Ingrown toe. (NWS)

  • Thread starter Thread starter PLmatt91
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Mark T
Something I couldn't do.

Does anyone know what the cause of an ingrown nail is?
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I don't know the exact cause, it seems to affect some people and others not at all.

I've cut my toes V shape and pulling out the sides ever since I figured it was the only way to stop the ingrowing toenail from penetrating the skin.

What I've discovered though, is that it's not so much the nail growing into the flesh, it takes a while for that to happen. It's that the nail grows over the previous nail making it increase thickness until it runs out of room and starts pushing into the skin.

Whenever I pull out my side nails they look weird, sort of like normal nail and then at the end is a lump of 1/4 inch nail "ball".

I know the 'right way' to fix it is by cutting your nails straight across, but for that to work you have to keep the flesh sides of your nail pushed apart so that the nail grows over and not under them. The cotton wool idea sounded good, I might try it.

Although, I quite enjoy my little surgery, its kinda cool.
 
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As of last night ^^
 
God damn, you guys have some CRUSTY toenails. How could you let yourself go like that?
 
They're like that because I don't wear socks at home. I walk on hardwood floors all day at home when I am home. I even go outside when I need to, in barefoot.
 
PLmatt91
They're like that because I don't wear socks at home. I walk on hardwood floors all day at home when I am home. I even go outside when I need to, in barefoot.
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So? I do kendo and my toenails aren't that crusty. You're not bad, though. The at-home-surgery makes the others worse than they probably are.
 
Been there, done that, had it removed.

It was on both sides of my big left toe, had it for about 2 years before the doctor finally suggested removing it, which has resulted in me missing both sides of my left big toenail.

Atleast it's sorted now.
 
Ahhh...the ingrown toe nail. One of the most horrifying experiences with ingrown toe nails was with my Grandma. Imagine if you will, a 4ft 6", 76 year old Grandma that has had multiple cataract surgeries on her eyes sitting on the edge of her bed, with cotton balls separating her big toe digging away with a razor blade. To this day I still recall that image in my head like it was yesterday.

Nice pics btw. :)
 
fatman_5050
Been there, done that - three times. Here's my advice - go to a specialist. The third time I was referred to a podiatrist by campus health services, that was a year ago, and its never been a problem since. I too hate needles, I had one of those quacks that treated my toe like a pincushion the first time. The podiatrist numbed the toe with what felt like the light snap of a rubber band, after that, I had no idea he was even cutting the nail piece out. They also use a chemical to 'burn' the side of the nail, preventing it from growing out and into the skin on the sides of the toe.

Also, home treatment works for a while, but in the end, it will be a lot worse when you do go to a doctor than it would have been if you'd have gone to the doctor in the first place.
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You speak true.

My podiatrist numbed my toe with that rubber-band thing before giving me the actual anasthesia with a needle, which I never felt at all (good thing, too; by the sound of Diablo's description if the "through the toe needle," I'd have levitated three feet off the chair!)

As far as I know, ingrown toenails are caused either by too tight-fitting footwear or by improperly cutting your toenails.

I had a really bad ingrown toenail on the outside of my left big toe. It had been an ongoing problem, probably for at least two years, and I kept cutting away at it with those little curved scissors at home; each time I would trim a little bit away the next time would be even worse. Putting shoes on hurt soooo bad, I could hardly walk. My toe began to smell sweet, and yellowish-white pus would ooze out whenever I touched my toe. It would cause my sock to stick to my toe. Finally I went to the podiatrist, and even the minor procedure he did on me that same day (I had to wait a week for the surgery) helped leagues. The moral of my story is DO NOT TRY TO "CURE" AN INGROWN TOENAIL YOURSELF AT HOME! You'll only make it worse, and believe me I know that embarrassment is a big part of this problem, since admitting it to someone makes you feel like you're incompetent and don't know how to cut your own toenails, but forget about that because the sooner you see a PODIATRIST the less pain you will have and the sooner the sweet relief will come. I mean, just look at how many GTPers have responded to this thread with ingrown toenail stories of their own! It's a far more common problem than most people think, and nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, if you have a serious and painful ingrown toenail, that "V" cut trick and that cotton trick won't work at all; it's like throwing perfume on a pig. You need a real doctor to give you some real treatment. This time, home remedies won't work.

Trust me, believe me, because I say true.

Oh yeah, and I was just about to eat Pizza Hut when I saw that chunk of toenail. Nice.
 
I'm going to have to get in contact with someone about my toe, I'm pretty sure it's not an ingrown nail, just a bad bit of healing. It doesn't hurt really, it sounds much less painful than an ingrown anyway.
 
Ouch! :ouch:

I had one of those removed a couple of years ago, and I'll never forget the sight of the nurse walking in with a monkey wrench, :scared:

Thankfully he didn't use it.
 
Gosh I didn't know this thread existed.....

I don't know if you really want to read all this but it would be good to get it off my chest...

I have had ingrown on both sides on both big toes..... When it first happened on the left toe I was really upset because I had always cut my nails correctly and I didn't wear tight shoes and didn't play sport much so it was just the way my nails grow. After about a year of agony I went and had it done. Basically they put a rubber band round my toe and then injected local anesthetic into it and bloody hell did it hurt because it swelled your toe. So they cut down the sides and used some chemical to kill the nail beds on the side so it wouldn't come back... I was pleased that it was finally sorted and I did all the aftercare I was supposed to but it was short lived as within afew months it come back and it really upset me because even though I know these things can come back I believed that I was finally rid of it...

After this point it got worse and worse and I remained stubborn... meanwhile it finally hit the right toe. Because I was so pissed of with the operation and myself I decided to do nothing about it and take the pain..... and guess what, I have now lived about 3 years like this with both toes in pain! The right one is far worse that the left and its hell but I am too freaked to sort it out with the knowledge that it will fail. Sometimes the pain gets so bad I do some DIY surgery for temporary relief which is dangerous and it bleeds alot.. Once I started to feel lightheaded and I went pail in the mirror.... I scare myself.

Yes I sound so stupid to not do something about this, its only a small operation and it happens to people all the time but it some twisted logic I say... well its not painful all the time, yeah it pusses and occasionally hurts more, but I can walk, I don't play sports and no one really knows or cares so I would rather have the predictability of everyday pain rather than do a painful operation and have an unsure outcome... This is of course stupidly because it could be messing up my spine for walking oddly to compensate I have a poorer quality of life plus I run the risk of it getting badly infected.....Although I wash it like twice a day and take good care.

I just cant bring myself to sort this... I don't want to remove the nail completely and its almost like I want a really good reason to do it..... which shows no self respect for my body... everyday it has to live with an open wound!

I really am messed up with this, I know at some point it will get to the stage where I will have to happen whether I like it or not... but I hate the way Im hurting myself... for 3 years and im young its just a stupid waste.

I could try general anesthetic but its not recommended for this because they don't want the risk of death any higher than it needs to be and I don't want to die!

Anyway..... heres a picture of the right hand toe top and front... if you look at the front view and see the arc of the nail you can kind of work out how far its into the skin... and oh boy is it a far way in!

I hope you guys don't think less of me now for some odd reason...Please help GTP...

p.s. To anyone how has this problem I would really recommend you get it sorted right away, you don't want to be stupid like me.....

Robin

**LOOK AWAY NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE! SERIOUSLY!**

Actually I think its better to remove the pics now....
 
Just find a good podiatrst, do some research and find one who uses the pre-numbing rubber-band snap trick I mentioned, That way you won't have pain from the freezing needles. Also perhaps it needs to be done again to your toes because they're stubborn, or perhaps the doctor who iriginally did it was not too good at the procedure. Was it a general physician or a foot-specialist?

Either way, I have no idea how you can stand the pain; no offense (and pun intended), but those photos made my toes curl.
 
Anderton Prime
Just find a good podiatrst, do some research and find one who uses the pre-numbing rubber-band snap trick I mentioned, That way you won't have pain from the freezing needles. Also perhaps it needs to be done again to your toes because they're stubborn, or perhaps the doctor who iriginally did it was not too good at the procedure. Was it a general physician or a foot-specialist?
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It was a foot specialist but I have a feeling that maybe it would be done of a higher quality by like a hospital surgeon if you know what I mean, However hospitals kind of freak me out which is why I liked the idea of doing it elsewhere. I will have a look at the technique you mentioned, the needles thing and the oh this will come back again' is whats putting me off anything that can make it easier would be great. I know im being a wimp about this!

Its ironic because I wont stand the pain of a skilled person doing a proper procedure but yet I can happily take pen knives and scissors to it myself knowing nothing... I guess its the im in control and I can stop at any time that makes me go through with it.

Anderton Prime
Either way, I have no idea how you can stand the pain; no offense (and pun intended), but those photos made my toes curl.
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It doesn't hurt all the time but you can't press on it in any way and if its being in a sock all day its not great!..... if someone steps on it I literally fall to the floor with pain.

Yeah I don't get how I can live with this discomfort but the thought of the months of rehab I gave my toe after doing it originally... soaking it in salt water, dressing it, taking very good care... and how low you fell when it comes back... it was like a brief relief for which I didn't want to stick a needle in my toe every month for the rest of my life to enjoy...

Any more comments would be really appreciated...

Robin
 
Robin, by the time I'd scrolled down to your warning message I'd seen the picture.

A little gap please, my friend?:yuck:
 
OH MY GOD! :eek:

Robin gets crustiest toe award. Good god, man. Get yourself some help immediately. Burn the sides like the others have done. That looks SO painful.
 
Something inside me keeps saying, "Stare at the toe picture." And I do, and I literally just swooned there. I was literally nearly sick. But not so much because it's a gory scene, but rather because I can remember that pain like yesterday, and I can only imagine how much worse your toe is than mine ever was. I don't know what to tell you except this: I don't think I can come back into this thread after tonight.
 
Robin,

Cut it out my friend. Good gawd....life is supposed to be much more pleasurable than that.

Also nice pics... :) I should have joined the medical field, I could have seen all sorts of cool stuff. I'm sure Gil has some good stories.
 
ive had one ingrown on both toes. the first was on my right...i got it out myself, then it came back a year later, even worse, and it was followed by my left big toe. there bothe regrowing from being half, obliterated. actually, the first time, the doctor screwed up and didnt get much nail out, but only used 2 needls on me. the second time it was 6 per toe...but it didnt hurt as bad, because he put some numbing creme on them. i hope that fixed them.
 
Yeah I wanna see now, I feel like I'm missing out!
My toe is much better today, I've kept it cleaner and whatnot lately and it's died right down and doesn't even hurt when I press it anymore. :)
 
Well, I went into surgery (If you want to take it seriously) this afternoon and my ingrown toenail is gone, for now. The anaesthetic was the worst part; my foot felt like it was subject to 100 volts of electricity while it was working. Nevertheless, the ingrown nail was basically half the size of my full nail, so It was a relief to see it. Personally, I wanted to take a photo of the materpiece but It was too late by the time I requested it back.

What sucks is that now I have another operation awaiting me at the very start (I mean literally first day) of the next term of holidays, in which the nail region (the wedge section sp??) below the actual skin at the bottom of the toe has to be removed to prevent it from ever happening again, which will leave my bed-ridden for the rest of the 2-week break no-doubt. Apparently it's utter agony for the first few days after the wedge section is removed, which can't be good at all; as soon as I walked out of the hospital the anaesthetic wore off and I nearly fainted from the pain. But then again, ingrown toenails are perhaps the worst concept (of pain) in history...
 
Oh come now.

All you're doing in pushing a bag-of-sugar sized baby through a hole.
What's complicated or painful about that?

Try having manflu.
 
Dang, I missed Robin's toe pictures. PM me the link!

I'm sure those toes hurt, and I wouldn't want to go head to head with labor pains, but I will say that passing a nice big kidney stone is no picnic.
 

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