Your Feet Toenails are designed to protect the underlying vascular structures at the end of the toes. An ingrown toenail is caused by an over curvature of the nail border. An ingrown toenail can be congenital or acquired. A patient may get some pain and irritation of the nail at the tip of the toe.
Conservative treatment is to trim the nail along the contour of the nail edge.
If an ingrown toenail becomes a chronic painful condition there are surgical procedures to help remove the nail border or the entire nail on a permanent basis. Infected Toenail An infected ingrown toenail is where a portion of the nail has become embedded in the soft tissues. The clinical presentation is pain, redness, swelling and drainage of the skin adjacent to the nail border that has penetrated the skin. Soaking the foot in luke warm water and an antiseptic may temporarily relieve your symptoms. Treatment of an infected ingrown toenail is to remove the offending nail border under a local anesthetic to reduce pressure.