Ingrown Toenails

An ingrown toenail is a general term used to describe any pain that occurs around the nail area.

Ingrown toenails can happen for a number of reasons: a stubbed toe; a very curved nail that allows dirt to accumulate; a corn down the nail edge. The most typical cause is that the nail has been trimmed down the side and a spike of nail has been left behind which then grows into the flesh.
If these become infected they can be a painful short-term problem or a long-term recurring event, so professional toenail treatment is essential.

Treatment

At Waikato Podiatry we can help you with ingrown toenail problems. Once your podiatrist has carried out a thorough assessment, they will be able to recommend the best treatment option.
If it’s an acute short-term issue a conservative approach will be tried first. Typically, this could be trimming the problem nail section and shaping the nail correctly.
However, in some cases a surgical or more long-term treatment will be required. This can be due to the degree of the deformity, the extent of the infection, the amount of pain it is causing or the severity of the problem.
There are two types of surgical treatments and the most appropriate will be selected in discussion with you. The best long-term result usually requires a slightly more invasive procedure. The prospect of this can be offputting to some people but it’s a well-established procedure with a 95% success rate. We guarantee our results from this surgery.

The procedure itself is carried out under local anaesthetic so it is painless. No stitches are required. At the end of the procedure a chemical is applied to prevent regrowth of the nail. This chemical also helps minimise pain once the anaesthetic wears off.
You will usually be able to walk comfortably the following day. There will usually be 2-3 follow up appointments to change dressings and monitor healing progress.