How to Treat and Remove Your Ingrown Toenail

That persistent throb, the redness, the sharp pain from just the pressure of a sock from an ingrown toenail can be surprisingly disruptive.

If you’ve ever had one, you know how quickly this common issue can affect your daily life. While it’s tempting to try to fix an ingrown toenail at home, this can sometimes make it worse. Let's explore what causes them and how to treat or remove them safely.

What is an Ingrown Toenail, and Why Do They Hurt So Much?

An ingrown toenail occurs when the edge or corner of your toenail, usually on the big toe, grows into the soft skin of the nail border.

The nail acts like a small spike, puncturing or pressing firmly against the skin. This creates a wound that can lead to pain, redness, and swelling. The pain you feel is your body's response to this. The nail edge creates a small wound, which can lead to inflammation and the familiar redness and swelling.

Once the skin is broken, the area is also vulnerable to infection, which is why it can become so painful, even when simply walking or wearing shoes.

Three Common Causes of Ingrown Toenails

An ingrown toenail can develop for several reasons, but most cases are related to one of these three common factors.

1. Improper Trimming Technique

One of the most frequent causes of ingrown toenails is the way we trim our toenails. Cutting them too short or rounding the corners can seem correct, but this technique encourages the skin along the nail edge to fold over.

As the nail grows forward, it has nowhere to go but directly into that soft tissue. This method can also accidentally leave a small, sharp spike of nail (a spicule) behind, which is often the part that pierces the skin and causes the initial inflammation and pain.

This can also sometimes leave a small, sharp spike of nail behind, which quickly leads to irritation and pain.

2. Tight or Narrow Footwear

Footwear that places persistent pressure on the toes is another primary factor. Many shoes, especially fashionable or narrow-toed footwear, inadvertently crowd the toes. This external pressure constantly squeezes the soft tissue on the sides of your toe against the nail plate.

If you spend many hours a day in these types of shoes, you're not just dealing with temporary discomfort. The nail, which is just trying to grow normally, is then blocked. As it continues to grow, it has nowhere to go but to embed itself into that soft skin, causing the ingrown toenail.

3. Injury or Trauma

Acute trauma, such as stubbing your toe forcefully against furniture or dropping a heavy object on it, can damage the underlying nail bed. However, chronic trauma is just as common.

For the active population, sports are a frequent and often overlooked cause. You don't need to suffer a major accident to damage a nail; the repetitive impact from activities like long-distance running, tennis, or football can be enough. 

Both types of damage can disrupt the nail matrix, leading to a thickened or irregular nail that eventually becomes an ingrown toenail.

What You Can Do at Home (and When to Seek Help)

While ingrown toenails are often avoidable, you can relieve the initial symptoms at home. Soaking the foot in warm water with Epsom salt can reduce swelling and soften the skin, providing temporary relief. However, the best treatment is always prevention.

• Cut Toenails Straight Across: Do not cut them too short or round the corners. This technique prevents sharp nail spikes from forming and encourages the nail to grow safely past the skin.
• Wear Proper Footwear: Ensure your shoes are well-fitting with sufficient space in the toe box. Avoid pointed shoes that squeeze your toes, as this can put pressure on the nail border.
• Maintain Foot Hygiene: Routinely clean and dry your feet and nails. Regularly inspecting your feet for early signs of redness or swelling helps prevent the condition from worsening.

If the pain is severe, if you see pus, or if you have underlying conditions like diabetes or poor circulation, stop all at-home attempts immediately. These conditions require professional treatment. Attempting to cut the nail yourself can make the condition worse.

How a Podiatrist Can Fix an Ingrown Toenail

When home care isn't enough, professional podiatry services can offer a definitive solution. A podiatrist in Singapore can fix a problematic ingrown toenail via a simple, stitchless surgery to remove the offending piece of nail and prevent it from growing back.

1. Ensuring Total Comfort: The procedure begins by making the affected toe as comfortable as possible. Your podiatrist will administer a local anaesthetic injection at the base of the toe. This numbs the area, aiming for minimal discomfort during the removal process.
2. Gentle and Precise Removal: Once the toe is numb, the podiatrist uses sterile, precise instruments to carefully lift and remove only the small nail that is growing into the skin. The rest of the healthy nail is left relatively intact. This will immediately resolve a large amount of pressure and the physical source of the pain.
3. Preventing Regrowth: To provide a long-term solution, a chemical solution is gently applied to the nail root (or matrix) in the area where the problematic section was removed. This step aims to permanently prevent the regrowth of that specific portion of the nail while allowing the rest of your nail to grow forward normally.

Professional ingrown toenail removal is fast and typically provides instant pain relief. Because the procedure is stitchless and performed under sterile conditions, recovery is quick, allowing you to return to most normal activities within a few days.

Book an Ingrown Toenail Consultation at UFIT Podiatry

Don't endure recurring pain or risk infection by attempting to fix a stubborn ingrown toenail yourself. An ingrown toenail removal is a simple procedure for a podiatrist in Singapore, who can also provide expert advice on how to prevent it from happening again.

Ready for definitive treatment? Book a consultation with a UFIT podiatrist. Our podiatry services can assess your foot and nail health, identify the cause of the ingrowth, and provide lasting treatment for comfort and well-being.