An ingrown toenail is a condition in which a side of the toenail (usually the biggest toenail) digs into the soft tissue surrounding the nail. When you have the condition, you will notice several changes in the appearance of your affected toenail. Here is a comparison on appearance between a healthy toenail and an ingrown toenail.

Healthy toenail

• The toenail is trimmed straight across

• No swelling or redness on the side of the nail or at the nail bed.

• Clean and dry

Ingrown toenail

• The toenail is curved or ragged

• Swelling or redness on the side of the toenail

• Blood pool or pus at the edge of the nail

If the condition gets worse and the site is infected, you may develop complication which affects the appearance of the nail. Do not ignore the change on your nails. Try to check on your nails everyday so you can catch the early signs of nail abnormalities.