ingrown toenail | Las Vegas podiatrist

Las Vegas Footcare Provides Effective Treatment for Ingrown Toenails

Is your ingrown keeping you from doing what you want or need to do? If you need to be on your feet at work, maybe the pain is making you less productive? If you're an athlete, maybe you can't train like you used to? Maybe you've got an upcoming vacation planned to celebrate your retirement and are worried your ingrown toenail might ruin your fun? Whatever your concerns, Dr. Pardis Kelly at Las Vegas Footcare can help. 

What Is an Ingrown Toenail?

An ingrown toenail occurs when the nail’s edge grows into the surrounding soft skin, resulting in tenderness, redness, and swelling. The condition is susceptible to infection, especially in those with diabetes. At Las Vegas Footcare, Dr. Kelly provides comprehensive diabetic foot care, including ingrown toenail treatment. 

Symptoms of Ingrown Toenails?

Most often, ingrown toenails affect your big toe. Symptoms include:

  • Pain and Tenderness: This is often the first symptom and can occur along one or both sides of the toenail. You’ll feel slight pain and notice swelling in the flesh around the nail.
  • Redness: The skin adjacent to the ingrown toenail may appear red and inflamed.
  • Overgrowth of Skin: There might be an overgrowth of skin around the affected toe.
  • Hardening of the Skin: The skin around the ingrown toenail might become harder.
  • Pain When Pressure Is Applied: Wearing shoes or putting any pressure on the affected toe might exacerbate the pain.
  • Fluid Build-up: Without treatment, your toe’s pain may increase and start to ooze pus — signs of infection.

Causes of Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails have several potential causes:

  • Improper Trimming: Simple toenail trimming habits can be responsible for your ingrown toenail. If you trim your nails too short or round the corners, it’s more likely you’ll develop an ingrown toenail.
  • Tight Shoes and Socks: Wearing shoes with a narrow toe box, toenail injury, or naturally curved toenails also increases your risk for ingrown toenails.
  • Injury: Trauma to the toe, such as stubbing, can lead to an ingrown toenail. Repetitive activities or sports that put pressure on the toes can also contribute.
  • Genetic Predisposition: Some people have a natural tendency to develop ingrown toenails due to the shape of their toenails, which might be more curved or thickened.
  • Medical Conditions: There are certain medical conditions or treatments that can increase the likelihood of ingrown, such as cancer treatment.

Treating Ingrown Toenails

When creating your treatment plan, Dr. Kelly thoroughly evaluates your toenail and considers your health history. Mild ingrown toenails can improve with home care measures that include regular soaking in warm water, wearing roomy shoes, and taking over-the-counter pain medications for pain relief.

If you have an infection, Dr. Kelly may prescribe antibiotics. Dr. Kelly also offers the Onyfix® nail correction system that allows for completely painless treatment of almost all forms of ingrown toenails. The system is adapted to your toe shape and gently coaxes your nail back into its natural shape, so it no longer pushes into your skin. Onyfix gives you rapid pain relief, corrects naturally curved nails, and is particularly useful for those with diabetes.