What is an ingrown toenail? Podogo What is an ingrown toenail? An ingrown toenail develops when the sides of the toenail cut in to the skin. The body treats the nail as a foreign body infection, which can cause discomfort and lead to hyper-granulation tissue. The area may become infected. An ingrown toenail could be caused by badly cutting the nail or an injury, such as a sports injury. Understanding ingrown toenail removal During your consultation, your specialist will determine which treatment is most appropriate. Salt water bathing daily and a prescription for antibiotics could be advised. A partial of full nail removal may instead be suggested, where the infected/damaged nail is removed under local anaesthesia in an outpatient clinic. A chemical called phenol may be advised is the risk of recurrence is higher, this will stop the nail from re-growing. If you have already had a partial or full nail removal and the problem persists, then your specialist may advise on removal of the nail bed. This will remove the root that contains the cells where the nail grows, which will stop the nail from growing back. The procedure may be arranged under local anaesthesia or sedation, typically in a larger hospital setting as a day case procedure. Another cause of an ingrown toenail could be a bony growth, called an exostosis, this causes the nail to push up and press in to the skin. The presence of an exostosis is confirmed on X-ray and the procedure to remove t