Managing Your Ingrown Toenail Before Your Procedure

Occasional ingrown toenails are common, where a damaged or poorly trimmed nail cuts into the soft tissue beside the nail bed. It can irritate the skin and become infected, but mild incidents can usually be treated at home. 

Chronic or serious cases can require surgery to clear the infection and prevent recurrence. Visit Mastracco Foot & Ankle when your ingrown nail doesn’t respond to conservative care. We’ll provide more aggressive care and, if all else fails, we may recommend surgical solutions.

Signs of ingrown toenails

Your first sign of an ingrown nail may be discomfort or pain from the affected toe. This is likely accompanied by redness at the point where the nail grows into the skin. Swelling is probably present, too. 

The wound traps bacteria, leading to infection that can cause pus to build up. Your toe may feel warm to the touch.  

When conservative care can’t manage your symptoms and heal your nail, you could need minor surgery to remove some or all of the nail to clear up the current problem and prevent further issues in the future. You might also need surgery if you’re diabetic or if the ingrown nail affects your mobility. 

Preparing for your ingrown toenail procedure

Once you decide with Dr. Mastracco that your toe requires surgery, you may have a period of time before your procedure during which you’ll want to minimize symptoms and prevent your condition from getting worse. 

Depending on the extent of any infection, we may test your blood or take a sample of pus. X-rays may be necessary if there’s concern that infection has spread to the bone. Treatment of the infection usually comes before your surgical procedure. 

In the days before your surgery, you may be prescribed an antibiotic to clear infection. Keep your toe clean and dry, and avoid subjecting it to excess pressure. 

Choose comfortable shoes with wide toe boxes and avoid activities that place extra demands on your toes, like sports that include kicking or heavy lifting. You should be able to maintain other routine activities as normal. 

We perform ingrown nail procedures as outpatient appointments in our office using local anesthetics, so there’s no need to fast ahead of your appointment. Wear or bring footwear that can comfortably accommodate your bandaged toe. Open-toed sandals work well as long as they’re not flip-flops with a between-the-toes thong. 

Depending on the condition of your toe, we may perform one of several approaches to treat the ingrown nail problem. These include: 

• Nail taping, providing a physical barrier between nail and skin
• Nail lifts, assisting trouble-free nail growth
• Gutter splints that train the nail to grow in the proper direction
• Partial nail removal
• Complete nail removal, for chronic or severe problems or if you have an increased risk of complications with recurrence

Contact Mastracco Foot & Ankle in North Canton, Ohio, whenever an ingrown toenail becomes a problem. Don’t wait for the nail to get worse. Book your consultation by phone or online today.