2 Foot Productions

Basic Foot Care for Nurses and Carers across Australia

Ingrown Toenails What are ingrown toenails? What causes ingrown toenails? Where will you find ingrown toenails? What happens if you don't attend to ingrown toenails? What can you do to help?

What are ingrown toenails?

An ingrown nail occurs when a small piece of nail penetrates the skin, leaving it open to infection, inflammation and pain.

What causes ingrown toenails?

There are a few common causes of ingrown toenails.

1. Poor toe nail cutting. If nails are cut too short or down the side, an ingrown toenail is a likely outcome.

2. Tight footwear. Tight shoes will put pressure on the nail, which will in turn dig into the surrounding skin.

3. Very curved nails. Some nails tend to curve right down into the side of the nail bed. These nails are very hard to cut properly. They are particularly prone to ingrowing.
   
   

4. Trauma. Kicking a toe or dropping something on it is another way to end up with an ingrown toenail.

Where will you find ingrown toenails?

It is most commonly the large toenails on the big toe that will become ingrown. However, any nail can become a problem.

What happens if you don’t attend to ingrown toenails?

Ingrown toenails commonly get infected. Infection in a foot that has poor circulation will often lead to ulceration and even gangrene. Without proper care an ingrown toenail will get very painful making it difficult to wear shoes and walk comfortably.

What can you do to help?

Always remember that prevention is the best medicine.

Only put well fitting shoes on.

Always cut nails straight across – for more information go to .However, once an ingrown toenail has developed the first step is to apply basic first aid. Make sure the area is kept clean and dry. Apply an antiseptic if appropriate.

Keep pressure off the area by wearing an open toed shoe and using a bed cradle at night.

Sometimes an ingrown toenail gets irritated by a neighboring toe. If this is the case you can keep the toes separated by a silicon wedge, or even a piece of cotton wool.

Keep a close eye on the toe – it is possible that these measures may help the problem resolve by itself.

If a nail is left to grow too long, it will hit against shoes and be irritated by the sheets in bed at night.

If a nail becomes painful because it has been left to grow too long it is usually going to be fine to trim the end of the nail off (if the patient will let you near it).

However, you should never cut down the side of a nail. If you feel this is needed – ask a podiatrist to do it.

If the problem is a recurring one, or is not resolving, continue with the steps just mentioned but also, the offending part of the nail will need to be removed. A podiatrist should do this.

Sometimes a single visit by the podiatrist will be enough. Sometimes a podiatrist will need to do a careful and thorough job of cutting the nail every six to eight weeks. Sometimes even this is not enough and permanent removal of the nail can be considered. A podiatrist will help you make these decisions.