Say Goodbye to Painful Ingrown Toenails Before Sandal Season Starts

The tips of your toes are packed with sensitive soft tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. That’s why you have toenails – they serve as armor for your toes. 

Sometimes things can go awry, however. Toenails, which normally grow straight, can curve downward and grow into the skin surrounding the nail, causing pain, swelling, and redness. 

You can sometimes manage mild cases of ingrown toenails at home. But if the problem keeps coming back, signs worsen, or you have a condition like diabetes or peripheral artery disease, it’s best to schedule a visit with a podiatrist.

At Alpine Foot and Ankle, in Alpine Wyoming, and Idaho Falls, Idaho, Andrew McCall, DPM, FACFAS, routinely treats ingrown toenails, and our team can help you find lasting relief before sandal season is in full swing. Treatment is a quick and straight forward in-office procedure.

What causes an ingrown toenail?

An ingrown toenail develops when the edge of the nail grows into the surrounding skin instead of growing straight outward. The condition most commonly affects the big toe, but it can happen on any toenail.

Several factors can increase your risk, including:

• Cutting toenails too short
• Rounding the corners of the nail when trimming
• Tight shoes that crowd the toes
• Repetitive pressure from sports or hiking
• Injury to the toenail
• Naturally curved or thick nails

Once the nail pierces the skin, irritation and inflammation follows. Bacteria is a source of concern because it can enter the pierced area and cause infection.

Signs your ingrown toenail needs professional treatment

Many people try to manage ingrown toenails at home. Unfortunately, repeated digging and improper trimming tends to worsen the problem.

Seek treatment if you notice:

• Redness or swelling around the nail
• Pain when walking or wearing shoes
• Drainage or pus
• Skin growing over the nail edge
• Recurring ingrown toenails
• Increasing tenderness or throbbing

For patients with diabetes or circulation problems, even a minor toenail infection poses a health risk. Early treatment is especially important in these cases.

Why it’s best to avoid DIY treatment

Soaking your foot may temporarily reduce tenderness, but it doesn’t treat the underlying issue. If the nail continues growing into the skin, inflammation usually returns.

Trying to cut the nail yourself can create additional trauma or push the nail deeper into the skin. Many patients arrive at Alpine Foot and Ankle after repeated cycles of temporary relief followed by worsening pain.

Professional treatment focuses on correcting the problem safely while helping prevent future recurrence.

What treatment looks like

At Alpine Foot and Ankle, our in-office ingrown toenail treatment prioritizes immediate pain relief. After numbing the toe, Dr. McCall carefully removes the narrow strip of nail digging into your skin and clears out any infection.

Most patients experience noticeable relief almost immediately once the pressure from the nail is gone. To prevent the issue from returning, Dr. McCall may apply a chemical to safely destroy that specific part of the nail root.

Recovery is generally straightforward. Mild soreness and drainage may occur for a few days, but most patients leave the office pain-free and return to normal activity quickly with proper aftercare.

Quick and effective ingrown toenail treatment

There’s no need to avoid sandals, limit summer activities, or deal with persistent pain from an ingrown toenail. A quick visit to a foot and ankle specialist can have you in and out of the office pain-free and back to your regular routine in no time. 

If nagging toenail pain is slowing you down, contact Alpine Foot and Ankle to schedule an appointment today at the location near you and step into warmer weather comfortably.