Ingrown nails are nail borders that dig into the side of the skin (nail grooves) that can cause an irritation or an actual break in the skin which can lead to a skin infection.  The nail groove becomes red, swollen, painful, and may drain fluid, pus, or blood.  This can occur by cutting the nail too short and traumatizing the nail groove, or by hitting the area and causing the nail to cut the skin.  Hereditarily curved nail borders may also cause the nails to become chronically ingrown.

The most effective way of treating an ingrown nail is to remove the offending nail border which will remove pressure from the irritating nail groove, allowing for the nail groove to heal.  There are options on whether to temporarily remove the nail border vs. permanently destroying it:

  • Temporary Avulsion:  If this is a first-time occurrence, the nail border excision (partial avulsion) is done on a temporary basis and the nail border is allowed to grow back.
  • Permanent Matrixectomy:  If this is a recurring problem, once the nail border is removed, the nail root where the nail grows can be permanently destroyed using a chemical solution to prevent the nail border from growing back.

These procedures are done in the office using local anesthesia.  This office procedure can be done on patients age 6 and up, depending on the younger patient’s ability to remain still.  For patients that are younger, the procedure may be performed in a Day Surgery setting with the use of general anesthesia.  The affected toe does not hurt following the removal, because the only cutting done is that of the nail and not the underlying skin.  This is also true for the permanent matrixectomy procedure because the nail matrix is not surgically excised but rather chemically burned.

The recovery from the procedure is minimal and will require no significant time off from work, school or athletics.