Ingrown toenails are when a toenail grows into the corner of the toe and into the flesh, thereby cutting and digging into the flesh. Since it is tearing into the toe, it is usually painful, and becomes infected due to bacteria invading the exposed wound. This can result in inflammation, pus, and even more pain. 

People usually consider treating ingrown toenails on their own for one of two reasons: it feels trivial to see a doctor for a simple toenail affliction, or they are in a lot of pain and cannot wait to go see a doctor. If you belong to the first group of people, you should bear in mind that ingrown toenails are a health issue which if left ignored gets progressively worse and can become unbearable painful. There is no health issue too trivial to be addressed by a doctor, and podiatrists routinely deal with ingrown toenails. 

The second group of people are in this situation because they likely allowed their ingrown toenail to remain untreated for too long, letting it become worse and worse until one day they find themselves in severe pain. In those moments, they try to deal with it themselves in what is known as “bathroom surgery”. This can leave you with a bloody mess and does much more harm than good. It does nothing to alleviate the pain and oftentimes patients end up cutting the ingrown toenail in such a way that it causes recurring ingrown toenails. 

The best thing you can do for yourself is to tackle your ingrown toenails early by seeing an experienced podiatrist. If you find yourself in pain due to your ingrown toenail, we offer same day appointments as well. Contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our licensed podiatrists at one of our over 80 locations.