Ingrowing toenails..........anyone?

[Aero]

Ok - mine is bugging me again, yet I'm petrified to go to a chiropodist (it's the needle in the toe thing that frightens me most), so I often perform a minor operation on myself to pull the offending part of the nail out (which hurts a lot), and I just grit my teeth and bear it. I do nothing bad like pick my toenails and I only ever cut them straight. So why on earth do I keep getting this?
Secondly - how'm I going to cope when I'm too old to reach my big toe? ( I know...I know).
And thirdly, if I ever should pluck up the courage to get it properly sorted, would this be a permanent solution, or could it just grow back again?

Anyone with experience of this annoying problem?

tea tree oil. start putting tea tree oil on it.

cut a V into your toe nail and its works for me everytime!

As regards the op, they have to make sure they kill the root properly.

My mum had to have it done 3 times before they finally did a good enough job to stop the regrowth.

Eeeek SG - off out for a bit - ds1 Karate - will be back later...........

Aero, you are not gonna like this but the only way to avoid all the pain and pus is to have the op. I had one done on the nhs and paid £175 to have the other one done, it is the best thing I have ever done. No pain, no jumping six foot in the air if anyone so much as nudges it ! lol the toes don't look too fab unless I paint them but no more pain and that was worse than childbirth !

I had a nail avulsion about 4 years ago. Best money I ever spent. If you are anywhere near Bristol I can recommend the excellent chiropodist that did mine. Some people suffer because their big toe turns slightly inwards, causing abnormal nail growth.

DP used to suffer alot with this. He tried the 'V' thing which releived the pain a bit, but managed to get some type of nail softener which you paint on the nail & this worked brilliantly. He ordered it from our local pharmacy.

Typed a big reply, then it disappeared!!

Thanks all.

CG - you're so right - I hate the thought of the op, but it could come to that I guess. Anyone know a good chiropodist in Kent? My SIL is one actually, but lives in NI and tbh, I'd rather hate a stranger who hurts me, lol. I rather like my SIL!

A using an antibiotic cream I had in the house to prevent it from becoming infected until it settles down again which will take a day or two. Just annoying that I'll be repaeating the whole process in a couple of months. Cutting a 'v' helps for a while, but inevitibly it always grows back in the end.