Ingrown toe nails

Ingrown nails or unguis incarnatus is widespread and a frequent condition no matter the age. The condition arises when the nail starts to grow into the surrounding skin and occurs most frequently on the big toe. This is because the big toe carries the most weight and plays a key role in the stability of our every step. The condition can occur on both the left or right foot usually on the inner edge of the nail.

The most frequent factors are cutting the nails incorrectly and improper footwear. We frequently find the following contributing factors:

• Nail trauma
• Genetic
• Diabetes
• People who sweat more than usual
• Obesity
• Arthritis and skeletal deformation

Ingrown toe nails affect our quality of life due to the sharp pain they cause. Walking is affected and if not treated correctly can lead to a variety of complications. The surrounding area of the nail can become infected, red, hot, swollen and painful.

In our experience most people wait for too long to seek help maybe because they are afraid to visit the doctor and the following procedure to have the nail removed. An alternative is to visit the pedicurist who is qualified to treat the condition. At the first sign of infection, it is much easier to let professionals treat this condition.

Both men and women suffer from the condition just as age is not a factor. We have treated a two months old baby (to prove not always connected with walking or predisposition). This painful condition affects every generation. People with excessive sweating (teenagers) have a tendency for this condition. Older people are also at high risk due to thickening nails caused as part of the aging process.

One of the most frequent causes of ingrown toe nails is cutting the toe nails too short. We notice that people cut their toe nails very short (down to the nailbed) and round the edges. The next most frequent cause is wearing improper footwear (too tight or narrow) as well socks which are too small. There are many other causes, for instance:

• nail infection (fungus infection)
• sports activities (football, basketball, running, hiking, ballet, etc.)
• medication
• various illnesses
• genetic
• obesity
• diabetes which can lead to poor circulation

The nail itself has no nerves but we feel pain when the nail irritates/damages the surrounding soft skin. The skin contains nerves in lower layers so when the nail presses down on these we can feel a throbbing pain. This is the skins warning mechanism as it becomes worse with walking and pressure. The soft tissue becomes swollen, red and hot together with pain and inflammation.

Of course, good hygiene is essential to prevent ingrown toe nails. This includes washing feet with neutral soap and warm water. It is also important to dry them carefully especially in between the toes. Changing socks daily plays an important part in this.

The web is full of cures and definitely soaking our feet in salt water, drying carefully, spraying with an antiseptic and applying a special foot cream will help. However, we need to realise that the condition is caused by the nail irritating the surrounding skin and as long as this continues, we will not solve the problem.

This is entirely up to you and I can tell you about some of our patients who have done both. If you decide to visit the doctor, depending on the severity of the problem, they might prescribe an antibiotic cream. If the doctor decides this is a serious condition, they will refer you to a specialist for surgery. If you decide to visit a pedicurist, I advise you to be careful as not all are certified and qualified to treat this condition and offer purely cosmetic treatments. Depending on the seriousness of the condition the pedicurist can treat this in several ways. This could be simply trimming the rough edges of the nail, inserting a buffer under the nail edge or alternatively in more serious cases a more permanent solution inserting a nail brace.

This is purely your decision. 98% of the time our clinic is able to solve the problem of ingrown toe nails. Patients also come to us following surgery when the condition repeats itself. I recommend you visit our salon before deciding on surgery and we will offer a free consultation and then advise on how best to proceed.

A visit to a pedicurist is an alternative to surgery and in most cases the treatment is completely painless and provides quick relief.

There are several nail braces available and after a free consultation we will recommend the most suitable for your condition. A pedicurist can also solve the problem without a nail brace simply by treating the condition and inserting a buffer.

A medical nail brace is made out of medical steel, straightens the nail as it grows and is made to fit each nail individually. It works in the same way as a tooth brace and with the help of a wire clip corrects the form of the nail. Customers feel immediate relief as the pressure on the surrounding skin is alleviated. A local anaesthetic is not required for this treatment and is the most effective alternative to surgery. It does not hinder daily activities or sports.

Everyone with nail problems can feel the benefits of a 3TO nail brace as it is also effective in correcting curved nails due to injury or deformation. Children can also be fitted with a nail brace and it is also suitable for diabetics who are allergic to nickel.