Do you suffer from ingrown toe nails?

Ingrown toenails are one of the most common pathologies we treat at Sydney Foot Clinic. It commonly affects the big toe however we do see ingrown toenails on the smaller digits.

What causes an ingrown toenail?

• Improper cutting of nails
• Trauma – bumping, stubbing a toe
• Poor fitting footwear (tight shoes)
• Genetic predisposition – involuted/curved toe nails

Many clients believe that the ingrown toe nail will resolve itself, but this is not usually the case. Antibiotics can be used to help reduce the infection and inflammation at the region, however the offending nail will continue to cause pain until treated accordingly.

How is an ingrown toe nail treated?

During a standard consultation, the offending ingrown nail fragment will be removed. In conjunction with this consultation, additional advice is given regarding nails, address contributing biomechanical factors and footwear which avoids the ingrown toe nail coming back.

For some clients, a standard conservative care is not successful and a surgical approach is required. A minor nail procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and the offending ingrown nail is removed and the germination nail matrix burnt resulting in the nail ingrown toe nail not coming back.

 Details about an ingrown toe nail surgery

• Often referred to as a partial nail avulsion with phenolisation
• Performed under local anaesthetic and takes approximately 60 minutes
• The procedure and healing afterwards is relatively painless
• You will have a dressing on your operated toe
• Return in 3 to 5 days to a review (clean, redressing)
• Complete healing will take about 3 to 4 weeks (case depend)

Call our Moorebank office on (02) 96016886 to arrange an appointment to help you with your ingrown toenail.