Conservative Nail Care
Not every ingrown toenail needs surgery. Conservative nail care is a one-off, non-surgical treatment for a first ingrown toenail that has been caught before things have gone too far. It is simple, sterile, and it relieves the pain on the day.
We lead with this when it is the right answer, which is more often than you might expect from a clinic with the word surgery in its name.
What it involves
The spur of nail that is digging into the side of the toe is carefully removed, the nail fold is cleaned, and the edge is shaped so the nail can grow out over the skin instead of into it. No anaesthetic injection, no cutting into the nail fold, no matrix treatment.
Most people describe immediate relief, because the thing that was pressing into the toe is gone.
When it is the right choice
- It is the first time this toe has given trouble
- It has been caught reasonably early
- The nail fold is sore but not badly infected
- There is no proud flesh growing over the nail edge
- The nail edge can still be freed without going under the fold
When it is not
We will tell you honestly if conservative care is not going to hold. That is usually when:
- It has happened on the same toe before
- The fold is chronically infected, or you have had repeated antibiotics
- The nail is deeply embedded under the fold
- The shape of the nail means it will simply do the same thing again
In those cases partial nail avulsion is the procedure that actually solves it, and doing conservative care instead would just be charging you for a delay.
What happens afterwards
You will be given aftercare instructions and, more usefully, a straight explanation of what caused it. Most first ingrown toenails come from cutting the nail down the sides rather than straight across, or from footwear that is too narrow or too short. Change that and there is a good chance you never see us again, which is a perfectly good outcome.
Common questions
Is this just a pedicure?
No. It is a clinical procedure carried out in a sterile treatment room for a specific problem. A pedicure is a beauty treatment and will not deal with a nail edge that has embedded itself in the fold.
Will it come back?
It can, particularly if the cause has not changed. That is not a failure of the treatment, it is the nature of a non-surgical fix. If it returns, partial nail avulsion is the permanent answer.
Do I need an injection?
No. This is done without local anaesthetic.
Can I walk normally afterwards?
Yes, and most people find walking more comfortable immediately.