Ingrown Toenails: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment in Pictures

Ingrown Toenails: Understanding Symptoms, Causes & Treatment with Pictures

Ingrown toenails, or onychocryptosis, represent a very common foot problem in which the nail edge grows into the surrounding skin, causing irritation, pain and sometimes infection. Obtaining a proper diagnosis from photos or in-person healthcare evaluation proves important to guide effective treatment.

The following article covers the key symptoms, underlying causes, complications and the injection, surgical and home care remedies used to correct troublesome ingrown toenails based on podiatric medical expertise and visual demonstrative examples.

Recognizing the Signs of an Ingrown Nail from Pictures

Ingrown toenails arise when the edge or tip of the nail plate pierces downward into the adjacent skin rather than continuing to grow outward over top of the nail bed like a normal nail structure. Redness, swelling, infection and drainage often secondarily develop in response to this embedded nail edge just beneath the skin.

Podiatrists diagnose ingrown toenails by physically examining the toe while also evaluating patient-provided visual examples. Some key signs confirming an ingrown nail evident by photos include:

• Redness, swelling or soreness on one or both sides of the toenail
• Yellowish nail tip or pus due to infection
• Skin overlapping nail edge
• Change in nail shape or thickness
• Debris discharge from nail fold

Individual photos help doctors appreciate the degree and visual characteristics of the ingrown nail to determine optimal treatment methods.

Common Symptoms from an Ingrown Toenail

Ingrown toenails cause an array of uncomfortable symptoms manifesting most typically in the big toe. Podiatrists can identify an ingrown nail causing issues based on the following symptomatic complaints evident by pictures and a person’s description:

• Pain - Often described as very tender with pressure from shoes, with pain intensifying over time
• Swelling – Enlarged, puffy looking tissue alongside toenail visible in images
• Redness – Red, inflamed tissue near nail fold
• Infection – Yellow/green discharge, foul odor
• Bleeding – Drainage of blood tinged fluid if nail punctures skin

Those experiencing any combination of these concerning symptoms present for over a week or getting progressively worse should seek podiatric medical care for diagnosis and treatment guidance based on visual inspection of the affected nail up close or remotely by picture review.

Underlying Causes of Ingrown Nails

Ingrown toenails arise from a variety of mechanical factors that cause the edge of the nail to grow incorrectly into the skin instead of rising outward above the nail bed.

Some of the most common causative reasons include:

• Improperly trimmed nails – Cutting into nail corners predisposes them to growing into skin
• Heredity – Some people inherit thicker or differently shaped nails
• Pressure from shoes, socks – Tight footwear pushes nail edges into skin
• Trauma – Dropped objects landing on toe, stubbing toe can alter nail growth
• Poor foot structure – Certain anatomical factors like toe shape

Evaluation by a podiatrist includes taking exact measurements and visual inspection to determine specific causative factors resulting in ingrown toenails evident by submitted photos.

Complications from Untreated Ingrown Toenails

While initially just bothersome, over time lack of treatment for an ingrown nail often results in problematic complications.

Local Soft Tissue Infection

The most common complication involves infection of the local soft tissues immediately surrounding the embedded nail edge as bacteria invade the area.

Signs of infection visible in nail photos include:

• Pus drainage
• Debris under nail edge
• Red skin streaking
• Thick dark yellow toenail
• Foul odor from toe

Such infections require prompt oral antibiotic treatment prescribed by a podiatrist in conjunction with surgical intervention to fully resolve.

Chronic Inflammation & Granulation

As the sharp nail edge repeatedly pokes into the skin with normal walking, chronic inflammation and abnormal tissue called granulation tissue often result.

Picture findings may reveal:

• Ongoing redness and swelling
• Bleeding
• Pink or red tissue buildup by nail

Podiatrists manually remove this inflammatory tissue buildup and surgically address the embedded source nail edge.

Permanent Nail Deformity

Long-standing ingrown nails cause permanent thickening, distortion, increased curvature and discoloration of the nail plate structure over time evident in submitted photos.

Permanent changes include:

• Overly rounded, widened shape
• Yellow to brown discoloration
• Thickened nail plate

Trimming/shaping procedures help restore a normal appearance despite underlying permanent distortions to the nail anatomy from chronic inflammation.

Medical Treatment Options

Various nonsurgical and surgical treatment approaches exist to clear infection, remove problematic granulation tissue and prevent recurrent ingrown toenails.

Oral Antibiotic Therapy

For moderate local toe infections secondary to an ingrown nail evident in photo review, podiatrists often prescribe a 10-14 day course of oral antibiotics to help resolve infection while pursuing surgical options.

Typical antibiotic choices include:

• Dicloxacillin
• Cephalexin (Keflex)
• Clindamycin

Follow-up appointments allow podiatrists to visually inspect resolution of signs of infection on affected toes.

Nail Bracketing Technique

This procedure involves surgically implanting a small metal or plastic device under the sides of the nail to help lift it outward away from the skin using gentle consistent pressure.

Podiatrists determine if a patient’s specific ingrown nail evident by photographs merits attempting bracketing based on factors like:

• Presence/absence of infection
• Amount of swelling
• Thickness of granulation tissue
• Number of affected toes

The implanted device essentially retrains the nail to grow above the nail fold using continuous gentle pressure. Follow-up visits allow documentation by photos of proper nail position over time.

Partial Nail Removal Surgery

This common procedure performed under local numbing anesthesia in the office entails:

1. Lifting up the side of the nail
2. Removing the portion pressing into skin
3. Cauterizing the underlying nail bed
4. Applying medication to prevent regrowth

Photos at subsequent follow up visits allow the surgeon to visually ensure the nail stays lifted away from the skin edge during regrowth.

Permanent Nail Removal Surgery

For severe recurrent ingrown toenails evident by past photos, permanent surgical nail removal constitutes the definitive treatment.

This entails:

• Numbing the toe
• Cutting out entire nail
• Destroying nail root with electrical or laser cautery
• Closing skin over nail bed

This prevents the nail from growing back. Photos at yearly follow ups provide documentation of complete nail removal.

Home Remedies for Relief

Prior to advanced medical treatments, various at-home measures offer relief for mild to moderate discomfort from an ingrown nail evident in pictures.

Warm Water Soaks

Soaking the affected foot in warm water helps:

• Soften skin
• Loosen debris
• Relax muscle spasms
• Improve blood flow

Perform for 15-20 minutes 2-3 times per day documented with photos showing foot immersion and skin redness changes over time.

Elevation & Rest

Keep the foot elevated above heart level as much as reasonably possible to minimize swelling pressure on the ingrown nail area.

Also refrain from activities causing rubbing pressure from shoes against nail fold evident in pictures.

Saline Soaks

For signs of infection visible in photos such as yellow discharge or red skin streaking, add 1 teaspoon salt to the warm foot water soak to help draw out fluid buildup and bacteria.

Repeat 2-4 times daily until seeing doctor for prescription antibiotic therapy based on visualized improvements.

Antiseptic Cleansing

Gently cleanse the nail fold using cotton swabs soaked in antiseptic solution to reduce bacterial load.

Compare “before and after” images related to any debris clearance and redness reduction from using such topical antiseptic products.

See a podiatrist promptly if any worsening in photo documented appearance or symptoms.

Preventing Ingrown Nails Going Forward

Certain proactive measures help prevent problematic ingrown nails from developing in the first place.

Proper Toenail Trimming Technique

Cut nails straight across without rounding off edges, leaving just a slight corner edge evident in pictures. Avoid trimming down nail corners which risks embedment.

Appropriately Sized Shoes

Wear properly fitted shoes with appropriate width and length demonstrated by images to avoid excessive pressure against toes forcing nails to grow abnormally.

Protect Toes During Sports & Work Activities

Use protective foot gear as necessary during higher risk occupations and athletic activities documented visually to shield toes from various traumatic exposures leading to ingrown nails.

Discuss nail abnormalities requiring potential treatment at yearly physical exams using photo examples.

Catching nail issues early better allows for prompt, definitive treatment before small problems worsen over time.

So in summary, reviewing pictures of ingrown toenails helps podiatrists effectively diagnose the problem and guide appropriate treatment to relieve symptoms and prevent complications related to this common foot trouble. Both medical and at-home remedies prove important for resolving toe discomfort associated with embedded nails.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.