An ingrown toenail is when the corner of the toenail grows in the side of the toe and into the flesh, thereby causing a cut that often becomes infected and painful. While ingrown toenails can occur on any toe, they usually occur on the big toe. Because of the troublesome and painful nature of ingrown toenails, people fall into despair and worry about why they got an ingrown toenail, so that they hopefully can prevent it from happening again in the future. 

There are several reasons why you may have gotten an ingrown toenail. Ingrown toenails can occur if your footwear does not fit properly, because tight shoes apply pressure to your toenails, causing them to curve down. Most people like to curve their toenails to follow the shape of their toes while trimming them since this is aesthetically pleasing, but this can actually cause the corners of the toenails to grow into the flesh as they grow out. The correct way to trim your toenails is straight across. 

Another thing that can cause ingrown toenails is trauma. If you have a sports-related injury to your toes, repeatedly kick a ball, or drop a heavy item on your foot, you can ultimately develop an ingrown toenail. Other conditions that cause the nail to thicken, such as nail fungus, can also result in ingrown toenails as the nail begins to curve and dig into the flesh. 

Since ingrown toenails become infected and painful, it does not do well to ignore them and should be treated by a podiatrist. Contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our licensed podiatrists at one of our over 80 locations.