Ingrown Toenails Specialist
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Monroe Foot & Ankle Care
Elliott M. Perel, DPM, FACFAS
Podiatrist & Board Certified Foot Surgeon located in Jamesburg, NJ
Ingrown toenails can become infected and sore. If you experience toenail pain and want relief, podiatric physician and surgeon Elliott Perel, DPM, FACFAS, and his expert team at Monroe Foot & Ankle Care in Jamesburg, New Jersey, and serving patients in the Monroe Township area, can help. They use laser treatment and other solutions to correct toenail abnormalities and relieve discomfort. Schedule an appointment with Monroe Foot & Ankle Care by phone or online today.
Ingrown Toenails Q&A
What is an ingrown toenail?
An ingrown toenail is a condition that occurs when part of your toenail grows inside nearby soft tissue. It can result in:
- Redness
- Pain
- Tenderness
- Swelling
- Infection
An ingrown toenail often affects your big toe. Sometimes it goes away with proper at-home care, but if not, see the Monroe Foot & Ankle Care team for relief.
What are the risk factors for ingrown toenails?
While anybody can experience an ingrown toenail, certain factors increase your risk, such as:
- Wearing shoes that are too tight
- A toenail injury
- Cutting your toenails too short
- Not cutting your toenails straight across
- Having curved toenails
- Genetics
Untreated ingrown toenails might affect underlying bone and even lead to a bone infection. If you have diabetes, ingrown toenails might not heal properly and cause a severe infection.
How are ingrown toenails treated?
The team at Monroe Foot & Ankle Care can diagnose ingrown toenails after reviewing your symptoms and examining your toes. They might recommend one of the following treatments:
- Removing part or all of your toenail
- Lifting the nail and splinting it
- Using topical antibiotics
- Prescribing oral antibiotics
- Permanently correcting a nail with laser technology
Your provider can numb the treatment area and remove your toenail, or use laser technology to permanently prevent regrowth of the ingrown portion.
They might recommend more than one ingrown toenail treatment to offer you the best possible outcome. See Monroe Foot & Ankle Care for an evaluation if at-home treatments haven’t worked and toenail pain doesn’t improve on its own.
How can I care for ingrown toenails at home?
Self-care measures you can try at home to treat an ingrown toenail include soaking your feet in warm water, applying antibiotic cream to the area, and wearing loose-fitting shoes. Take over-the-counter pain relievers to reduce discomfort while the nail heals.
To help prevent an ingrown toenail, trim your nails straight across. Keep them at a moderate length and wear shoes that fit properly. If you have diabetes, check your feet for signs of ingrown toenails and other foot sores regularly.
See the Monroe Foot & Ankle Care team at the first sign of a non-healing ingrown toenail — especially if you have diabetes. Book an appointment by phone or online today.
