When Is It Time to Call for Help About My Ingrown Toenail?

Here’s an unfortunate truth. Usually, by the time somebody calls us about their ingrown toenail, things are already looking pretty bad. Chances are they’ve had the problem for days, or maybe even weeks. That initial sensation of tenderness and discomfort when putting on shoes has morphed into constant, agonizing pain. Quite often, the toe is already infected. Now, the good news is that, even if your ingrown toenail is severe, we can usually fix it for you in a single, easy appointment with minimal discomfort. But still, there’s no reason to let it get to that point!

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO SEEK HELP

In a minute, we’ll talk about some scenarios in which you should always seek professional care as soon as possible, even if you tend to be the sort of person who wants to handle everything at home. But really, the truth is that calling an expert like Dr. Kelly is always a good choice, and usually the best choice, as soon as you notice there might be some pain and tenderness with your toenail. It’s not that home treatments can’t be successful on their own. They often can! But success rates are a lot lower if you go that route, and you may well wind up in our office anyway just a few weeks later. And even if you are successful at treating your ingrown toenail at home, it will take time, and it’s still not exactly a fun or convenient experience along the way either. By comparison, we can usually take care of the problem for you—for good, if need be—in one brief appointment.

HOME CARE TIPS

While we think that calling us right away is always a smart choice, we know that some of you will probably still want to try to solve the issue at home if isn’t causing you too much pain. So if you’re in this category, it’s important to understand what to do—and also what not to do. Some tips you’ll want to follow include the following:

• Soak your feet a few times per day in warm water with some Epsom salt if your toe is feeling tender or irritated.
• Gently massage the skin folds surrounding the nail away and down.
• After drying your toe, apply an antibiotic cream around the area to reduce your risk of an infection.
• Avoid wearing shoes that press on the nails. Stick with roomy shoes or sandals.

If your ingrown toenail is fairly mild, following these tips can often improve your day-to-day comfort level, and potentially treat the condition itself. On the other hand, you should NEVER attempt to cut out or dig out the ingrown toenail on your own. While this might seem like your natural inclination, the truth is you are very likely to give yourself an infection this way. 

WHEN IT’S TIME TO GIVE UP ON HOME CARE AND CALL US

Again, one more time: it’s never too early to call. That being said, the most important thing is that you don’t call too late. It’s time to pack it in and book an appointment with Dr. Kelly if any of the following scenarios apply:

• It hurts a lot. There’s no reason to keep suffering or let your toenail pain keep you from doing what you love. Plus, a toe that hurts a lot is probably already infected.
• You notice any other signs of infection. In addition to pain, common symptoms include swelling, redness, tenderness, or drainage of pus.
• You have diabetes. Those with diabetes shouldn’t mess around with ingrown toenails. The risk of developing a very dangerous infection can go through the roof in a very short timeframe, and that infection can spread to places you definitely don’t want it to go.
• You have poor circulation or neuropathy. These conditions are often associated with diabetes, but it’s definitely not a requirement.
• You keep getting ingrown toenails over and over again. That’s a pretty clear indication that there’s a deeper cause that needs to be examined—and very likely, that cause is at least partly genetic. Unless we evaluate your toenail (and potentially alter part of your nail matrix with a minor procedure) you will probably continue to get ingrown toenails again and again.

You’ve been doing home treatment for a few days and things don’t seem to be getting better. Lack of improvement is often a prelude to things getting worse, not better. If you know you’re probably going to need help, better to request it before the pain reaches its peak.

Ingrown toenail doctor in Las Vegas – Las Vegas Footcare Rocks!

THERE’S NO NEED TO SUFFER!

Truly, days or weeks of ingrown toenail agony is something that no one should have to endure. By making a few smart, proactive decisions, you can usually prevent the pain from becoming severe—or at least do something about it quickly if it does reach that point. Dr. Kelly specializes in nail care and has tons of experience dealing with ingrown toenails of almost every cause and level of severity. She will examine your toe closely, talk with you about what you’re going through, and then present you with whatever treatment options she feels would be best for your situation. And really, even if our recommendation is that your ingrown toenail needs to be removed, that’s no reason to fear! Under local anesthetic, the procedure should cause no discomfort—and with a sharp nail no longer digging into your skin, the pain relief afterward is both immediate and significant. Plus, most people are back to their typical daily activities within 24 hours! Call us today at 702-605-6220 to schedule an appointment, or fill out our contact form and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.