An ingrown toenail occurs when the edge or side of your toenail punctures or grows into the soft tissues of your toe. This can be caused by ill-fitting footwear, injury to the toe or nail, or improper nail clipping. Minor ingrown toenails can be uncomfortable and may heal on their own as the nail grows out or with some simple at-home treatments, but some ingrown toenails can become inflamed, very painful, and infected.
If your ingrown toenail is swollen, leaking pus or blood, feels hot to the touch, and is causing you pain and impairing your mobility, it is time to see Culver City Foot Doctor Dr. Leonard Knudson, DPM
The first sign of an ingrown toenail is pain, redness, and swelling around the toe. If the toenail is infected, there may also be drainage from the affected area. In some cases, the pain may be mild, but in others, it can be severe and debilitating. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to consult your foot doctor as soon as possible.
If you have an ingrown toenail, there are two main types of treatments available: conservative and surgical.
CONSERVATIVE TREATMENTS
This includes soaking the affected toe in warm salt water, using an antiseptic solution, corrective nail clipping, splinting to raise the nail away from the skin, and topical antibiotics. In most cases, these treatments are effective and can help to resolve the issue without the need for surgery.
If conservative treatments are not effective, surgical intervention may be necessary. There are several surgical options available, such as:
Wedge Resection
This option is removal of a portion of the toenail to prevent it from digging into the skin. Your nail should grow back in three to four months.
Toenail Removal
This surgery will remove the entire toenail. It can take up to 18 months for the nail to regrow.
"If a wedge resection or toenail removal fail, it may be necessary to remove the toenail and the entire nail bed. Your toenail will not regrow after a matrixectomy."
The recovery time for an ingrown toenail ranges from 10-14 days, where you will be required to wear an open-toed boot for the first 2-3 days to alleviate the pressure on your foot while it heals. After surgical treatment, it is important to properly care for the affected area to ensure a successful recovery. Regular check-ups with Dr. Leonard Knudson may also be necessary to ensure that the toe is healing properly and to address any complications that may arise.
CULVER CITY FOOT DOCTOR SINCE 1982 HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL CULVER CITY
Our services and treatments includes; Arch Disorders, Arch and Heel Pain, Ankle Pain, Ankle Therapy, Arthritis, Bunions, Calluses, Custom Orthotics, Diabetic Foot Treatments, Feet Pain, Foot Injury, Hammertoes, Heel Pain, Ingrown Toenails and more. View Full Service by clicking here.
The Associated Foot Care Clinic of Dr. Leonard J Knudson is located at 9808 Venice Blvd. Suite 600 in Culver City, California 90232. We are open from Mondays to Fridays, 9:00am to 5:00pm and we are closed during the weekends.
Dr. J. Leonard Knudson is a Foot and Ankle Surgeon located in Culver City and near West Los Angeles. We also tend to patients from nearby - UCLA, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice, Santa Monica and the West Los Angeles area.
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310-876-1579
These are the Insurance Plans Accepted in our West Los Angeles Foot and Ankle Clinic
(We accept most PPO insurances and Medicare plans including)
Hours of Operation
Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:00pm