Treatment of ingrown toenail

The causes of ingrown nail (onihokryptoza)

The first symptoms of an ingrown nail are soreness and redness of the area around the nail plate. The causes that cause onochryptosis:

• genetic features that are transmitted along the hereditary line from ancestors, for example, transverse platypodia or anatomical structure of the foot;


• incorrectly made pedicure, too deep removal of the edge of the plate;


• permanent nail injury due to too narrow shoes or uncomfortable shoe pads, resulting in the weight of the whole body is transferred to the fingers.

An additional factor aggravating the clinical picture of the development of this pathology is chronic fungal disease.

Methods of treatment

Depending on the degree of neglect, treatonychriptosis on the leg can be different. As the nail grows gradually, you do not need to wait until the puffiness and suppuration occurs, you can steam out your thumb in warm water with soda and try to remove the nasal edge of the nail yourself.

Such treatment is effective only in the early stages. With massive inflammation, it is best to consult a surgeon. In the conditions of a sterile dressing the doctor carefully removes the sharp edge that grows sideways and cleans the wound from the pus. For some time, you have to do bandages, do not load your leg until your finger heals.

The laser method has proved itself welltreatment of onochryptosis. Correction of ingrown nails is produced by laser beam in outpatient conditions. This is a low-traumatic and effective operation that takes no more than 10 minutes. Stages of its holding:

• the introduction of local anesthesia;


• The laser beam evaporates the growth zone of the edge of the horny plate;


• when inflammation is cleared soft tissue from necrosis also with the help of a laser.

Advantages of laser resection of ingrown nail:

• high-frequency beam "welds" blood vessels in the field of surgical intervention, which helps to avoid bleeding and infection in the operated zone;


• the patient does not need frequent dressings in the conditions of a medical institution, and can at home treat the wound with manganese and "Levomekol" ointment until it is completely healed;


• after recovery on the site of the operation a thin "cosmetic" suture is formed.

The problem of onochryptosis can not be left withouttreatment, especially if there are such formidable concomitant diseases as diabetes. With an increased level of sugar in the blood, there is a high risk of gangrene as a result of any injuries of the soft tissues of the fingers.

Author: Katerina Sergeenko