Ingrown Toenails Treatment Central Coast

Do you require Ingrown Toenails Treatment on the Central Coast? Ingrown Toenails can be painful, uncomfortable and unsightly. If you are suffering from or believe you have Ingrown Toenails, speak to the specialists at East Gosford Podiatry. The East Gosford Podiatry team are very experienced and regularly treat many different conditions such as; ingrown toenails, fungal nails, skin conditions, diabetic care through to flat feet, foot and lower limb pain and sporting injuries. We use a wide range of different treatment strategies and pathways, depending on the needs of each individual. If you are being affected by ingrown toenails or any of the above conditions on the Central Coast, book an appointment with East Gosford Podiatry today.

What are Ingrown Toenails?

Ingrown Toenails occur when the edges or corners or your toenails begin growing into the skin next to the nail itself. This commonly happens with the big toe! This is a very common condition and it can cause pain or even become infected.

What Causes Ingrown Toenails?

Ingrown toenails occur in men, women and children and teens. Some individuals may be at a higher risk, such as teenagers due to excess sweat in the feet area, or elderly people, as their toenails become thick when older. There are several causes of an ingrown toenail including:

Hereditary involuted (curved) nails
Poor nail cutting technique
Ripping or tearing toenails (teenagers)
Tight or poorly fitting shoes
Sporting activities that cause mild toe trauma (soccer, football, ballet etc)
Acute trauma from stubbing or kicking your toe.
The short-term management of an ingrown nail should focus on reducing the ongoing irritation between the nail edge and the inflamed tender surrounding skin.

Some activities or sporting exercises can increase the likelihood of developing ingrown toenails. If you are repeatedly putting pressure on your toes or kicking an object on a regular basis, this can cause toenail damage or change the shape. This can increase your chance of developing ingrown toenails. The most common sports that put you at a higher risk are: soccer, kickboxing, football, futsal, ballet and dancing.

How Do I Know I Have Ingrown Toenails?

Ingrown toenails can cause a lot of pain, and the longer they are left untreated, the worse they will get.

Early on, you may experience:

Tender skin next to the nail
Swollen or hardened skin next to the nail
Pain on the toe – especially when pressure it placed upon it.
Fluid buildup

If left untreated, the ingrown toenail may become infected, and you may experience:

Red, swollen skin
Pain
Pus
Unsightly overgrowth of skin around the toe and nail
Bleeding

Diagnosing Ingrown Toenails Central Coast

The specialist team at East Gosford Podiatry can examine your toenail and perform a physical exam to determine if you have ingrown toenails. From there, we can either begin treatment or possibly recommend an X-Ray depending on the severity of the case.

Ingrown Toenails Treatment

There are several at-home treatments you can perform, as well as treatments performed by a podiatrist. Regardless of the severity or case, we recommend speaking with a podiatrist before performing any home remedies to ensure it is the best treatment for your individual case, and to prevent possible worsening or infection. Several home treatments include:

Gentle roll or massage the tender skin away from the nail edge. Do not poke things in there, cut, rip or tear down the side of the nail to get the ‘sharp bit’ out. The most likely outcome from attempting this is that you will create a small spur that may increase the irritation.
Utilising pain relief to help ease the pain, however, this will not make the ingrown nail disappear

Treatments Performed by a Podiatrist or Surgeon include:

Surgical correction and extraction
Partial nail removal
Treating the removed site with a compound that reduces the possibility of return
Entire nail removal
Recommending different shoes

For more information about Ingrown Toenail Surgery, click here.

For Information on remedies and treatments for ingrown toenails that we don’t recommend, see our blog.

Preventative Treatments For Ingrown Toenails

Invest in some good shoes that don’t place pressure on the toenail
Keep your feet clean and dry
Don’t cut your toenails on a curve
Wearing steel-capped boots in hazardous workplaces or situations to prevent injury
Avoid tight socks, shoes and tights
Regularly trimming your toenails
Visiting East Gosford Podiatry or your local podiatrist to get your feet checked up and discuss preventative measures

Comprehensive Podiatry Services Central Coast

Ingrown Toenails Central Coast – East Gosford Podiatry

Here at East Gosford Podiatry on the Central Coast, we have a team of highly skilled podiatrists with vast knowledge on treatment options that can help diagnose and treat ingrown toenails. Ingrown toenails are a very common condition that can cause the individual quite a lot of pain, so implementing preventative measures or effective treatments can help ease the pain and increase the quality of life. East Gosford Podiatry is very active in the Central Coast Community and surrounding suburbs including Wyoming, Gosford, Terrigal, Green point and Erina. We are passionate about providing comprehensive podiatry care and individually assessing and tailoring treatments to have all our patient’s pain-free and functioning.

We Accept Patients from all over the Central Coast

If you are in East Gosford and surrounding suburbs and are in need of a Podiatry appointment due to lower limb or feet issues you may need orthotics. Please contact our clinic on (02) 4325 0600

Custom made orthotics servicing the Central Coast & surrounding Suburbs

East Gosford
Wyoming
Kincumber
Green Point
Terrigal
Point Clare
Gosford
Erina

Springfield
Point Frederick
Wamberal
West Gosford
Narara
Lisarow
Ourimbah
Avoca Beach

Somersby
North Gosford
Erina Heights
Kariong
Niagara Park
Matcham
Woy Woy
Ettalong
Umina