In-Grown Toe Nail

[Nightfall]

I hope that my experience will help you.

I had an ingrown toenail for about a month. I tried various things to fix the problem just like you did. I tried special bandaids that will repair this problem by spreading the skin and allowing the nail to grow back into the trench. Those didn't work worth a crap. I used epsom salt and soaked it daily. That didn't fix the problem either.

The best thing you can do is just go into a podiatrist.

That is where I went after dealing with this thing for a month and it was something I should have done first. I walked in there, filled out the paperwork, and saw the podiatrist. He said, "Yup, ingrown toenail. Lets take care of it." He injected my big toe with some kind of numbing agent and then asked if I wanted to have a privacy shield put up. I denied it at first, until he took a scapel to my toe and then I asked for it. I guess it was something I should have asked for in the first place.

Whole operation took 10 minutes. I filled a prescription of antibiotics and painkillers and laid down for a day. By the next day, my foot was a TON better.

My best advice I can give is just go to a podiatrist and get it taken care of!

 

[mobobuff]

The whole operation took about 30 minutes, 10 of which was waiting for the anesthetic reach maximum numbification. You can't put your shoe back on, but they'll probably give you a medical bootie. Like a large blue sock with padding on the bottom. You'll wear bandages for 3 or 4 days, after the first day you can probably manage to fit a loose shoe on. After a week you're good to go bandageless, and they'll tell you that if it keeps bleeding or oozing to come back in for a check-up.

The oozing of an ingrown toenail always sucked, I remember coming home after school with a big ugly spot of ooze-blood on the end of my sock and it dried and stuck to the toe. Pulling it away was always painful.

Operation = good

 

[jagec]

pics!

I've never gotten a really bad ingrown, so I've always been able to fix it myself. If I got them more often I might think about getting a doctor to look at it...but it's just not worth it for me.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: supafly
Do *not* go to just any doctor, make sure you go to a podiatrist. They specialize in that sort of thing and can take care of it much better than your family doctor could. I've had it done to both sides of both of my big toes. It sucked at the time, but it's a whole lot better now!

It's quite a simple operation.. stick a needle in your toe to numb it up, cuts the nail down really deep on both sides, cleans it up, then dresses it up and you're done.

well said.

i had one once on my right big toe. my doctor literally caused me more pain than i'd ever felt in my life AND it grew back in a month.

i went to my podiatrist and he was done before i knew he started, including killing the root. no pain, and no pain afterwards. he was able to just kill it on just that side, so i still have a nail, it's just a little slimmer.

i'm starting to get one on my left big toe now, though. GRR.

 

[OrganizedChaos]

i've had them, took care of it myself with a pair of dykes and a bottle of peroxide

 

[oogabooga]

I try to take care of them myself with knife dealy's epson salt etc, but at one point i gave up and went to my doctor who refered me to a good podiatrist. Whole ordeal took like 40 minutes (20 of which waiting for the doctor, 5 to get shot up, 5 to remove, 10 to get the bandages on and paperwork done). It was relatively painless though it gets uncomfortagble when they are shooting you up and the problem didn't really come back forawhile. Once it did, he burned off the nevrves i guess with acid, and haven't had a problem in over 3 years. I'd recommend going to a podiatrist, he did some fine work.

 

[melly]

I had to go to a footcare clinic and have surgery. Both big toenails were ingrown, so I got 8 needles in one toe, 16 in the other (big toes extremely hard to freeze). The chiropodist cut down the sides. For a month daily, I had to soak them in epsom salts, apply polysporin, and cover with bandaids. It took me six weeks to be able to walk properly again. Pain free even though nails look slightly distorted, but that's ok. Better than the pain of ingrowns. BTW, each toe cost $200 to get done.

 

[Fritzo]

:camera:?

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I used to get it all the time. The doc finally burnt out the root with acid. fun times!

Yup, buh bye ingrown and painful toes. After he cut the nail out, doused it with acid and it was a festering mess...it still felt better than when I would stub it on something and nearly go down to the floor in pain.

 

[watek]

How does soaking foot in warm water help? I've had minor ingrown but it seems like it's getting worse. Is there a way so the nail grows straight instead of growing into the skin? I never really cared about it until now and the more I look at it, the more I worry about it .

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: watek
How does soaking foot in warm water help? I've had minor ingrown but it seems like it's getting worse. Is there a way so the nail grows straight instead of growing into the skin? I never really cared about it until now and the more I look at it, the more I worry about it .

It depends on where it's snagging the skin. If it's far enough toward the tip then you can let it grow and it'll be find. Most of us, on the other hand, have it toward the rear. Mine was about 1/16" away from the beginning part of the nail... major ouch to cut it out regularly.

I'd suggest that if it's red, pussing, or painful that you see a podiatrist ASP. All it takes is a tiny bit of damage and the nail matrix will create one mother of an in-grown toe nail.

 

[mobobuff]

Soaking it in warm water softens the nail, makes it less brittle. Works well before doing it yourself because it's easier to pry up and cut.

 

i had the surgery 3 times (cut down the middle, remove the half with infection)
the needles hurt like a mofo
and the cutting hurts like a mofo
picking fuzzies out of the raw flesh for the next month hurts like a mofo

i now keep my toenails really long so there is no chance of infection
people cringe when they see my feet...but dammit, ingrowns suck

 

[watek]

Originally posted by: jntdesign
i had the surgery 3 times (cut down the middle, remove the half with infection)
the needles hurt like a mofo
and the cutting hurts like a mofo
picking fuzzies out of the raw flesh for the next month hurts like a mofo

i now keep my toenails really long so there is no chance of infection
people cringe when they see my feet...but dammit, ingrowns suck

WHAT THE HELL!!! I hope mine doesn't get that far. Mine curves at the end and if the nail gets longer it will start digging through the skin. What's with this ingrown crap@#! This ingrown just ruined my day because I know it's going to get worse! AHHHH

 

[SZLiao214]

Pic or Ban!! err maybe not this time hehe.

 

[aircooled]

Originally posted by: jntdesign
i had the surgery 3 times (cut down the middle, remove the half with infection)
the needles hurt like a mofo
and the cutting hurts like a mofo
picking fuzzies out of the raw flesh for the next month hurts like a mofo

i now keep my toenails really long so there is no chance of infection
people cringe when they see my feet...but dammit, ingrowns suck

Exactly. Growing them long does work (at least for me). Mine are not hideous, just a bit longer. I even occasional cut them short again, but growing them long between trimming has worked for me and saved me from having the surgical procedure.

 

[Eli]

That sucks. I've never had one.

Hope I never do.. lol

 

[earthling30]

Originally posted by: mobobuff
..........Operation = good

Agreed, I use to have them all the time on both large toes on both sides of both. I know, ouch! Then I went to podiatrist and finally had them removed permanently. A little bit of shot pain is so much better than taking care of it for the rest of your life.

Originally posted by: apac
In answer to your other question, I'm pretty sure they are genetic. All it takes is for it to cut in at one point and it hurts like a bastard.

I'm begining to think that also, my dad had the same problem.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: Eli
That sucks. I've never had one.

Hope I never do.. lol

u don't even have floaters in your eye..

you're really wierd...

 

[SWScorch]

Ingrown toenails suck. I've had both of my big toes lanced, and I still get them from time to time. I just dig them out with a jeweler's screwdriver and some nailclippers and cut them off, and when they get too bad go to the doc. Actually, last time I went to the doctor (a new one), he said "it's not ingrown. go away." It still hurt, blood seeped under the toenail and turned black, so I went to the trainer at school, and she took care of it. Then a few months later my toenail fell off But alas, now it's back and same as ever

 

[Encryptic]

I get them all the time. A little digging with a pair of tweezers and the big blade on my pocketknife usually gets rid of them for a while.

 

[Slickone]

Long nails can cause ingrowing also, if its long enough that your shoes are pressing down on it. So make sure your shoes are long!
The main thing is not cutting the top corner too short. I've been able to cure mine with the Dr. Scholls stuff, put some on cotton and stuff underneath nail corner. Also my ex used to cut the corners out, all down the side, to fix a few of mine. Hurt like heck while she did it, but problem gone the next day.

 

[imported_KuJaX]

I just barely got it taken out from a Podiatrist.

He sprayed my toe with cold stuff while giving the shot. The shot stung for about 20 seconds before totally numbness. I then just laid back, closed my eyes, and tried to not imagine what he was doing. It is wrapped up in a bandage right now and tonight before I go to bed i'm suppose to soak it for 5 minutes in soapy water and clean it out with a towel. I also have a perscription for the next 4 days.