Mitigating an ingrowing toenail

[Louis Balfour]

My eldest child needs an operation to resolve an ingrowing toenail, but as he is a keen cricketer wants to wait until the end of the season. The GP has not been fantastically helpful with regard to measures to lessen the discomfort until the op.

Currently, he soaks his foot in Epsom salts occasionally and it does help. However does anyone here have any experience of the subject that can offer advice?

Many thanks

[Mr Pointy]

Go & see a chiropodist/podiatrist & explain the situation; they will know if they can trim the nail to get him through the season.

You might also want to find out if it's really necessary to have surgery as it might be possible that the chiropodist can perform the procedure & they will have had a lot more practice at it han a surgeon.

[Louis Balfour]

Mr Pointy said:

Go & see a chiropodist/podiatrist & explain the situation; they will know if they can trim the nail to get him through the season.

You might also want to find out if it's really necessary to have surgery as it might be possible that the chiropodist can perform the procedure & they will have had a lot more practice at it han a surgeon.

I think it's an NHS pod that he has been referred to.

[Mr Pointy]

Louis Balfour said:

Mr Pointy said:

Go & see a chiropodist/podiatrist & explain the situation; they will know if they can trim the nail to get him through the season.

You might also want to find out if it's really necessary to have surgery as it might be possible that the chiropodist can perform the procedure & they will have had a lot more practice at it han a surgeon.

I think it's an NHS pod that he has been referred to.

What's the issue then? The wait to see them? You can go privately - just phone up & book.

[theboss]

I found a private podiatrist when my stepdaughter had the same and he surgically removed it there and then, citing infection.

No messing around, referrals, waiting and cost a couple of hundred quid.

The operation was pretty trivial. Much less worse than having a tooth out. She's since had both her big toes done on both sides at the slightest hint of trouble.

I would suggest depending bow bad it is, it may be better to do this and miss a match or two whilst the toe recovers, and then be completely unencumbered by pain and infection risk, than to soldier until the end of season.

[tighnamara]

As above, definitely book an appointment with a good Podiatrist.

I had an ingrown toe nail that had an infection (self inflicted) , received tablets from doctor but wouldn't clear up as problem was still there.

Visited Podiatrist who thought I may need an operation but she carried out some easy cuts / incisions and pulled out the culprit (amazing the shape and size growing in there)

She packed it off, went back a week later and she did a small clean out and all good with no further problems.

Podiatrist also mentioned they do the NHS procedure in house, so may be available easier than expected.

Note to self: Don't try and "fix" an ingrown toe nail, visit specialist.

[Cyder]

I used to self operate on my ingrown toenails until they got really horrible then went and had them operated on properly. Should have done it much sooner to be frank.

[Nightmare]

I had ingrowing big toenails on both feet when I was younger and now have no big toenails at all cos they pulled them out and then burnt the nail bed with acid. Up until that point I used to sort them out myself a fair bit which generally involved cutting down the sides of the nails and pulling out the bits which were sticking in. Usually if they hurt though it was because the ingrowing bit had got infected and it was the pressure from the pus which hurt - usually stuck a scalpel (carefully) between the nail and the side of the toe to drain it which makes a huge difference to the pain

In case he’s concerned about long terms effects if he has his removed too....I was a competitive fencer and kick-boxer for many years and no toenails made no difference

[Louis Balfour]

tighnamara said:

As above, definitely book an appointment with a good Podiatrist.

I had an ingrown toe nail that had an infection (self inflicted) , received tablets from doctor but wouldn't clear up as problem was still there.

Visited Podiatrist who thought I may need an operation but she carried out some easy cuts / incisions and pulled out the culprit (amazing the shape and size growing in there)

She packed it off, went back a week later and she did a small clean out and all good with no further problems.

Podiatrist also mentioned they do the NHS procedure in house, so may be available easier than expected.

Note to self: Don't try and "fix" an ingrown toe nail, visit specialist.

I have booked him a private podiatrist appointment for tomorrow. She seems to think that she can fish out the offending piece of nail.

She cannot do the op to stop it regrowing, but if it makes it more comfortable for him short term then it’s worth doing. He can have the op after the cricket season.

[TVR1]

Nightmare said:

I had ingrowing big toenails on both feet when I was younger and now have no big toenails at all cos they pulled them out and then burnt the nail bed with acid. Up until that point I used to sort them out myself a fair bit which generally involved cutting down the sides of the nails and pulling out the bits which were sticking in. Usually if they hurt though it was because the ingrowing bit had got infected and it was the pressure from the pus which hurt - usually stuck a scalpel (carefully) between the nail and the side of the toe to drain it which makes a huge difference to the pain

In case he’s concerned about long terms effects if he has his removed too....I was a competitive fencer and kick-boxer for many years and no toenails made no difference

Hello Me!

Had both done at 10. Constantly coming back. Left then right over months. Right one went really nasty and was decided to do both. I could squirt puss out of them. Infected one didn’t hurt at all, post op but left one was really painful, as not infected. Heals quickly though. Just don’t stub you’re toe 2 days later getting into a bath.

[Silverage]

I had this done, too. Both big toes when I was mid-teens after several years of trying to sort it out myself. I seem to recall they cut my nail beds out rather than used acid though. The first time they just trimmed the nails right back to the beds with the hope of saving them, but they just grew back ingrown, probably because my hacking about had ruined things.

[Louis Balfour]

By way of a conclusion (I hope) to this thread: I took him to the the private podiatrist this afternoon and she says that an op is probably avoidable by re-training the nail. She has removed the side of the nail using a sort of Dremel and it should now grow straight, apparently.

[T5SOR]

Similar to above, I had both my big nails removed at about 13/14. Never had a problem since.

[r159]

I had in growing toe nails on both feet mid teens, ended up with a general anaesthetic due to my doctor not being able to numb them after 16 injections. Saved my toenails, but an orderly used my toes to open the door when wheeling me out of the hospital

Had another done in my 30s this one a lot less drama.

[Halmyre]

Get the damn thing out, nail bed and all. A week or two of mild discomfort as opposed to it growing back squint and having to start again.

[anonymous-user]

This thread, and the photo posted by TVR1, makes me think I had a lucky very escape.

Both big toenails ingrown when I was about 12 years old, and were continually digging in and causing pain/pus etc.

I have no idea who my Mum took me to (because at 12 you don't really take in details like that), but I remember they used local anaesthetic and then used various tools to nibble away at the side 5mm or so of my nail (while I played on my Gameboy and tried not to look).

Never had a problem since. Both nails just grow out straight out with the 5mm side section of the nail not growing at all and simply missing.

[Hoink]

Halmyre said:

Get the damn thing out, nail bed and all. A week or two of mild discomfort as opposed to it growing back squint and having to start again.

I second this.

Speaking as someone who also has no big toenails.

[Nightmare]

Hoink said:

Halmyre said:

Get the damn thing out, nail bed and all. A week or two of mild discomfort as opposed to it growing back squint and having to start again.

I second this.

Speaking as someone who also has no big toenails.

Yeah me too - they spent ages trying to train my brothers as you describe above and eventually just gave up and removed them too. He spent sooo much more time at podiatrists and in pain than me as a result.....

@TVR1 - wow they did a much better/more permanent job of yours than mine. I still get to pick bits of growing toenail out .

“ but I remember they used local anaesthetic and then used various tools to nibble away at the side 5mm or so of my nail (while I played on my Gameboy and tried not to look).”. Lol, I got the surgeon to actually let me pull the toenails out myself when i had mine done. It was both awesome and really grim!