Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown toenails (or onychocryptosis) occur when the edge of the nail grows into the skin of the toe. They can be painful with redness and swelling around the nail.
ANATOMY
There are three stages of ingrown toenails. In the first stage the skin on either side of the nail is red and painful to the touch because of irritation, not infection. In the second stage the skin is infected and may bulge over the side of the nail which may ooze clear fluid or pus. In the third stage the skin has been infected for a prolonged time and is trying to heal itself.
The skin does this by forming granulation tissue. This is heaped up extra red tissue that bleeds easily and migrates over the nail edge.

Causes
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Ingrown toenails are diagnosed clinically by their appearance. If pus is present, it may be cultured to determine the bacteria involved, but this is not always necessary. Infections that involve the bone or joint space may need to be ruled out with an X-ray, but this extent of infection is rare.
Treatment
Ingrown toenails are treated based on the stage involved. Toenails in stage 1 can be treated with warm soaks, a cutout shoe, and by elevating the nail with a cotton swab. Symptoms usually improve after a couple of days, but may not resolve for 2 to 3 weeks. Toenails in stage 2 can be treated with warm soaks and oral antibiotics. Closed-toed shoes and hosiery should not be worn for at least 1 week. If the toenail is especially painful, a portion of the toenail may need to be removed.
This is done in the office under local anesthesia. Toenails in stage 3 need to be treated with partial or full toenail removal. For recurrent instances of ingrown nails, the nail bed can be ablated.

This is done by placing phenol on a cotton swab and inserting it under the cuticle remaining after the nail has been removed. The phenol kills the matrix cells that make the nail plate.
Self care
You can treat stage 1 ingrown toenails at home. Here’s how:
Conservative treatments for hammertoes are often limited because they cannot correct the bone deformities involved. There is no way to stop the progression or reverse the deformity without literally moving the bones back into the correct position and realigning the joint. This can only be accomplished with surgery. If conservative treatment fails or the hammertoes progress to the point where conservative treatment is no longer a viable option, surgical intervention may be needed to correct the deformity.