Newcastle Foot Health Clinic Ltd

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown Toenails Also known as Onychocryptosis meaning hidden nail. The peak prevalence is in teenage boys, although anyone at anytime can suffer with ingrown toenails.

The leading cause of ingrown toenails is due to incorrect toenail cutting technique, a spike or shoulder of the nail grows into the sulci of the toe often causing inflammation redness, occassionaly infection and hypergranulation tissue can build up if the ingrown toenail is left for too long.
Your GP will probably prescribe antibiotics to get rid of the infection, however this rarely cures the problem. The only way to get rid of the infection is to remove the offending nail.

A Chiropodist can remove the spike of nail with thin nail nippers and clear the nail sulci removing any irregularities that caused the ingrown toenail. If this is unsuccesful then the Podiatrist can permanently remove part or all of the nail using local anaesthesia and killing the nail bed on the side of the ingrown toenail.