Ingrown Toenail Removal Surgery & Treatment In Singapore

An ingrown toenail occurs when the edge of your nail grows into the soft flesh of the toe, leading to pain, redness, and swelling. It’s often due to a combination of factors, but here are the most common causes:

• Improper Nail Trimming: This is the most common culprit. When toenails are cut too short or when the corners are rounded (like fingernails), it encourages the skin on the side of the toe to fold over the nail. As the nail grows, it digs directly into this skin. Always cut your toenails straight across!
• Restrictive or Ill-Fitting Footwear: Shoes that are too tight, too narrow, or that crush your toes together put constant pressure on the sides of your nails, forcing them to grow abnormally into the skin.
• Trauma or Injury to the Toe: A sudden impact, like stubbing your toe or having someone step on it, can damage the nail bed and cause the nail to grow incorrectly or push the skin around the nail.
• Heredity and Nail Shape: For some people, the shape of their toenails—naturally very curved or Pincer nails—makes them more prone to ingrown nails, regardless of how they trim them.
• Fungal Nail Infections (Onychomycosis): Infections weaken and thicken the nail plate, causing it to become distorted, brittle, and often curved. This brittle, curved nail is much more likely to develop a sharp edge that digs into the surrounding skin.

While a simple ingrown nail can be painful, infection means bacteria have entered the area. You should seek immediate medical attention if you notice any of these key signs:

• Pus or discharge
• Fever or chills
• Increased swelling: The toe is noticeably puffy and warm to the touch, and the swelling is rapidly getting worse.
• Severe throbbing pain: Intense, relentless pain that throbs and keeps you awake at night, which is not relieved by over-the-counter medication.
• Red streaks: Red lines running up the top of your foot or leg from the ingrown area, which indicates the infection is spreading through the lymphatic system.

When you have an ingrown toenail, and especially immediately after treatment, your primary goal should be to relieve all pressure on the affected toe.

Avoid these types of footwear:

• Tight or Pointy Shoes: Anything with a narrow toe box (e.g., pointed dress shoes, tight boots, high heels) will press your toes together and worsen the pain and irritation.
• Steel-Toed Boots: While necessary for some jobs, the rigid toe box can aggravate a painful ingrown nail.
• Tight Athletic Shoes: Running or cross-training shoes that feel snug should be avoided temporarily.

Opt for these:

• Open-Toed Sandals or Flip-Flops: Ideal for the initial healing period as they provide maximum air circulation and zero pressure on the toe.
• Roomy, Soft-Laced Shoes: Choose shoes with a deep and wide toe box that you can comfortably lace up without crushing your toes. They should allow your toes to wiggle freely.

After the Procedure:

• You can wear open sandals immediately after the procedure.
• You can typically return to closed-toe shoes on Day 4, after your podiatrist has reviewed the site and applied a smaller, thinner dressing. We will advise you based on your specific healing progress.

In most cases, a true ingrown toenail will not heal on its own once the sharp nail edge has broken the skin.

While mild discomfort might temporarily ease with home care (like soaking), the underlying problem, which is the nail edge continuing to grow into the flesh, will remain. This usually leads to recurring pain, chronic inflammation, and a much higher risk of infection.

The best path to relief is professional care. A podiatrist can safely remove the offending nail edge, provide immediate relief, and offer a permanent solution to prevent it from happening again.

When conservative methods are insufficient, our podiatrists offer ingrown toenail removal surgery, which is a safe, minimally invasive, and highly effective long-term solution designed to eliminate pain and prevent recurrence.

Our Step-by-Step Surgical Process for Lasting Relief

• STEP 1: Gentle Numbing (Preparation)
  • A topical numbing gel is applied to the toe to reduce sensitivity, making the following injection significantly more comfortable for you.
• STEP 2: Targeted Anaesthesia (Instant Pain Relief)
  • A local anaesthetic is administered into the base of the toe. This completely numbs the area, ensuring you will feel no pain during the minor procedure.
• STEP 3: The Surgical Removal (Permanent Solution)
  • The podiatrist carefully and precisely removes only the small, ingrown section of the toenail.
  • Crucially, a medical-grade chemical called Phenol is applied to the underlying nail root (matrix) in the area that was removed. Phenol permanently stops the corner of the nail from growing back, which is why this procedure has such a high success rate in preventing recurrence.
• STEP 4: Post-Operative Care & Dressing
  • A sterile, protective dressing is applied. We provide detailed aftercare instructions, including how to manage showering, and advise on keeping the area dry for the first 3 days.
• STEP 5: First Review (Day 3)
  • We perform the first review 3 days after your surgery to check the initial healing and address any immediate concerns or pain.
• STEP 6: Follow-up and Final Review
  • A follow-up appointment is scheduled one week later (Day 10) to monitor progress. We perform the final review around 10 to 14 days after surgery to ensure your toe has healed properly and that you are ready for a full recovery.

The procedure itself is not painful because we make sure your toe is completely numb before we start.

• Numbness is key: Yes, you will need a local anaesthetic injection (a small numbing needle) at the base of your toe to ensure the procedure is pain-free. We use a topical numbing gel beforehand to minimise the sting of the needle itself.
• Zero pain during surgery: Once the anaesthetic takes effect, you will feel no pain, only slight pressure or movement as the podiatrist works.
• Post-procedure comfort: As the anaesthesia wears off (usually within 1-2 hours), you might experience some mild discomfort, which is typically well-managed with over-the-counter pain relief (like paracetamol/acetaminophen or ibuprofen).

Your full recovery is surprisingly quick for a permanent solution!

• Time to Full Recovery: It usually takes around 10 to 14 days for our clients to fully recover and no longer require daily dressing care.
• Pain Relief: You should feel significant relief from the ingrown nail pain immediately after the surgery.
• Healing Milestones: The initial intense healing occurs within the first few days, followed by a lighter dressing until the area is completely closed and dry at the 10-14 day mark.

Yes, you can walk immediately after the procedure, but we encourage you to take it easy!

• Immediate Activity: You can still walk, drive, and function normally right after the surgery. The anaesthesia usually wears off in about an hour. However, we suggest you rest and elevate your foot for the first three days, limiting standing and walking as much as possible until your first review.
• Return to Sports: We generally advise patients to wait 3 to 4 weeks before returning to high-impact activities or sports (like running, football, or dance). This is to ensure the surgical site has fully healed and is strong enough to handle the pressure and friction without risk of re-injury or infection. We will give you a final clearance during your follow-up appointments.