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Medical Author:

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Nili N. Alai, MD, FAAD

Dr. Alai is an actively practicing medical and surgical dermatologist in south Orange County, California. She has been a professor of dermatology and family medicine at the University of California, Irvine since 2000. She is U.S. board-certified in dermatology, a 10-year-certified fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and Fellow of the American Society of Mohs Surgery.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• What are ingrown toenails? What are the symptoms?
• What causes ingrown toenails?
• Are some people more prone to ingrown toenails?
• Which nails are most commonly affected?
• What causes infections in ingrown toenails?
• What are possible complications of ingrown toenails?
• How do I treat an ingrown toenail at home?
• When should I see a physician?
• What kind of doctor treats ingrown toenails?
• How are ingrown toenails treated?
• What types of nail surgery are used for ingrown toenails?
• How can I prevent ingrown toenails from recurring?
• Ingrown Toenail Do's
• Ingrown Toenail Don'ts
• Ingrown Toenail At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Ingrown Toenail - Treatments
• Patient Comments: Ingrown Toenail - Surgery
• Find a local Podiatrist in your town
• Ingrown Toenail Index

It is important to see a physician for ingrown toenails that are very painful, infected, or not getting better after five to 10 days of conservative home treatments. Signs of infection include enlarging areas of redness or a red streak extending from the toe. Signs of cellulitis (tissue infection) include swelling, marked redness, throbbing, and pain. Yellow or green drainage from the wound is also a concern and may require drainage and antibiotics. Diabetic patients or any patient with a compromised immune system should immediately see a physician.

Many types of doctors can help with ingrown toenails. Family physicians, pediatricians, urgent-care or walk-in physicians, dermatologists, and podiatrists are among the medical professionals who commonly treat this condition. Podiatrists are doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle disorders, including ingrown toenails. Dermatologists specialize in the treatment of skin, hair, and nail disorders.

Mild ingrown toenails may be treated with conservative measures like warm daily soaks, avoidance of tight or ill-fitting shoes, elevating the foot, topical antibiotics like Neosporin, and gently pushing back the piece of overgrown skin away from the nail.

More advanced ingrown toenails may be treated with oral antibiotics. Resistant or recurrent cases of ingrown toenails may require minor in-office procedures by the physician. Surgical procedures aim to remove the embedded nail away from the toe tissue. In some cases, the side 1/3 strip of nail is surgically removed using local anesthesia (numbing). Surgical procedures often require prolonged healing, local soaks, and wound care to prevent further infections during the healing phase.