Hello!

One of my children has ripped their toenail down and now it’s ingrown. We’ve had two lots of antibiotics from the doc but nothing’s working. The doctor is saying they’ll need surgery to make the nail more narrow but this seems quite extreme. Has anyone else been through something like this – either themselves or their children? Really appreciate your advice thanks.


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  • Ingrown toenails and infections thereof are quite painful ! A daily Epson salt bath may help. When we were young we used to soak in Soda crystals. But to be honest when it’s trueley infected, don’t play doctors yourself; when the doctor advises surgery then I would go for it.


  • Ingrown toe nail that was only fixed with surgery. Recovery wasn’t that long and went well.


  • I had an ingrown toenail years ago – nothing worked except having it padded up so it could eventually grow out – it may not work tho as all nails grow differently


  • Ive hooked my own ingrown toenail up twice a day and put teatree oil on it.


  • When i had an ingrown toe nail everyday we had to clean it and remove any pus and lift up the nail as much as possible. It hurt so badly but it worked. i was a kid and my whole leg had to be held down to keep me still


  • Surgery cured an ingrown toenail problem and no more pain or further problems.


  • Go and see the doctor, he will help with that!


  • you can buy a natural tea tree oil lotion from the health shop and/or chemist that is good for fungal infections and ingrown toenails – whilst this might not prevent surgery it might help ease it for now.


  • my brother had surgery on an ingrown toe nail (although he was an adult) and since the surgery he hasn’t had any problems. When he was younger he had problems with his toes so he would recommend it


  • I have constant battles with my toenails becoming ingrown. I cut the corner out, squeeze any pus out (if needed I get a sterilized needle and make a small hole to drain it) and then I get some rosemary water (boil a vouple of sprigs of fresh rosemary in water until the water turns a greeny/yellowy colour) and put a few drops on it. Repeat three times a day until the swelling is gone.


  • it is minor surgery and will help your childs feet, if you leave it it will cause a lot of pain


  • Get them to the podiatrist asap! Honestly if this sort of thing goes on untreated properly it can grow down to the bone and they may have to have there toe removed which would be awful. I know this to be true as i have ingrown toe nails myself and left one for a whole year untreated by a podiatrist and i had to have my bone scrapped as it had started to attach itself, i was extremely lucky.


  • I would say do the op if the dr recommends it. Better getting it fixed then having recurring problems!


  • Make sure you never cut it too short but after having several family members experience this surgery is definitely the way to go, otherwise it keeps recurring.


  • the procedure will solve the problem as it will keep returning so I would opt for the op and than it is fixed and no reoccurring pain


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