An ingrown toenail is one where the edge or corner of your nail grows down and cuts into the adjacent skin of your toe, leading to your toe becoming red, swollen and tender (inflamed).

Your big toe is most likely to be affected, either on one or sometimes both sides. Your toenail curves and cuts into your skin causing your toe to be tender, especially when you walk on it.

If left untreated, the inflammation can spread to the rest of your toe and the area becomes infected and may ooze pus. It may smell unpleasant.

Initially the area around your affected toenail edge becomes hard, slightly swollen and tender.

There will be increasing tenderness and the area may get red and infected (caused by bacteria). At this stage the area may be very painful, with bleeding and oozing pus, and often smells unpleasant.

At this time the flesh next to the nail edge may start to bulge up into a moist swelling alongside the nail, which may start to grow over the ingrown toenail.

Complications

Bacterial Paronychia

Management Non-surgical

Management:

Surgical nail avulsion with cosmetic radiosurgery

Advantage:

The radiosurgical nail matrixectomy tachnique is basically the same as phenolization, but instead of destroying the germinal epithelium with phenol, the matrix is destroyed electrally with a teflon coated electrode, that protects the overlying eponychium.

The main advantage of radiosurgery matrixectomy is:

1. Lack of use of carcinogenic chemical agent
2. Sterilization of wound,
3. Reduced post-operative pain
4. Faster healing

Prevention

Trim nail flat and not too short