Adelaide Podiatrist
ingrown toenails
Ingrown Toenail
Rapid Pain Relief
When you are suffering from an ingrown toenail the pain can be debilitating which is why all of our podiatry clinics offer instant treatment for ingrown toenails. Our podiatrists have all the experience and equipment to rapidly diagnose and treat your ingrown toenail to instantly relieve pain and irritation.
What is an Ingrown Toenail?
Ingrown toenails happen to people of all ages and occur when the toenail starts to grow into the flesh or tissues that surround the nail. Ingrown toenails are often found on the big toe but can occur on any toenail.
If you think you may have an ingrown toenail it’s best to get it looked at by a podiatrist as soon as possible. If caught in the early stages, treating an ingrown toenail is quick and painless. If left untreated the nail can penetrate the skin which can lead to infections that may require surgical treatment.
What Causes Ingrown Toenails?
Ingrown toenails can be caused by several factors:
Foot Trauma
Stubbing your toe, having a heavy object fall onto your toes or injuring your feet can result in trauma to the nail bed causing the toenail to grow abnormally.
Poorly Fitting Footwear
Poorly fitting footwear can cause ingrown toenails. Shoes, football boots or running shoes that are too tight or too small can cause friction, rubbing and trauma to the toes leading to ingrown toenails.
Poor Nail Cutting Technique
There is a right and a wrong way to cut your toenails. Poor nail cutting technique can leave nail spikes which create sharp jagged edges which can grow into the skin. Toenails should always be cut in a fairly straight line across the toe, never cut the nails too short and avoid rounding the edges.
Ingrown Toenail – Genetic Factors
Genetics also play a factor in ingrown toenails. People who have nails that tend to curl inwards are more likely to have problems with ingrown toenails.
Symptoms of Ingrowing Toenails
Ingrown toenails often cause redness and swelling in the toes accompanied by a dull throbbing pain. Early intervention is always preferable to prevent the condition from worsening. Your ACP podiatrist can offer immediate treatment and professional help and advice on how to prevent the condition from reoccurring.
Ingrown Toenail Treatment Adelaide
Most ingrown toenails, if caught early, can be quickly and painlessly treated in just a single visit at one of our three Adelaide podiatry clinics. Treatment is painless and involves gently removing any nail spikes. As soon as the nail is cut the pressure and pain is instantly relieved. The edges of the nail are then smoothed back to ensure the nail grows back into its correct position.
Toenail Surgery
Where the ingrown toenail is more advanced our experienced podiatrists may need to remove all or part of the nail. ACP podiatrists are experienced in toenail surgery and can conduct a nail avulsion (complete removal of the toenail) or partial toenail removal directly at our clinics.
Partial Toenail Removal
Toenail surgery is non-invasive and takes less than an hour to complete. Only the problematic portion of the toenail will be removed, and this treatment will prevent the toenail from regrowing. The toe will be thoroughly cleaned and sterilised before being numbed using a local anaesthetic. During the procedure, a small section of the toenail is removed from the tip down to the root. The affected area is then treated with a special preparation that kills the nail bed preventing that portion of the nail from growing back again.
Making Feet Comfortable Again
Our friendly podiatrists will discuss all treatment options with you and answer any questions you may have to put your mind at ease before we start treatment.