Sunday, August 1, 2010

Has anyone had their toe nail taken off because it was ingrown?

i'm waiting for an appointment and totally dreading it. My toe keeps getting infected so have no choice.


Please tell me how painful it is during and after, but be gentle LOL


Thanks in advanceHas anyone had their toe nail taken off because it was ingrown?
I've had both of my big toes done, although just a narrow piece was removed, and never regretted it.





They will numb the toe before they inject some pain killer, but the shots will still hurt a bit. After the injection wears off you will feel a bit of throbbing, so keep it elevated, and use ice as your doctor recommends.





You will have follow ups to have it checked and cleaned, and the cleaning is not too bad.





I was going to an office party the day I had mine done, and just wore some Birkenstocks and was fine that evening.Has anyone had their toe nail taken off because it was ingrown?
I had my big toe nails narrowed and the roots killed so they would not grow so wide.





This was about 20 years ago so I can only remember being very bored- sat in bed for a couple of weeks with big bandages on my toes. The only time I was in serious pain was when I accidentally banged my toes against something, which only happened once! I was very carefull after that.





You'll be fine- just make sure you follow the after care instructions





Good luck!
my sister had it done when she was younger! i remember going to the hospital with her and my mum... dont think she said it hurt, she was put to sleep if i remember! she did have a bandage on her toe after tho and had to rest... this is going back about 15-18yrs ago
My elder sister did, and i remember standing on it (on accident of course ;) ;) ).. the two dead arms and dead leg i got kinda made me step a bit more carefully after that....





On a high note, as long as you keep vengeful little sisters away from it, it will be fine!!!!
I've not had any of my own removed, but I've sure helped out enough with the procedure. The actual removal shouldn't hurt at all, the doctor will numb the toe before he removes the nail. The shots to numb the toe hurt like a wooly-booger through- most folks find the lidocaine burns like fire. But it's nothing that they keel over from either, everyone has survived it. Once the lidocaine takes effect, you won't feel any pain. You will feel plenty of pressure, though- lots of tugging and such. Afterwards, you will have a bandage that makes it look like they took off the entire toe, and you won't be wearing any shoes at all for a few days. You won't be in a closed toe shoe for at least two weeks, I'd say. As the medication wears off, though- that toe will scream as a rule. It will thump with each pulse and feel like it's the size of a watermelon. Hopefully, before this happens you will have arrived home and taken up position in a very comfy chair with your foot propped up straight in front of you. Usually the doctor provides a prescription for a mild pain killer you can take, mostly folks get 800mg Motrin- depending on the doctor you might get a few Tylenol #3. Don't plan on sleeping in the bed that night- you won't want air touching the toe, not to mention covers and blankets. I suggest sticking to the chair or couch myself. Again, depending on the doctor, you may be heading back in that next day for the first dressing change, but some doctors send you home with the bandage materials to do it yourself. It will look pretty horrific that first time you see it. The doctor doesn't usually take off the entire nail, they will most often remove only part of the nail along the side where it was ingrown. It will look pretty much like raw meat there. Follow the doctors directions about the aftercare. Usually they have you use a nonstick dressing for a couple days, and then switch to a dry one as it heals and dries itself. You usually notice a big improvement in things about 4-5 days after its done, and will be able to leave the toe open to air for a while before you put the dressing back on. Close toe shoes will still not even tempt you at that point though. Once you can stand to touch the spot without yowling, you are ready to go into your regular close toe shoes. I suggest you find the pair that has the widest toe cap you have for that return. And once you are nice and healed up, you need to inspect all your shoes for a good toe fit. Poorly fitted shoes are the usual major culprits for causing ingrown toenails. Your toes should never touch the end of the shoe- even when you are walking. Your toes should be able to spread out comfortably inside with wiggle room to spare. If any pair of shoes fail those two tests, you need to dump them and replace them with shoes that do. No matter how nice they are, they are return trips to have another ingrown nail removed in the future. Not worth it at any price. Also watch how short you clip the toenails. Toenails should end even with the end of your toe- not any shorter than that. When you touch the tip of a toe, you should be able to feel the edge of the nail itself. If you happen to clip one a bit short, or notice one is threatening to grow in, immediately clip a small ';v'; shaped notch in the very center of the nail tip. That helps relieve pressure off the edges, and can save you a lot of agony. And finally, watch how snug you pull on socks or hose- you should have wiggle room in the end of the sock, it should never be snug across the tips of your toes. A good rule is to have about 1/2 inch of sock end left past the toes. Good luck with the removal, and buy yourself a pretty pair of flipflops before you go, to take with you for the return home and a few days afterwards. You are going to be needing them for a few days at least.

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