What Is an Ingrown Toenail?

It usually announces itself in a shoe. One side of your big toe starts to throb when you walk, the skin beside the nail looks puffy, and by evening just the pressure of a sock is enough to notice. That's the classic arrival of an ingrown toenail — a small problem that makes itself felt out of all proportion to its size. The short video at the top of this page, "Ingrown Toenails & Prevention Tips", runs through why it happens and how to stop it coming back in under two minutes; here's what to expect, step by step.

First, what's actually going on in the toe

An ingrown toenail happens when the edge or corner of the nail grows into the soft skin alongside it instead of over it. The big toe is the usual site. As the anchor video explains, the common setups are nails that are naturally irregular or curved, footwear that puts a lot of pressure on the big toes — socks or stockings that are too tight, or shoes that are too tight, narrow, or flat for your feet — and an injury to the toenail. Cutting the nail too short, or rounding its corners down, can encourage the edge to dig in as it regrows, too.

What it tends to feel like, day by day

Expect tenderness and soreness along one side of the nail first, with the skin beside it turning red and slightly swollen. Walking and snug shoes make it worse; rest usually eases it. If bacteria get into the broken skin, the picture changes — increasing pain, spreading redness, and sometimes discharge — and that's the point where it stops being a wait-and-see problem. People with diabetes or poor circulation in the feet should treat even the early stage seriously and get checked promptly rather than self-treating: foot problems escalate faster in that setting, as our guide to the diabetic foot explains.

What you can reasonably do at home

For a mild, early case without signs of infection, the gentle routine is warm-water soaks a few times a day, keeping the foot clean and dry the rest of the time, and switching to roomier shoes that don't press on the toe. Simple pain relief from the pharmacy can take the edge off. What not to do is dig at the corner with home instruments or cut a notch into the nail — that kind of bathroom surgery often makes the injury, and the infection risk, worse. If it isn't clearly improving within a few days, or it keeps coming back, that's your cue to stop and get it looked at.

What a clinician can do that you can't

At an appointment, expect the clinician to examine the toe and, if the nail edge needs lifting or the toe is infected, treat it under local anaesthetic so the area is numb first. For a nail that keeps ingrowing on the same side, a minor procedure can remove the offending edge of the nail — the recording "ingrown toenail surgical procedure" shows what that involves. Afterwards you're usually walking the same day, with simple dressings and a short period of keeping the toe clean and protected while the skin settles.

Most ingrown toenails, caught early, are a few uncomfortable days rather than a drama. The trick is knowing which version you've got — the mild one that responds to soaks and roomier shoes, and the infected or recurring one that belongs in a clinic, not in front of the bathroom mirror.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes an ingrown toenail? Usually a mix of nail shape and pressure: irregular or curved nails, tight socks or narrow shoes pressing on the big toe, a toenail injury, or cutting the nail too short or rounding its corners so the edge digs in as it grows.

Can an ingrown toenail heal on its own? A mild, early one often settles with warm soaks, clean and dry care, and roomier shoes. If there's spreading redness, discharge, or worsening pain — or it hasn't clearly improved in a few days — it needs a clinician rather than more waiting.

Should I cut the nail out myself? No. Digging out the corner or cutting notches into the nail commonly deepens the injury and raises the infection risk. A clinician can lift or trim the edge safely under local anaesthetic if that's what's needed.

When should I get an ingrown toenail checked promptly? If you have diabetes or poor circulation, if the redness is spreading, if there's discharge or fever, or if the same toe keeps ingrowing. Those situations shouldn't be managed with home treatment alone.

MedicalVideos.com has published trusted medical videos since 2007. The site was founded by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, MD, PhD — physician-scientist.

Educational only — this article is general information about ingrown toenails, not medical advice and not a diagnosis. A painful, infected, or recurring ingrown toenail — especially if you have diabetes or poor circulation — should be assessed by a clinician who can examine you.