Ingrown toenails
If your toenail is digging into the skin, we can help.
Our foot care clinic in Vaasa treats ingrown toenails at every stage, from a bit of soreness to a full infection.
What is an ingrown toenail?
The nail edge grows into the skin around it. It hurts, it swells, and if you leave it, it can get infected. Usually the big toe, but any toenail can do it.
We see a lot of these. Mild ones you can handle at home. Once it's infected or keeps coming back, come in.
Symptoms by stage
Early (mild)
- Tender along the side of the nail
- A bit of swelling and redness
- Hurts when shoes press on it
Getting worse (moderate)
- Hurts to walk
- More swelling, skin starting to grow over the nail edge
- Normal shoes feel too tight
Infected (severe)
- Pain even sitting still
- Pus or fluid from the nail fold
- Redness spreading, toe feels hot
- Sometimes fever
What causes them?
Bad nail cutting is the number one cause. Cutting too short, rounding the corners, or tearing the nail pushes the edge into the skin. That's the one to fix first.
Also common: tight shoes, toe injuries (stubbing, sports), naturally curved nails. Less common but real: sweaty feet softening the skin, genetics (they run in families), and age making nails thicker and harder to cut.
How we treat them
Mild to moderate cases
We examine the area, gently lift the nail edge from the skin with sterile instruments, trim the ingrown part without damaging the nail bed, clean with antiseptic, and dress it. You get aftercare instructions for your specific case.
Nails that keep growing in
We can brace or splint the nail to train it to grow straight. Painless, takes a few weeks, with check-ins every 4–6 weeks.
Severe or infected cases
May need a doctor referral for partial nail removal under local anaesthetic. For chronic cases, the nail root can be treated so the problem section stops growing back.
People generally walk out feeling a lot better than when they came in.
How to cut your toenails
This is the single biggest thing you can do to stop ingrown nails from happening.
Cut after a shower when the nail is soft. Use a straight-edge clipper, not curved scissors. Cut straight across. Don't round the corners (this is where most people go wrong). Leave about 1–2mm of white nail. File sharp edges in one direction. Don't tear or pick.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the nail shape
- Cutting corners too short
- Dull or dirty clippers
- Tearing instead of cutting
- Cutting when nails are dry and brittle
Home care for mild cases
Soak the foot in warm water with Epsom salt for 15–20 minutes, two or three times a day. After soaking, lift the nail edge gently and tuck a bit of clean cotton or dental floss under it. Change it daily. Antiseptic cream, bandage, open shoes. Ibuprofen if you need it.
Daily prevention
- Wash and dry feet properly, especially between toes
- Moisturise feet (not between toes)
- Check your nails regularly
- Cut them straight across
- Breathable socks, and rotate shoes so they dry
What not to do
- Don't dig at the nail with sharp objects
- Don't cut a V-shape (it's a myth, it doesn't work)
- Don't keep trimming corners shorter
- Don't ignore infection signs
- Don't try bathroom surgery
After treatment
First 48 hours
Keep the dressing dry. Put your foot up when resting. Loose shoes or sandals. Some soreness is normal.
First week
Follow your aftercare instructions. Change dressings as told. Wash gently. Watch for infection (more redness, pus, worsening pain). Roomy shoes.
Going forward
Straight-across nail cuts, not too short. Shoes with toe room. Clean, dry feet. If your nails keep causing trouble, regular appointments every 4–8 weeks help. If nails are thick or hard to reach, we'll cut them for you.
When to come see us
- Home care not working after 2–3 days
- Signs of infection (pus, spreading redness, warmth)
- Pain getting worse
- It keeps coming back
- Nail deeply embedded
- Not sure what to do