Swelling causes pain when patients walk. In early stages, conventional treatments such as anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, softening toe nails with warm water can relief the symptoms. However, for severe ingrown nails, the cure is to remove the entire nail. Below are several possible treatments:
1. Remove all ingrown nails: this is the simplest method. Generally one-third of the nail is removed, so no nail remains in the skin and no pain will be felt. But the chance of relapse is up to 80-90%. Factors like nail too close to the edges and nail bed swelling will also affect the effectiveness.
2. Wedge Resection：
which is to remove the all toe tissues including the nail groove and the nail plate and stich afterwards. Chance of relapse is much lower, but the toenail may be deformed and narrower. Since suture is required, there will be wound and remove the stitches after the surgery.
3. Chemicals to damage the toenail matrix: apply chemicals on the ingrown nail, which damages the toenail matrix, so as to prevent the growth of the nail. The method is simple but incomplete. Because excess chemicals may cause unnecessary damage on other tissues, but too little may lead to re-growing of nails around nail groove, so ingrown nail will happen again.
4. Laser：An ingrown nail surgery in recent years. The method is to remove one-fourth or one-fifth of the nail plate and apply laser to the nail matrix, preventing its growth. Laser also vaporizes the nail bed tissues, so swelling is reduced. This surgery requires local anesthetic and lasts for about 30 minutes. It causes less damage and thus quicker recovery.
The information aims to provide educational purpose only. Anyone reading it should consult Surgery Specialist before considering treatment and should not rely on the information above.
以上所提供的資訊僅作為教育及參考用途，如果你有任何醫療問題，應向自己的外科醫生查詢，而不應單倚賴以上提供的資料。
