In-depth Answers: In-grown toenails symptoms, treatments and prevention
Here at Hunt Footcare, patients with painful, in-growing toenails walk through our doors almost every week. It’s one of the most common foot problems we treat, especially amongst teenagers and young adults, and those keen on their sports.
During the summer month, we tend to see less cases as people have been wearing open-toed summer footwear. However, as we head back into Fall and winter footwear, we’ll see more cases as toes are squeezed by tighter fitting, covered shoes.
Most cases of in-grown toenails can be successfully and easily treated at any of our three foot care clinics in Ontario. So if your toenail is digging into the side of your toe, causing redness or swelling, book an appointment to see us as soon as you can.
All about in-growing toenails
What is an ingrown toenail and what are its main symptoms?
An ingrown toenail is a nail that has grown sideways into the soft part of your toe. Instead of growing above the skin, the nail continues to grow into the skin, forming a a spike or a sharp corner that digs into the tissue. It usually affects your big toe (hallux), but it can happen on any toe.
The main symptoms of an ingrown toenail is redness and swelling where the nail has pierced the skin. The area can be painful and if infected, may fill with pus.
What are the common causes of ingrown toenails?
There are three main causes of in-growing toenails:
1. Incorrect trimming of your toenails
You should trim your toenails to ensure they are not too long and push against your shoes or snag your socks. You should always trim your nails straight across the nail. Do not cut your nails in a curve, trim the edges or cut them too short.
2. Wearing shoes that are too tight or do not fit properly
When your toes are under pressure from tight footwear, they are pushed together. This can bring the toes into close contact, and can cause the nails to grow into the toe as the toe has far less room to move.
3. Injuring a toenail
Injuries to your toenail, such as stubbing it or dropping a heavy weight on it, can cause an ingrown toenail. Sports where your feet make contact with balls or other objects, such as soccer or hockey, can create trauma and lead to ingrowing toenails.
Good foot hygiene is important too, as damp or wet feet are more liable to infection which can make an ingrown toenail become infected.
Are certain people more at risk of getting an ingrown toenail?
Yes. Some people at more at risk of an ingrowing toenail include:
- Teenagers and young adults, as their feet tend sweat more, resulting in softened skin that is less resistant.
- Athletes and players, for the same reason, and also due to more frequent sports injuries to their feet.
- Due to nerve damage and loss of sensation in their feet, those with diabetes may not feel pain from an in-grown toenail until it is quite advanced.
- Those with medical condition that results in poor blood flow to their feet, or who already have sores on their feet.
- Those physically incapable to attending to their own toenails (and who don’t have a podiatrist or pedicurist to do this for them).
- Those with a gait (way of walking) that applies pressure to the side of the big toe.
Also, some people have naturally curvy (involuted) toenails.
Can I treat an ingrown toenail at home?
Yes you can, certainly in the early stages.
Rule No1 for ingrowing toenail treatment at home is: do not cut your affected toenail yourself. Leave it to grow out naturally.
Treat the early signs of an ingrown toenail by soaking your foot in warm, salty water. You will need to do this every day for 10-20 minutes, three or four times a day, until you can see some improvement. The warm water will help soften the skin around your toe, and the salt will help reduce the potential for infection.
Carefully dry your foot including between the toes, and pop on a clean pair of light cotton socks if wearing shoes. Wear open toed shoes if possible, and do not wear tight or pointed shoes. Try not to touch the affected nail unless cleaning it.
When should I see a doctor or a podiatrist for an ingrown toenail?
If your toenail is not responding to home treatment, or is painful, hot and swollen (with or without pus), it’s time to book an appointment with us here at Hunt Footcare. Our team can help with an expert diagnosis, and start treatment at your appointment as required. You do not need a GP referral to come to us. In fact, if you go to your GP, they usually refer you to a specialists foot clinic specialist like us for treatment.
If you are feeling ill and think you may have an infection, or you have diabetes, you should seek medical assistance.
How should I cut my toenails to prevent them from becoming ingrown?
When trimming your toenails, use the “Goldilocks” principle – not too long, not too short!
- Always trim your nails straight across the nail so the growing edge is a straight line.
- Do not shape your nails in a curve that follows the shape of your toe, and dips at the corner.
- Do not trim the edges down either.
You should trim your toenails around every 3-4 weeks, depending on how quickly your nails grow.
What are the signs of an ingrown nail infection?
An infected toe is tender and painful to the touch. The skin will be inflamed and swollen, often filling with pus that leaks out. If your toenail is infected, wash it carefully with warm salty water, and make an appointment to see us here at Hunt Footcare or with your physician. You may be prescribed antibiotics to treat the infection.
What are the professional treatment options for an ingrown toenail?
At Hunt Footcare, our expert practitioners can treat ingrown toenails. Often this is just cleaning and treating the affected toe/s at your appointment, and giving you a personalised home treatment plan.
For toenails that are slightly ingrown, one treatment is to gently lift the edge of the nail from the skin and add a wedge of cotton or a splint underneath. This allows the nail to grow above the skin. Equally, the skin can be drawn away from the nail and taped back.
If required, our team here at Hunt Footcare can perform minor soft tissue surgery to remove part of all of the ingrowing nail at any of our foot care clinics. Call us to make an appointment for an accurate diagnosis and assessment.
Will I need surgery for my ingrown toenail?
It depends how advanced your toe is, and we will always discuss this fully at your appointment. Most surgery can be performed at our foot clinic, so you won’t have to go to a hospital. However, the majority of patients we see for ingrown toenail problems do not require any surgery.
If it is required, we can perform soft tissue surgery to carefully cut away part of your toenail to remove the ingrown part. In more advanced cases, we may remove the affected nail entirely.
Is ingrown toenail surgery painful?
Surgery performed at our foot clinic usually involves an injection of local anaesthetic to numb your toe first, so it is virtually painless. After surgery, your toe will be tender and you’ll need to be careful not to apply any pressure. You may decide to take some over the counter painkillers such as paracetamol. Our team will give you a full post-operative care plan so you can look after your toe at home afterwards.
How long is the recovery time after an ingrown toenail procedure?
After surgery involving partial nail removal, allow between 2 and 4 months for it to grow back. Healing times for nail removal can vary, and you will be given personal care plan to follow. You may be asked to avoid certain activities for a while, such as swimming or soaking in a hot tub. If you have any concerns, just contact the clinic and we’ll be happy to help.
Can an ingrowing toenail come back after treatment?
Yes, if the conditions are right! To prevent ingrown toenails coming back in the future, make sure you maintain your toenails at the correct length. Cutting nails too short, for example, may result in even well-fitting shoes putting pressure on your toenails at the wrong point, causing them to grown inward again. Don’t be tempted to get back into tight or pointed shoes. Wear protective footwear such as steel-capped boots if your work, hobbies or activities put your feet at risk of injury.
Treat your toes to Hunt Footcare
For expert diagnosis, treatment and prevention on in-growing toenails, contact one of out specialist foot care clinics:
About the author
J.Craig Hunt D.Ch. is founder of Hunt Footcare, one of Southwestern Ontario’s longest providers of professional footcare and foot surgery consultation services. He is Past President of both the College of Chiropodists of Ontario and the Ontario Society of Chiropodists. Read more about Craig here: https://www.huntfootcare.com/about/.
SOURCES:
My Health Alberta. (n.d.). Ingrown toenail. My Health Alberta. Retrieved August 27, 2025, from https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=zd1060
Mayo Clinic Staff. (n.d.). Ingrown toenails. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved August 27, 2025, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ingrown-toenails/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355908
Cleveland Clinic Staff. (n.d.). Ingrown toenails. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved August 27, 2025, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17664-ingrown-toenails
LeKachman, J. (2025, July 8). What are ingrown toenails, and how can I avoid them? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/jul/08/how-to-avoid-ingrown-toenails
College of Chiropodists of Ontario. (n.d.). About chiropodists and podiatrists. https://cocoo.on.ca/about-chiropodists-podiatrists/
NHS UK. (n.d.). Ingrown toenail. NHS. Retrieved August 27, 2025, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ingrown-toenail/
