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Ingrown Nails |
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Ingrown nails are a common condition for any age. A higher incidence occurs in patients with nail fungus infections (onychomycosis). They can be very painful and often cause an infection to the toe.
It most commonly occurs on the big toe but can happen on any toe. If the ingrown nail is a recurrnet problem a simple procedure called a 'partial matrixectomy' can be performed in the office. This is a procedure that requires local anesthetic only and can be completed in about 15 minutes. The procedure involves taking the piece of nail that is growing downward into the skin (ingrown portion) out. This portion is usually about 1/8 to 1/4 the width of the entire nail. Next a chemical is applied with a cotton tipped applicator or dripped in with a small syringe into the corner of the nail. The prevents the nail from growing out of the corner again.
The success rate for this procedure is very high and minimal pain is involved.
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