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Ingrown Toenail

Diabetic Foot and Wound Center -  - Wound Care Specialist

Diabetic Foot and Wound Center

Wound Care Specialists & Podiatrists located in Bakersfield, CA

While an ingrown toenail may not seem like a problem at first, once it starts growing into your skin, the pain can become unbearable. The team at Diabetic Foot and Wound Center in Bakersfield, California, use the latest treatments to correct ingrown toenails. With early intervention, you can recover from an ingrown toenail before it becomes infected or severely painful. Call Diabetic Foot and Wound Center, or book an appointment online today to learn more. The practice offers same-day and next-day appointments and telehealth.

Ingrown Toenail Q & A

What is an ingrown toenail?

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An ingrown toenail happens when the edge of your toe starts growing into the skin surrounding it. Any of your toes can get an ingrown toenail, but they’re most common in the big toe, where your nail is thick and tough.

How do I know if I have an ingrown toenail?

Ingrown toenails aren’t always obvious at first, but you can typically tell that you have one if you have one or more of the following symptoms:

  • Redness around the nail
  • Tender skin
  • Pain surrounding the toenail
  • Skin overgrowth around the nail

Ingrown toenails put you at risk of infection. If your toenail is oozing blood or pus, you may need antibiotics to clear the infection.

What causes an ingrown toenail?

You can get an ingrown toenail regardless of your age, but they’re most common in teenagers with sweaty feet and older adults, as your toenails tend to thicken with age. Other common causes of ingrown toenails include:

  • Irregularly shaped toenails
  • Cutting your toenails too short
  • Toenail injuries
  • Poor posture
  • Sweaty feet
  • Tight or narrow shoes
  • Poor hygiene

Many people simply have a genetic predisposition to ingrown toenails, so it’s important to keep your feet clean and dry and your toenails at a comfortable length.

What are the treatments for ingrown toenails?

If you notice an ingrown toenail before it digs too far into your skin, you can typically separate the skin from the edge of the nail after soaking your foot in warm water.

Many topical solutions can help treat ingrown toenails. However, the wound care specialists at Diabetic Foot and Wound Center know that it may take longer for your toe to heal if you have a chronic condition, such as diabetes.

To ensure your toe fully heals from an ingrown toenail, the team offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This innovative treatment exposes you to pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber to deliver much-needed oxygen to your wound, which accelerates healing.

Debridement, or the removal of dead or damaged tissue, may also be necessary to allow your ingrown toenail to heal.

For expert ingrown toenail care, call Diabetic Foot and Wound Center, or schedule an appointment online today.