Ingrown Toenail

Ingrown Toenail services offered in Greenwood and Martinsville, IN


Ingrown toenails are a common and painful condition that can affect your mobility and quality of life. Often, they resolve on their own, but if you have diabetes, it’s important to seek treatment. At Greenwood Foot Clinic, board-certified podiatrist and foot surgeon Mark Lazar, DPM, and podiatrist and foot surgeon Stephen Tentler, DPM, and the team, provide complete care for ingrown toenails. Using minimally invasive treatments, the process is quick and pain-free. To make an appointment, call the office in Greenwood or Martinsville, Indiana, or book online today.

Ingrown Toenail Q&A

What is an ingrown toenail?

A nail becomes ingrown when it pierces your skin instead of growing away from your toe. As the condition gets worse, it causes redness, swelling, and sensitivity. If you have diabetes or another condition that affects blood flow to your feet, you might also develop an infection.

What are the symptoms of an ingrown toenail?

Symptoms of an ingrown toenail include:

  • Pain
  • Tenderness
  • Inflamed skin
  • Swelling

If your nail gets infected, it might also bleed or ooze pus.

Should I have an ingrown toenail treated by a podiatrist?

Make an appointment with the team at Greenwood Foot Clinic if you have an ingrown toenail and it doesn’t improve with at-home treatments, like soaking your feet in warm water or taking anti-inflammatory medication. You might also make an appointment if you have a medical condition that affects your circulation, like peripheral arterial disease (PAD). 

How is an ingrown toenail diagnosed?

At Greenwood Foot Clinic, the team diagnoses ingrown toenails during an in-office visit. 

Your provider reviews your medical records and asks about your symptoms, including when the pain started and if you’ve tried at-home treatments, like trimming the nail or soaking your feet in warm water.

Next, they examine your toes and toenails looking for redness, swelling, or bleeding. Most ingrown nails are visible to the eye, but your provider might also order X-rays or a CT scan to determine how far the nail grows into your skin and to see if there’s an infection.

How is an ingrown toenail treated?

Treatment of an ingrown toenail depends on several factors, including the severity of your symptoms and their effect on your mobility. The team at Greenwood Foot Clinic might recommend:

Lifting the nail

If your nail is only slightly ingrown, your Greenwood Foot Clinic provider lifts it with a piece of cotton or dental floss. Lifting the nail causes it to grow out and away from your toe. 

Taping the nail

If only a small portion of the nail is growing into your skin, the team might recommend using medical tape. Applying tape to strategic areas pulls your skin away from the nail, reducing the risk of infection.

Partially removing the nail

If your toenail is red, swollen, and oozing pus, the team might recommend partially removing it. After administering a local anesthetic, your provider uses special tools to carefully trim away the ingrown portion of your nail. 

Completely removing the nail

If you experience ingrown toenails frequently, and you have diabetes or another condition that increases the risk of infection, the team might remove your nail completely. Removing the nail completely prevents it from growing back.

To explore the treatment options for an ingrown toenail, make an appointment at Greenwood Foot Clinic by calling the nearest office or booking online today.

Greenwood Foot Clinic
720 Fry Rd, Ste A, Greenwood, IN 46142
317-881-0788
Morgan County Foot Clinic
2200 John R Wooden Drive, Suite 206, Martinsville, IN 46151
765-342-0196
Greenwood Foot Clinic
720 Fry Rd, Ste A, Greenwood, IN 46142
317-881-0788
Morgan County Foot Clinic
2200 John R Wooden Drive, Suite 206, Martinsville, IN 46151
765-342-0196
4.875