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Original poster

Ingrowing toenails

26 replies

courtsareadisgrace · 27/01/2013 12:54

DD has them on both feet. Apparently they reek smell bad and are very very sore. (She is 15 and won't let me look)

She's had them done at a private podiatrist twice both toes as the nhs waiting list was so long. I am taking her to the doctor on Monday for him to look at them - what's he likely to say? Nail re-section? If so, how grim is it?

OP posts:
LadyMaryQuiteContrary · 27/01/2013 12:57

They sound infected, sorry. It's vital that you get them checked by your GP. I assisted in an operation for this, an incision is made either side of the nail and part of the nail is removed. It's not too grim and will make a huge difference as she must be finding it very sore indeed. Sad

Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 27/01/2013 13:05

:( I know she didn't tell me until Friday and I thought they were sorted after paying for them to be fixed - twice

OP posts:
LadyMaryQuiteContrary · 27/01/2013 13:17

Sad Have you spoken to her about how she cuts her toenails? It could be down to this or it could be her nails in general. If she cuts them after she's been in the bath it makes them softer. Cutting them straight across isn't a great idea as they could be catching the skin at the sides as they grow, so a slight curve at the edges is best. It would be a good idea if she soaks her feet tonight though, especially if they are a bit smelly. You could do with having a look. Sad

Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 27/01/2013 15:16

She won't let me look :(

She cuts them curved - she's had tons of lectures from the podiatrist :)

I just hope she doesn't have to wait too long to get them sorted.

OP posts:
LadyMaryQuiteContrary · 27/01/2013 15:20

They shouldn't do anything if they are infected as they have to wait for it to clear up. She must be very embarrassed Sad

Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 27/01/2013 15:22

She is. And I've told her off and told her to make sure she tells me in future. :( I don't know why she didn't :(

OP posts:
LadyMaryQuiteContrary · 27/01/2013 15:27

Poor thing Sad I hope the GP does something.

Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 27/01/2013 15:32

The podiatrist said the last time if she needed the nail re-section (I think that's what she said it was called) it would be £150 per toe and she needs both big toes done, which is £300. And I feel terribley guilty but I just don't have it.

OP posts:
MadameCastafiore · 27/01/2013 15:33

Get some hydrogen peroxide, dilute and get her to soak her toes in it. Will oxidise the bacteria and go some way to clearing up the infection.

In growing toe nails are shitty and bloody painful but getting rid of the infection will help with the pain.

Spin her a tale about toes falling off or the infection getting into her blood stream to scare her into letting you take a look.

MadameCastafiore · 27/01/2013 15:34

Hydrogen peroxide can be bought at chemist, is about 60p. Cheaper and less invasive than antibiotics.

Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 27/01/2013 15:34

Thank you will do!

OP posts:
Tigerbomb · 27/01/2013 15:34

Your poor daughter - pain from ingrowing nails is awful - it affected my every day life, from what am I going to wear on my feet to crying at night because the weight of the sheet on my toes was so painful

I have had this on both big toes. Twice the nail has been removed down each side but the problem came back worse than ever

The GP then removed both nails completely but they grew back, again with the same problem

The podiatrist removed them once more (after several moans about GP's doing surgery on nails). Touch wood I haven't had any more problems with the big toes

I have psoriasis and it has affected all my nails. I am just waiting to have the other 8 nails totally removed by the podiatrist (the GP isn't going anywhere near them)

Tigerbomb · 27/01/2013 15:36

sorry just caught up with your later posts - £300 to sort out? She is 15, does she have to pay?

Cant your GP refer her to the local foot clinic at the hospital?

Shellington · 27/01/2013 15:39

The GP can cauterise (sp) the skin with, er, I forget the name? As well as give antibiotics if needed.

Straight cut, slightly round corners, emery board used lightly from edge to centre only (not from the centre, outwards - if that makes sense).

Can take ages to clear up fully though. Will she let the GP look?

Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 27/01/2013 15:49

She better let the GP look!!

I know, she should get it done on the NHS but the waiting list for the initial treatement was so long that I just paid the £30 a go to get it sorted. Except it hasn't sorted it.

OP posts:
Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 27/01/2013 22:22

She let my dad look this evening. NOT me. He says it looks sore and a bit red but not terrible and he's put some sort of cream and a plaster on them.

Shall see what GP says tomorrow.

OP posts:
jkklpu · 27/01/2013 22:26

I had these as a teenager (inherited from my Dad). At one point I was on ABs for months and had to go to the doc each week for him to rub copper sulphate on the "granulation", the bog swollen sore bit that grew around the side of the nail. Eventually, two Christmases running, I had the nail removed (by local). My Dad had his removed permanently under general.
Haven't had any problems since I was about 15.

PoshPenny · 27/01/2013 22:28

Nightmare, my daughter had this and it took 2 goes to get sorted on NHS. She is now 18 and she still gets me to cut her toenails so I can get the blame if it goes wrong again. 2nd attempt succeeded and she has been fine ever since (about 6 years ago I would guess). We put antibiotic cream (chloramphenicol I recall) on her toes which did help reduce/control the infection, as I wasn't happy about her taking pills which would affect the whole of her when it was only the toes that needed to be fixed.

Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 27/01/2013 22:30

The ingrown bit (according to dad) is half way down the nail on her toe. Not at the top where you'd expect it to be. Roll on tomorrow til we see what the Gp says.

OP posts:
millymae · 27/01/2013 23:02

I had an ingrowing toenail several years ago and had the side of it removed by my GP. I'd left it so long before going to see him that it was very badly infected and I needed a couple of courses of antibiotics to clear the infection before it could be taken off. Everyone said that it was a really painful procedure to have done - but hand on heart - I didn't feel a thing and afterwards I could have walked home because it had been so well anaesthetised. I took a couple of paracetamol once the anaesthetic began to wear off but by the next day it was fine. I had to go back the day after that to have the dressing changed and because I had been warned that this could be painful I took some paracetamol beforehand to take the edge off.

I've never had any trouble with my nail since and if you looked at my toe now you'd never know that I'd had part of removed.

Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 28/01/2013 10:13

Well, the GP had a look and said he wants to take a bit off the whole nail, right down to the bottom of her toe, on both sides, on both big toes. I asked him about her cutting of them and if it was to do with that but he suspects it's just genetic/one of those things.

But she's worried about going out in sandals and if people will notice if she has funny big toe nails.

OP posts:
LadyMaryQuiteContrary · 28/01/2013 13:00

That does sound about right. She won't have funny toe nails, he'll only remove a very tiny amount, probably the width of a match stick. Sounds as though the GP thinks her nails are currently a bit too wide so they are growing into her skin. Smile

Original poster
courtsareadisgrace · 28/01/2013 13:02

Smile thank you.

I gave her a lecture AGAIN last night about cutting them but it seems as if it's genetic not anything she's been doing then!

OP posts:
digerd · 29/01/2013 21:04

When I was in my 20s, I had Scurvy, caused by a Thyroid problem, and dentist told me to use Hydrogen of Peroxide as an antibacterial gum wash. That was decades ago, didn't know it was still being used.

ZD1966 · 04/08/2017 08:51

Hi, My daughter has this same problem . Can I ask you if the surgery was successful? Did it go well.
Thanks for your feedback.

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