What is an ingrown toenail?
It is a condition that appears when the edge of the nail digs into the soft flesh of the toe, causing redness, pain, inflammation and sometimes even infection.
This pathology mainly affects the big toe, although it can occur in any other toe.
There are two types of ingrown toenail: lateral and anterior.
Symptoms
- Redness around the nail.
- Swelling that can lead to infection of the toe.
- Pain and tenderness
Causes
There are several factors that can cause ingrown toenails. On the one hand, there are factors of congenital origin, i.e. those inherent to the person, and on the other hand, factors related to lifestyle and nail care.
The most frequent cause of ingrown toenails is poor nail trimming.
Factors associated with the person him/herself:
- Nail shape.
- Hammertoes or suffering from bunions.
- Toe shape.
- Type of tread.
- Excessive sweating.
Factors associated with lifestyle and nail care:
- Poor nail trimming.
- Inappropriate footwear: incorrect size or very narrow toe.
- Safety footwear: toe caps reinforced with rigid material (metal or similar) increase the risk of ingrown toenails.
Prevention
Although at the beginning it is not serious, if the symptoms of an ingrown toenail are not treated in time, the consequences can be so serious that they can end up in an operation.
One of the most effective methods of prevention is to learn how to cut your nails, as this is the most frequent cause of ingrown nails.
To do so, it is recommended to always cut them straight and never cut the angles of the edges of the nails.
It is also advisable to visit a podiatrist regularly and have a check-up to monitor the health of your feet.
And finally, we must not neglect our footwear. Using the right footwear and the right size can prevent not only this problem but also many others related to pathologies affecting the knees, hips and back.
What treatments are available?
There are two types of treatments:
- Conservative. It consists of making a cut on the edge of the nail and then apply a nail re-education. In other words, the nail must continue to grow in a direction that prevents it from digging into the flesh around the finger.
- Surgical. An outpatient surgery is performed to operate the ingrown toenail when granuloma is present or the previous technique is not effective. There are several techniques but one of the most effective is the chemical matricectomy. Through this procedure, the side or sides of the nail are cut, narrowing it as necessary to prevent it from continuing to grow and becoming ingrown again.
Which specialist treats it?
The podiatrist will be the specialist in charge of treating the ingrown toenail, since he/she is the person qualified to diagnose, prevent and treat foot pathologies.