11/09/2026
🦶 When conservative care just isn’t enough…
The majority of the time, ingrown toenails can be successfully managed with conservative treatment — relieving pressure, removing the offending nail edge and helping the toe settle without surgery. 💙
But then you get those nails…
The ones where the nail is ingrown right back into the side, sometimes deep within the sulcus/matrix and despite your best efforts, you simply can’t safely reach the offending piece without causing more trauma. 😩
And that’s when you have to be honest with yourself and the patient:
Sometimes surgery really is the best option.
As a podiatrist, you want to fix the problem there and then, but sometimes your job is to provide as much comfort, relief and protection as possible until the patient can have definitive treatment.
It can be frustrating when you know exactly where the problem is, but you just can't safely get to it.
Not every ingrown toenail can be solved with a nail nipper — and knowing when to stop and refer for surgical management is just as important as knowing how to treat it conservatively. 👣
