"Help! I have an Ingrown Toenail!"

Basic Questions

What is an ingrown toenail? (contains graphic images)

Ingrown toenails can be caused by several different factors. These include:

Incorrect cutting of the nail
Wearing constrictive and inappropriate footwear such as high heels
Doing sports or physical activity in inappropriate footwear
Sometimes people are prone to developing ingrown toenails due to a structural issue of the toe (that may cause extra pressure) or problems with the structure of the nailbed

Do not try to remove it yourself! In most cases this makes it worse and can cause infection. Go to a podiatrist who has experience in treating this problem. Hillel Gluch has extensive experience successfully treating ingrown toenails. If there is pus, redness, swelling or malodor coming from the toe (signs of infection), then you need to dress the toe. This is done by first soaking the toe in lukewarm salt water (about 1 teaspoon salt per liter water) for about 10 minutes, cleaning with hydrogen peroxide, dressing with an antiseptic or antibacterial ointment and covering the toe with gauze. In more severe cases of infection oral antibiotics may be needed as well. The underlying problem of the ingrown toenail that is causing the infection has to be professionally removed as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment with Hillel Gluch to remove the ingrown toenail, call 02-624-9004.

If you have an ingrown toenail, the most important thing to know is DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE IT YOURSELF!

Treatment Options

Conservative Treatment

For the conservative treatment, Hillel will remove the small section of nail that is growing into the skin. In some cases this is all that is needed, especially when the case is more mild or it is the first time that the patient is suffering from an ingrown toenail. There is the option to use local anesthetic to numb the toe when the ingrown toenail is very deep and painful.

Permanent Treatment

The permanent treatment is highly recommended when the problem is more chronic, and the patient has suffered from recurrent ingrown toenails in the same toe. If the patient has had the conservative treatment done more than twice and the ingrown toenail keeps coming back, the permanent solution should be done. This procedure is done at the clinic under local anesthetic. Hillel Gluch will surgically remove a small section of the root of the nail that is causing the ingrown toenail to recur. In most cases it is only a tiny section of the nail that must be taken out and there is no need to remove the whole nail. Once the root is fully removed, the podiatrist will use an acid to burn out the area so that the root will not grow back in that corner of the nail. The patient will not feel anything during the procedure after the anesthesia sets in.