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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

Minor ingrown toenails may require simply trimming back the protruding nail sliver or piece away from the nail fold. More aggressive, debilitating cases may require a minor surgical procedure called partial nail matricectomy. Surgery should be considered as last resort after conservative local treatments have failed. Nail surgery may cause permanent nail deformity, poor cosmetic appearance, and other possible complications.

Matricectomy is the process of surgically, chemically, or electrically destroying all or part of the base nail portion called the nail matrix. Complete destruction of the nail matrix results in permanent loss of that portion of the nail. Once the nail matrix is fully removed or destroyed, a new nail plate cannot ever be regenerated. This surgical procedure is commonly curative for recurrent cases of ingrown toenails. Often, only the lateral (side) 1/3 or 1/4 of the affected nail is removed in matricectomy. Much less commonly, both sides of the nail matrix are removed (bilateral matricectomy) or the entire nail matrix is removed (complete matricectomy).

Must I have surgery?

Surgical treatment is usually reserved for severe or recurrent cases of ingrown toenails. Surgery is not commonly required in most instances. If you keep getting an ingrown toenail, then a minor surgical procedure may be helpful to prevent recurrences.

Recurrent ingrown toenails may be preventable by wearing wider-toe shoes and avoiding trauma and repeated injury to toenails. Further measures include protecting toes during sports and avoiding curving or overcutting toenails too short at the edges.