When an Ingrown Toenail Requires Help from Your Podiatrist

If your toe throbs and hurts when you walk or run, you may have an ingrown toenail, a common condition that results when a part of your toenail cuts into the corner of the skin around your toes.

Often, soaking the affected toe and trimming toenails correctly will help get rid of and prevent ingrown toenails. But sometimes, ingrown toenails are so painful and stubborn that you need the help of a podiatrist, like the professionals at The Foot and Ankle Specialists, with offices in Lapeer, Caro, and Bay City, Michigan.

What causes ingrown toenails?

Many factors cause or contribute to an ingrown toenail, which usually affects your big toe:

• You bumped your toe
• Your wear shoes that are too tight
• You’re genetically predisposed to ingrown toenails
• You cut your toenails too short or at an angle
• You put a lot of pressure on your toes
• You’re overweight
• You don’t clean and dry your feet properly

Here are home remedies for ingrown toenails

Luckily, an ingrown toenail usually isn’t a serious or urgent problem. But ingrown toenails can be painful and should initially be treated with these home remedies.

• Applying antibiotic ointment
• Taking pain medications like Advil® or Aleve®
• Wearing a toe protector in your shoes
• Soaking in Epsom salts
• Wearing loose shoes

Here’s when you should see a podiatrist for an ingrown toenail

When an ingrown toenail causes significant problems, you should seek professional help: 

When your toes become infected

If your toe feels warm, displays red streaks, or oozes pus, you should seek immediate help to prevent an infection from spreading to your soft tissues or bones.  

When your pain persists

If pain from an ingrown toenail slows you down, keeps you up at night, or prevents you from doing and enjoying everyday activities, you should get professional help.

If you have diabetes

If you have diabetes, you must take extra precautions to care for your feet. Foot problems that stem from sores, calluses, ingrown toenails, and corns are primary reasons that diabetics seek care at a hospital. 

If you have a vascular disease

A relatively small problem like an ingrown toenail can become a big deal if vascular disease causes blood flow problems and nerve damage. Nerve damage often prevents you from discerning the extent of a problem until the situation is advanced. 

How to treat an ingrown toenail

Our skilled professionals treat your ingrown toenails by gently lifting and removing the piece of your nail that causes the problem. We use a local anesthetic to make sure you’re comfortable during the quick procedure.

In some cases, we may suggest lifting and splinting the nail instead of removing it. This trains it to grow away from the skin and prevents future problems.

For fast relief from your ingrown toenail, call The Foot and Ankle Specialists at 810-969-4016 (Lapeer), 989-673-3338  (Caro), or 989-667-3668 (Bay City); or use our online scheduling tool.

Author

Dr. Aoun, DPM Joe Aoun, DPM, is a Podiatrist and Foot and Ankle Surgeon at Legacy Foot & Ankle, with locations in Lapeer, Caro, Rochester Hills, and Bay City, Michigan. Dr. Aoun prides himself on providing comprehensive medical and surgical treatment for a wide array of foot and ankle conditions that affect all ages. He has experience in both common and complex disorders and injuries and has a specialty in foot and ankle surgery. Dr. Aoun graduated with honors from Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine in Miami, Florida, in 2011. He has been practicing podiatry for over nine years and has attained a diverse set of experiences in podiatric surgery. Dr. Aoun holds affiliations with various hospitals in the greater Michigan area, including McLaren Caro Region, McLaren Lapeer Region, and Ascension St. Mary's. He is the founder of Legacy Foot & Ankle.