About Ingrown Toenails
The scientific name for an ingrown toenail is onychocryptosis. The formation of one can be very painful and happens when a portion of the toenail actually grows into the neighboring skin of the toe and often times becomes secondarily infected.
Causes of Ingrown Toenails
There are a few different causes of ingrown toenails such as: direct trauma to the nail, chronic pressure from ill fitting shoes, repetitive trauma from running/jogging, fungal infection and thickening of the toenail or from simply improperly trimming your toenails.
Side Effects of Ingrown Toenails
Aside from the pain of an ingrown toenail, infection often develops and presents by the toe becoming red and swollen along with pus-like drainage from the offending nail border. It is very important to seek treatment immediately when this occurs.
Treatment for Ingrown Toenails
Treatment routinely involves use of antibiotic medication to resolve the infection along with home care treatment recommendations. A very small surgical procedure may be necessary to remove a portion of the offending toenail border that has become ingrown.
Recommendations for Ingrown Toenails
Do not try to remove it yourself. Your podiatrist will be able to show you how to properly care for your toenails and feet to help prevent ingrown toenails in the future or other foot problems.