Ingrown toenails is a common issue, affecting thousands of people in Australia. It occurs when the toenail grows laterally into the skin of the toe, or when the corner(s) of the nail has trouble clearing the skin as it grows. This causes pain and inflammation, and sometimes even secondary bacterial infection if the edges puncture the skin. This can be an ongoing problem for many sufferers, and often requires a long term solution.

 

Ingrown toenails can be the result of improper footwear, previous injury, and even genetics. Your Templestowe and Camberwell Podiatrist at Adept Podiatry can offer effective treatment options.

 

Advanced Practicing Podiatrist Dr.Peter Moate can often treat this issue conservatively by means of careful trimming and reshaping of the nail, or if required can perform a permanent procedure for ingrown toenails.

 

This procedure is performed under local anaesthetic. The offending edge(s) of the nail is carefully removed, relieving the pressure on the adjacent skin. Next, the gutter from which the offending nail edge has been removed is treated with a chemical called Phenol. This chemically cauterises the associated nail matrix, preventing future growth of the nail on that side, whilst preserving the normal visible top surface of nail.

 

Any residual bacterial infection can be managed by prescription of antibiotics if necessary, and assisted by the clearing effect of the procedure itself.

 

Most patients report only minimal post-operative pain associated with this partial nail resection and matrix phenolisation procedure. This technique is reliable, and Peter has performed it many hundreds of times.

 

For more information, and to book your appointment, contact Adept Podiatry today.