that are too tight
- Trimming your toenail incorrectly
- Having a nail too large for your toe
The easiest way to avoid getting ingrown toenails is by wearing shoes with plenty of toe space, trimming your nails straight across instead of tapered at the corners and treating existing nail fungus infections.
What are the symptoms of an ingrown toenail?
The most common symptom of an ingrown toenail is the pain. You might also see redness, swelling, or signs of infection along the side or corner of your nail where it’s growing into your skin.
In some cases, you can treat an ingrown toenail at home by:
- Wearing roomy shoes or sandals
- Soaking your foot in warm water several times a day
- Gently lifting and elevating the embedded toenail edge
When your ingrown toenail symptoms don’t subside, Dr. Maislos offers laser therapy at ZapNails.
How do you treat an ingrown toenail?
To identify the best course of treatment for your ingrown toenail, Dr. Maislos performs a physical exam of your foot. This evaluation enables him to identify potential causes, like nail fungus, and outline a personalized strategy for therapy.
Depending on the severity of your embedded toenail, Dr. Maislos might recommend partially removing part of the nail or by removing the nail and surrounding tissue. If you are experiencing a recurring ingrown toenail, he may also suggest removing it at the root. Dr. Maislos performs these ingrown toenail treatments surgically or with a laser.
If nail fungus is present, laser treatment is also required. Dr. Maislos uses the PinPointe™ FootLaser®, a cutting-edge system that eliminates fungal infections. This FDA-cleared treatment is painless, takes approximately 30 minutes, and provides immediate results.
Vino Med Spa nail technicians are trained in podiatric medicine and will recommend you to a podiatrist if needed.
Call Vino Med Spa or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about ingrown toenails and nail fungus treatments.
