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A common question, oft heard around podiatry clinics, is “what can I do about my sore toenails?” Whether it is piercing the skin and infected, constantly breaking, or just curvy and unsightly, twisted toenails are pesky and persistent. While seemingly small, ingrown toenails can cause significant discomfort, inconvenience and can hinder day-to-day living. In this blog, we’ll unravel the mysteries of ingrown toenails, exploring causes, symptoms, and most importantly, effective and exciting new interventions when treating ingrown toenails to keep your feet happy and pain-free.
The Culprit: Ingrown Toenails
Causes:
Ingrown toenails are a common, and often painful condition. Ingrown toenails occur when the edge of a toenail grows into the surrounding skin, leading to pain, redness, swelling and potential infections (Park & Singh, 2012). Common culprits include improper nail trimming, excessive pressure to the nail plate such as tight footwear, skeletal abnormalities, obesity, diabetes and arthritis (Guler et al., 2015).
Ah, ingrown toenails. It never ceases to amaze our patients when we remove that ingrown piece of toenail how such a small piece of nail can cause such immense pain – not to mention swelling, redness and often, the infection that follows when it is left untreated.
As one of our top five conditions that we see and treat every day here at My FootDr, here’s the low-down on ingrown toenails, why you may be getting them multiple times, and how you can fix that problematic toenail today – permanently.
Ingrown toenails can feel like having a small needle permanently stabbing your toe. Just replace the needle with a sharp nail spike, and the description is pretty accurate. Every step you take, you feel the pain. Your discomfort is aggravated by wearing shoes, and in some cases, even resting a bed sheet over your feet.
We treat a lot of ingrown toenails every day, and the majority of these are preventable. That is, they were caused by something the patient has done unknowingly, as opposed to uncontrollable genetic causes.
Today, the My FootDr team have shared their top three simple things you can do to address these common self-inflicted causes – as well as how to permanently fix this painful problem.
Do you suffer from ingrown toenails? Do you have diabetes or does the thought of needles scare you?
Finally, there is a solution that is pain-free and completely non-invasive. No need for surgery!
What is bracenfix™?
bracenfix™ is a revolutionary non-surgical, pain-free way to restore the natural shape of the nail as it grows.
Why bracenfix™?
No Pain
No Downtime
Immediate Relief
No Side Effects
No restrictions to your daily activities
Safe for diabetics, children, and those with poor circulation or needle-phobia
You can still wear nail polish!
bracenfix™ Results:
bracenfix™ Process:
bracenfix™ is a revolutionary Ingrown Toenail Treatment designed to address ingrown toenails without the need for surgery or discomfort. This innovative system utilizes a hardened composite material that is cured by an LED light, effectively acting as a brace on the nail plate. By maintaining the correct shape as the nail grows from the base to the end, it reshapes the pathway for new nail growth.
Once applied, the bracenfix™ system remains in place for approximately 2-3 months. As the toenail grows, bracenfix™ moves with it, aiding in the correct positioning of the toenail. Additional bands can be applied during this period to ensure the desired outcome.
bracenfix™ FAQ’S
How does bracenfix™ work?
bracenfix™ acts as braces for your teeth would. The brace supports the nail as it grows, acting as a guide supporting the nail and preventing it from curling. As soon as it’s applied, bracenfix™ causes the nail to contract, resulting in instant pain relief which continues to improve as the nail grows.
Are Patients able to claim bracenfix™ on private health insurance in Australia?
Yes, bracenfix™ is covered under private health insurance (Item Number F344).
How long does it take to apply bracenfix™?
bracenfix™ can be applied in a standard consultation.
How long until I feel pain relief?
You will typically experience some immediate pain relief after application, and a further reduction in pain after 2-3 days.
Is bracenfix™ a permanent solution to ingrown toe nails?
In 80-85% of patients, bracenfix™ successfully reshapes the nail’s alignment and restores natural growth.
Can bracenfix™ be applied to patients with diabetes and/or who have poor circulation?
bracenfix™ is suitable for patients with diabetes and/or who have poor circulation as bracenfix™ is applied externally on top of the nail.
After applying bracenfix™, am I able to resume daily activities as normal?
Yes, you can can resume daily activities as normal.
Have you been watching your toes over these summer months and feeling unhappy with how they look?
While some people turn to a salon pedicure to help hide their toenails, a study that used ultrasound to observe the effects on nails when having a gel polish manicure found nail weakness, brittleness and nail thinning. This leaves two options: continue with pedicures indefinitely – or have to eventually deal with nails that are even more damaged than when you started. Or – you can start to improve the appearance of your nails today by using these five podiatrist-approved methods.
Ever wondered if your nails grow at the same speed? Our toenails grow 2-3 times slower than our fingernails! It’s very important to cut and look after toenails correctly to avoid ingrowing and infections, otherwise you’ll be waiting a while for the nail to grow out.
Can I stop ingrown toenails in my child?
It’s estimated that 50% of ingrown toenails in kids and adolescents are caused by nail cutting technique. Usually if our patients are suffering from ingrown toenails and have poor cutting technique, we observe the following:
Nails that curve down into the edges
Nails that cut deep down into the edges
‘Picked’ or ripped off nails
These issues are easily preventable by always cutting the nails straight across with nail scissors.
How to correctly trim toenails
Trim straight across your toenails
Use proper nail trimming scissors or straight-edge clippers every time
Manage sharp ends gently using a nail file
Leave just a couple of millimetres of white nail at the tips
Aim to trim or check your child’s toenails every month
Need fast relief from ingrown toenails?
Our podiatrists offer ingrown toenail treatment so make sure to make an appointment if you, or someone you know is suffering.
If you are experiencing ingrown toenails, it is time you visited a My FootDr to keep your nails pain free and healthy.
Ingrown toenails, medically known as onychocrytosis, is a common condition that impacts people of all ages. An ingrown nail is caused by a piece of nail protruding from the side of the nail sulcus skin, or into the nail bed itself. This allows for the entry of bacteria into the area which can cause an infection in the toe.
The pain can begin as moderate and progress to severe if the affected toenail becomes infected. The pain can develop so severely that simple tasks such as walking can become painful and limit your ability wear enclosed shoe and participate in sporting activity. The edges or corners of the nail grow into the skin, making the area tender, sore, and often cause redness and bleeding. Read more
Cindy’s journey into podiatry began at the age of 16, sparked by an eye-opening week spent at a local practice in Tamworth, her hometown. Since then, her career has taken her from the rural settings of Tamworth to bustling cities like Sydney, Canberra, the Gold Coast, and Brisbane. For nearly 30 years, Cindy has been dedicated to alleviating pain and improving the quality of life for her patients.
Having served the Townsville community for over 13 years, Cindy’s commitment to podiatry shines through her work. She brings empathy, expertise, and a personalized approach to each patient, whether through functional orthotic therapy for sore feet and legs or surgical procedures for ingrown toenails. Her goal has always been to support her clients in maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.
In addition to her professional dedication, Cindy is a devoted mother and a supportive member of her local Christian congregation in Townsville. Her passion for helping others extends beyond her practice, as she continually strives to keep her community on their feet, both literally and figuratively.
Hello, my name is Dean, and I am a podiatrist at the My FootDr clinic in Bathurst. I am an extremely passionate clinician with a focus on providing high quality patient-centred care. I strive to bring compassion and understanding to my consultations by catering to your individual history, interests, and lower limb health concerns. Read more
Jessica graduated from Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Podiatry in 2017. She is a Redlands local, growing up in the area. She has been practising across the Redlands since completing her studies. She can be found across the Cleveland and Gumdale My FootDr clinics.
Jessica has always aspired to have a career in allied health and finds helping her patients with their lower limb concerns incredibly rewarding. She enjoys all aspects of podiatry and has a particular interest diabetic foot care and preventing lower limb complications, treating ingrown toenails and managing musculoskeletal conditions.
Jessica is keen to keep up to date with new research and treatment options and is currently an active member of the Australian Podiatry Association.
Outside of work, Jessica can be found exploring the best brunch spots and spending time with her family, friends and her dog Winnie.
Ingrown toenails
If you are experiencing ingrown toenails, it is time you visited a My FootDr to keep your nails pain free and healthy.
