Spring is around the corner and it's time to show off those feet. Don't get caught with the fashion faux pas of unsightly ingrown toenails!

Almost everyone, at one time or another in their life, has suffered from an ingrown toenail. Often, this first occurs during adolescence, but can occur at any age. The toenail curves into the skin, causing redness, irritation and pain. Most kids don't complain until their toe is swollen, red, and infected! Some older kids (yes, I mean you!) hide the same thing from their spouses. Don't delay ingrown toenail treatment. You don't have to live with the pain. There are answers, and they are simple when the toenail is first aggravated, and become more complex the nastier the infection. In diabetics and those patients with poor circulation, an ingrown toenail can lead to a toe or foot amputation. Seek treatment when it is only a minor annoyance!
 
What causes ingrown toenails? Toenails can be deformed due to hereditary reasons. They also can be from trauma, shoe pressure and improperly cut toenails (usually too short). Fungus in your toenails can also cause ingrown toenails.

 
Treatment for ingrown toenails can be as easy as reducing the pressure on the skin by trimming the toenail (with sterile instruments, not in your bathroom!) and then encouraging the skin away from the toenail as it grows. The old tale of cutting a notch in the toenail rarely works. You can try treatment at home after soaking your toe in warm water and gently massaging the skin away from the nail. If this doesn't work, call the office and make an appointment. Don't wait until you can't put your shoe on because it's too painful!
 
Minor surgical solutions are commonly needed because most people will delay care until the toe is significantly infected. A decompression of the infection, with removal of the nail spicule, is usually needed; and then followed by partial sterilization of the offending portion of the nail root utilizing a chemical, laser, or other technique. This is performed under local anesthesia with the assistance of the new vibrational anesthesia device which takes the sting out of injections. Local wound care is needed to help heal the area after your procedure is performed. 
 
Even in the worst cases of ingrown toenails, most people are back to activity in just a few hours or days depending on pain and the extent of the infection. Rarely, the infection is so severe that oral antibiotics, hospitalization, and even IV antibiotics are needed to avoid toe amputation when an infected toe is neglected.
 
Bottom line: Seek medical attention early in the case of ingrown toenails. Repeated nail trimming in your bathroom can lead to significant deformity and infection of the nail. Call or contact the office at (858) 454-6644 for an appointment. Don't mess around with ingrown toenails!