Ingrown toenail

When to see your GP

See your GP or podiatrist (foot care specialist) if your ingrown toenail is badly inflamed, bleeding or has pus coming from it, because it may be infected.

Find a podiatrist in your local area

It's also important to seek medical advice if you have diabetes and an ingrown toenail. Having diabetes could affect how your toenail heals.

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, this may involve either:

partial nail avulsion removing part of your toenail
total nail avulsion removing your whole toenail

Partial nail avulsion

Partial nail avulsion is a very effective and commonly used operation for treating ingrown toenails.

A Local anaesthetic is used to numb your toe and the edges of your toenail are cut away. A chemical called phenol is applied to the affected area to prevent the nail growing back and becoming ingrown in the future.

A course of antibiotics may be prescribed if your nail is infected, and any pus will be drained away.

Total nail avulsion

Total nail avulsion may be necessary if your nail is thick and pressing into the skin surrounding your toe.

After your toenail has been removed, youll have an indentation where your nail used to be. However, it's perfectly safe for you not to have a toenail.

After surgery

After toenail surgery, your toe will be wrapped in a sterile bandage. This helps tostem any bleeding and prevent infection. Rest your foot and keep it raised for one to two days after the operation.

To help reduce the pain, you may need to take a painkiller, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen , and wear soft or open-toed shoes for the first few days after surgery.