Ingrown toenails are a very common problem among adolescents and young adults, but it can happen to people of all ages. It causes pain on the affected toes and could limit your daily activity.

When ingrown toenails are left untreated, it can cause infection on the surrounding skin. The infected Ingrown toenail can essentially have three stages, according to past literature (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1472971/). The symptoms of these stages are followings:

Stage 1 – the beginning of the infection

• Superficial reddening of the skin.

• Swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the soft tissue at the infected toe.

• Pain where the nail meets the soft tissue.

Stage 2 – worsening of the infection

• An increase of the pain

• Discharged of the fluid, which could cause bacteria to spread

• Bacterial and fungal infection on the nail bed, where the nail starts growing

Stage 3 – severe infection

• A form of hypertrophic granulation tissue (usually seen during the healing process of tissues) at the side of the affected nail

If you have an infected ingrown toenail, it is important to seek help from a podiatrist before it gets worse.