INGROWN TOENAIL

An ingrown toenail is one with an edge that pushes into the skin and the soft tissue on the side of the nail. The obvious effect of this growth is trouble as it can make the skin fold at the side and become another and inflamed. Initially, it hunts less and often unlikely to be infected. You should, however, not cut it. An alternative would be to avail the foot in warm water with sea salt. After washing your hands thoroughly with anti bacterial soap, use a nail file to file the part of the nail that is digging into the skin. You may gently pull back on the skin to expose the nail. You can repeat the soaking procedure for some days to alleviate the pain.

Causes and Symptoms

Symptoms may aggravate when you are wear a shoe putting pressure on the toenail. The nail on the big toe is prone to becoming ingrown more than other toenails. The main and common symptom is pain in the affected area. The surrounding skin may appear deep pink in color and release a discharge. It might also appear raw with a red moist lump along the nail edge. One of the main causes of ingrown nails is improper cutting. However, injury and nail infection are other causes of ingrown toenail that may necessitate toenail removal. A toe nail may also be removed if not growing properly.

Ingrown Toenail Removal

The reasons for toenail removal include relief from pain, removal of deformed nails, correction of abnormal nail growth and to relieve inflammation. Toenails also exhibit genetic inheritance. Wearing ill-fitting shoes or injury to the nail bed will require toenail removal as a corrective measure. The procedure for toenail removal is simple. During an operation, you lie on the operating table focal anesthetic will be injected into your toe. This may be rather uncomfortable but the pain wears off your toe is then sterilized with antiseptic and sterile towels tied around it. A tight band is clipped around your toe to avoid bleeding. The operation involves cutting out a sliver of the nail and the nail bed on each side where the skin is tender and swollen. The skin fold then settles down for a thick curved nail, the whole nail and its bed are cut out such that instead of a nail, only skin remains.

The operation lasts for about 15 minutes for each toe. A light dressing is applied on the wound to prevent any bleeding. Most patients report no pain when anesthesia is given. However, due to tight skin and numerous nerve endings in the toe, pain and discomfort may be experienced. Careful administration of anesthesia by your doctor will minimize the discomfort. Spraying the toe with topical anesthetic before injection may help. Recovery is fast and you can be back to any work in three weeks. You may need painkillers such as paracetamol after an hour after operation to control the pain. The dressing on the wound should be left untouched for one week. Shoes with large toe area to accommodate the bandages will be needed. If there are stitches in the skin, wash the area around the dressing to avoid wetting it. Check up can be arranged with your hospital.

Prevention

Ingrown toenails sometimes correct themselves as they grow out. You can however prevent ingrown toenails from forming by wearing shoes with large enough space so that they don’t push your toes together. Ensure your toe nails are cut straight across so that the corner of the nail is visible. If you curve the nail while trimming, skin might grow to cover the space where the nail normally covers. For the diabetic, exercise a lot of caution when cutting your nails as well as manage your foot health properly. If ingrown toenail persists, your doctor may use phenol on your cuticle to prevent it from producing new nail. Your nail will be narrower than before as a result of phenol application.