Ingrown toenails

An Ingrown nail is when a piece of the nail curves into the skin.  This portion of the nail may or may not be painful and can sometimes lead to infection.  Most often, patients complain of pain, redness and swelling. In severe cases an infection may be present.  An ingrown nail that causes infection or inflammation is called a paronychia.  Many times, attempting to fix the problem yourself leads to more complications.

Causes:

• Trauma, or any damage to the nail or the nail bed can result in ingrown nails
• Shoes, especially narrow shoes that are too small and squeeze the nail into the skin
• Fungus causes changes in the shape of the nail and the nail bed, sometimes resulting in ingrown toenails
• Genetics
• Cutting the nails too short. Always avoid cutting the nails short and deep into the corner
• Women following childbirth are more prone to ingrown nails
• Pedicures

Treatment:
May be as simple as reducing the end of the ingrown nail. If the nail is deeply ingrown, surgical removal of the offending nail border and treatment of the nail root so that this situation does not recur is the usual treatment of choice.

Complications:
If you are someone who has diabetes, it’s extremely important to remain mindful of ingrown toenail prevention, as minor cuts or simple scrapes can lead to serious complications. You can prevent ingrown toenails by ensuring nails are trimmed properly, you are attending your diabetic foot evaluation appointments, wearing shoes that fit properly, and checking feet daily.