Ingrown toenail generally describes any toenail that is causing pain, discomfort, or even infection. Some people develop toenail pain from an injury, or from wearing tight shoes while playing sports or hiking, or just jamming your toes into the ends of the shoes. Other times the nails become problematic because they are thick, with fungus, or curled or pinching the skin at the corners.

Whatever is causing your specific toenail pain, come see Dr Udall to evaluate and give you your treatment options. Dr Udall is always going to take the conservative approach to fixing your painful toe.

How are ingrown toenails treated?

Dr Udall will evaluate your specific problem, based on his years of experience seeing many different types of toenails. If the nail can just be trimmed, he’ll do that right there in the office. If the nail is bad enough that it needs more than a trim, a relatively simple in office

procedure can be done to take out the ingrown toenail.

What does the ingrown removal look like?

Dr Udall is not here to torture anyone. He’s gentle and patiently takes as much time as needed to make sure the procedure is done with minimal pain. The main thing is making sure the toe is numb first. That requires local anesthetic in the form of 2 injections on either side of the toe. Before giving you the injections, cold spray is applied to numb the skin a bit before the injection. This cold spray helps out a lot. Once the toe is fully numb you do not feel pain during the procedure.

In most cases, only the side of the nail that’s problematic is removed. In some cases, the whole nail needs to be removed. The rest of your nail isn’t affected, and after healing most patients cannot tell anything was removed. If you’ve had repeat ingrown toenails, we can make the edge of the nail not grow back permanently by applying a chemical called phenol at the nail root. This cauterizes the nail matrix so you typically don’t have to worry about if again.

The procedure usually runs 15 to 30 minutes long, but can take longer if we are working on more than one nail.

But I want to emphasize again our goal is to make this as easy and comfortable and pain free as possible.

Should I wait to see if the nail will get better?

If your nail hasn’t improved in a few days, or if it seems like it’s getting worse, there’s really no reason to wait. If the nail is that bad, it almost always needs the procedure to remove the ingrown portion of the nail. And there’s just no reason to wait. After the procedure it will very quickly start feeling better. It’s not necessary to be put on antibiotics first, before doing the procedure. The procedure always

solves the problem, so don’t wait. Call or text to make an appointment right away and just get the problem fixed and done right.

Book Your Same-Week Visit in Goodyear

If an ingrown toenail is making it hurt to wear a shoe, you do not have to keep living with it. Call our Goodyear office and we will get you in quickly. You will be happy that you just get in and get it taken care of instead of waiting.

Call Foot Envy at 623-248-4734, or read more about ingrown toenail treatment. We are at 14539 W Indian School Rd, Suite 880 in Goodyear, and we see patients from across the West Valley. Se habla español.

This article is general information, not medical advice, and it is not a diagnosis. Every foot is different, and you should be evaluated in person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose my whole toenail?

The whole nail is only removed if the entire nail is the problem, or if the nail is infected enough that it is affecting the whole thing. Even if both sides of the nail are ingrown, each edge can usually be removed while keeping the rest of the nail.

How long until I can wear normal shoes again?

Most patients are back in normal shoes within a few days. We usually recommend an open-toe or extra-roomy shoe for the first few days. It’s really based on your pain tolerance and how much drainage and bleeding you see on the nail bed after the procedure.

Does it hurt?

The numbing injection at the base of the toe takes a few seconds and is the only uncomfortable part. After that the toe is numb and you will not feel the procedure. Most patients describe mild soreness for a few days, easily managed with over-the-counter pain medication. If you have soreness after the procedure, it’s understandable because the nail bed is raw and tender.

Visit Foot Envy in Goodyear, AZ

Foot Envy
14539 W Indian School Rd, Suite 880
Goodyear, AZ 85395
Phone: 623-248-4734⁠

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