Know Your Nails: Should Your Ingrown Nail Be Removed?

In a spooky season like the approach to Halloween, there are plenty of scary things out and about. You might see eerie skeletons, hovering ghosts, and creepy-crawly spiders of incredible size. However, Halloween scary isn’t quite the same as real-life frightening, and there are plenty of unnerving things no one wants to hear no matter the season, including “It might be time for surgery.” If you’ve been living with an ingrown toenail, however, there’s no reason to be afraid of a minor procedure. Instead, knowing if it’s time to remove an ingrown toenail should be a relief, immediately eliminating the pain you’ve been living with.

Ingrown toenails become ingrown for a number of reasons, from tight footwear to the natural shape of your nails to an injury. Treatments for the condition vary, too, from conservative methods like foot soaks and nail splints to more invasive methods, like removing the ingrown edge. However, no one wants to have even a minor procedure to remove an ingrown nail unless it’s really necessary.

So when is it time to consider removing your ingrown nail? Typically, a nail removal procedure is considered if you’re experiencing significant foot pain and conservative methods aren’t helping correct the problem. This usually means the edge of the nail is deeply ingrown. You probably have a high risk for a toe infection, if you don’t have one already.

At this point, a procedure to remove the ingrown toenail is your only true option for pain relief. The procedure is quick and easy. Your toe will be numbed up, then our team will carefully cut and remove the ingrown edge of the problem nail. Depending on the severity of the condition or how often you get ingrown nails, we might prevent that edge from growing back, too.

A procedure removing an ingrown nail might seem spooky on the surface, but there’s no reason to be afraid. The whole process is quick and offers immediate relief for your toe. Don’t suffer with an ingrown nail that isn’t responding to conservative care because you’re afraid. Get the help you really need today. Our team at Family Foot & Ankle Care of Jasper offers excellent toe care. Contact our Jasper, IN, office today by calling (812) 481-7200 or using our website to request an appointment to get real relief now.