I spent years with an ingrown toenail. I could walk on it just fine but if I stubbed it I’d be down for about 10 minutes. Finally just went to the Dr and he fixed it right up. Now when I cut the nail I just have to make sure I don’t cut it too short or risk it becoming ingrown again. I was kicking myself for not having done this sooner.
I had the surgery done on both of my big toes, both sides.
Let me preface with this, the surgery is very short, done with local anesthesia, mostly painless, and very cool to watch. The recovery time is short (I think it was 3 days until I was able to play soccer again).
Now for the gory details. To start, they need to numb up your toe. The nerves they need to numb on the underside of your foot on either side of your tone bone. For reasons, they can’t just do a short needle through the bottom of the foot, so they go in through the top with a long, big ass needle. For me, they used a cryo spray that numb my toe a bit, there was definitely a pinch, but honestly not bad, I’d give it a 2/10 on a pain scale. For reference, I’d consider the ingrown nail a 2, and it jumps up to a 5 if you stubbed it. After the anesthesia, they roll a castration band over your toe to cut off the blood supply so it doesn’t squirt all over the place when they cut the nail. After a few minutes, they cut your nail straight back all the way to the nailbed, past the cuticle, then they use a chemical cauterizing agent on wooden stick to burn the nailbed to prevent regrowth stop bleeding, and sterilize the areas. After that, they remove the band, wrap your toe in gauze and give you your post op paperwork.
Post op instruction for me were to soak my toe twice a day in an epsom salt solution, and otherwise keep the area dry and clean. I had some bloody pus discharge from my toe the first time I changed the bandage, but it was clean after that.
Oh, wow… So it just never gross back, eh? The details were a little horrifying once the cutting began. Not sure I’d want to watch, but I’d absolutely have the surgery if ingrown nails were a problem for me.
Going on 20 years at this point. Never grows back. It is a little horrifying to watch, I’m pretty sure without anesthesia it would be a great torture technique. With anesthesia, I literally did not feel a thing.
For me, they applied local anesthesia, grabbed the nail with some tool, then pulled it the fuck off. I don’t know if this is how it is always done, but this was a military doctor (I was a dependent).
To make it better, I watched them do it. When applying anesthesia at one point I watched the doctor stick the needle into my toe and just spray it onto the floor because he went all the way through. I also had a trip to NYC a few days after, so I walked around there with a toe bleeding and wrapped in gauze. It was a memorable time.
I saw your reply and I think it was to the wrong person. For me though, yes. All the way off. It regrew fine. I have a perfectly normal toenail still. I think there’s a chance it doesn’t regrow, but I think for most people it does.
Accidentally stepped on my friend’s older brother’s ingrown toenail growing up and I’ve never seen a person want to kill me so badly for something I didn’t mean to do.
I spent years with an ingrown toenail. I could walk on it just fine but if I stubbed it I’d be down for about 10 minutes. Finally just went to the Dr and he fixed it right up. Now when I cut the nail I just have to make sure I don’t cut it too short or risk it becoming ingrown again. I was kicking myself for not having done this sooner.
Good thing you don’t have an ingrown nail anymore, or else kicking yourself would hurt
Can you please explain the process the doctor did to correct it? Everything online involved some surgery. Your comment made it look less painful.
I had the surgery done on both of my big toes, both sides.
Let me preface with this, the surgery is very short, done with local anesthesia, mostly painless, and very cool to watch. The recovery time is short (I think it was 3 days until I was able to play soccer again).
Now for the gory details. To start, they need to numb up your toe. The nerves they need to numb on the underside of your foot on either side of your tone bone. For reasons, they can’t just do a short needle through the bottom of the foot, so they go in through the top with a long, big ass needle. For me, they used a cryo spray that numb my toe a bit, there was definitely a pinch, but honestly not bad, I’d give it a 2/10 on a pain scale. For reference, I’d consider the ingrown nail a 2, and it jumps up to a 5 if you stubbed it. After the anesthesia, they roll a castration band over your toe to cut off the blood supply so it doesn’t squirt all over the place when they cut the nail. After a few minutes, they cut your nail straight back all the way to the nailbed, past the cuticle, then they use a chemical cauterizing agent on wooden stick to burn the nailbed to prevent regrowth stop bleeding, and sterilize the areas. After that, they remove the band, wrap your toe in gauze and give you your post op paperwork.
Post op instruction for me were to soak my toe twice a day in an epsom salt solution, and otherwise keep the area dry and clean. I had some bloody pus discharge from my toe the first time I changed the bandage, but it was clean after that.
Oh, wow… So it just never gross back, eh? The details were a little horrifying once the cutting began. Not sure I’d want to watch, but I’d absolutely have the surgery if ingrown nails were a problem for me.
Going on 20 years at this point. Never grows back. It is a little horrifying to watch, I’m pretty sure without anesthesia it would be a great torture technique. With anesthesia, I literally did not feel a thing.
Yeah I watched the doc do mine, just one side of one big toe though
The whole time, all I could think was “holy shit that looks like it would hurt if I weren’t numbed up”
Did they take the entire nail out?
No, just a little sliver down the side, all the way back to the nail bed.
Thanks for the context.
For me, they applied local anesthesia, grabbed the nail with some tool, then pulled it the fuck off. I don’t know if this is how it is always done, but this was a military doctor (I was a dependent).
Arg!! I cringed the fuck out reading this. This is all I have read they do online.
To make it better, I watched them do it. When applying anesthesia at one point I watched the doctor stick the needle into my toe and just spray it onto the floor because he went all the way through. I also had a trip to NYC a few days after, so I walked around there with a toe bleeding and wrapped in gauze. It was a memorable time.
Nope nope nope nope
I’ll just keep downvoting you and hope it somehow negates the mental images you’ve subjected me to.
Same experience with a regular doctor. It’s been 20 years and hasn’t been a problem since.
It’s very minor surgery, outpatient and can be handled by an urgent care.
The surgery is far far less painful (with local anesthetic) than an ingrown nail. Its not really a big deal.
That’s comforting. Thank you.
Like, all the way off so you had to regrow the entire nail?
I saw your reply and I think it was to the wrong person. For me though, yes. All the way off. It regrew fine. I have a perfectly normal toenail still. I think there’s a chance it doesn’t regrow, but I think for most people it does.
Accidentally stepped on my friend’s older brother’s ingrown toenail growing up and I’ve never seen a person want to kill me so badly for something I didn’t mean to do.