Treatment of ingrown toenails, surgery to remove ingrown toenails

What is an ingrown toenail?

With this disease, the nail plate grows into the periungual fold. The big toe is most often affected. The disease begins with some “provoking” moment - an injury during a pedicure, a bruise, wearing tight shoes, etc. Swelling of the roller occurs, it is pressed more tightly against the nail plate and is slightly injured by it (an abrasion, a microcrack occurs). This, in turn, causes increased swelling and pain. Almost immediately an infection sets in - microorganisms invade the wound. Inflammatory phenomena gradually progress - redness appears in the area of the periungual fold, pain and swelling increase. Pus begins to secrete between the nail and the roller, and later hypergranulations appear there (the so-called “wild meat”). Before infection sets in, ingrown toenails can still be stopped by treatment at home - it will be described below. When suppuration occurs, and especially when “wild meat” appears, conservative treatment is always ineffective; it can only bring a short-term reduction in symptoms. Only surgical intervention can radically help.

Sclerotherapy (microsclerotherapy)

We perform the procedure on an outpatient basis without hospitalization, without incisions and without pain. Duration about an hour. Minimum restrictions. Treat the skin at the injection site with an antiseptic (alcohol wipe). A special liquid or foamed preparation – sclerosant – is injected into the dilated visible saphenous vein and the feeding branches that make up the defect through a thin needle (insulin syringe). It causes adhesion, gluing and sclerosis of the vein walls. Due to these effects, we turn off damaged vessels from the bloodstream. The Veinlite device allows us to visualize the veins well.

For sclerotherapy, we use the best products Fibro-Vayne or Athoxysklerol.

If there are a large number of stars, additional injections may be necessary to achieve optimal results.

Next, we apply special gauze pads to the areas of sclerosant injection and put on compression stockings for 3-4 days. Compression therapy allows you to reduce venous pressure and accelerate the necessary initial gluing of the walls of the asterisk vessels. The level and duration of compression pressure is determined individually.

After sclerotherapy, the rehabilitation period is short. As a rule, there is no need to take sick leave. You will be pleasantly surprised when you see how quickly there is no trace left of the star. In the long term, an excellent, lasting aesthetic effect is preserved. It is very important to follow all our recommendations after the procedure. Our professionalism, concentration and experience will allow you to be confident in the results. Grateful reviews from our patients confirm that we are on the right track. We will do everything to make you satisfied.

Causes of ingrowth - why does it happen

Most often, an ingrown toenail (synonymous with onychocryptosis) is the result of a combination of several causes.

Trauma - can be caused by a pedicure (even an unsuccessful tearing off of a small hangnail can cause swelling of the roller, and this will provoke an ingrowth), direct trauma (blow, bruise).
Wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes, especially with a narrow “toe” and high heels.
A large (congenital) periungual ridge is one of the serious causes, which, despite numerous operations, can cause repeated ingrowths (relapses). Plastic surgery of the periungual fold helps solve the problem - it will be described below.
Flat feet - when the first toe deviates outward, there is excess pressure on the cushion from the side of the second toe.
Pregnancy and the postpartum period - according to statistics, the likelihood of ingrowth increases during this time, apparently, this is due to a temporary change in posture and foot settings.
Fungal infections of the nails deform the nail and increase the risk of disease.

The direct cause of an ingrown toenail can be either one of the predisposing factors or a combination of them.

Can self-medication help?

As a rule, this does not give the desired effect. A comprehensive examination, consultation with a phlebologist and development of a treatment plan are required. Very often you come across information that seriously talks about the possibility of getting rid of star veins using folk recipes (apple cider vinegar, pine and flower baths, Kalanchoe infusion, tomato compress). We don’t think that this is the correct and rational solution to the problem for you and we don’t recommend experimenting on your patience and health.

Symptoms

Diagnosing an ingrown toenail is usually not difficult. The main symptom is pain in the area of the periungual fold, first with pressure, and then at rest. Swelling and redness quickly develop. Pus soon begins to appear between the roller and the nail. Redness increases, and with the use of various remedies it may temporarily decrease, but almost always the process becomes chronic and can last for months. Chronicity of the disease is characterized by the appearance of hypergranulations (“wild meat”). In very rare and advanced cases, inflammation can spread to the phalanx bone - osteomyelitis.

There are usually no changes in the patient's general condition. In a blood test, there may be a slight increase in the number of leukocytes during acute inflammation and an increase in ESR. With prolonged ingrowth, it is necessary to perform an x-ray of the finger to exclude involvement of the phalanx bone in the process - osteomyelitis.

Benefits for men, women, children

Today, both men and women actively use the beneficial properties of the plant under discussion. Different types of it are chosen as a home doctor, for example, Kalanchoe pinnate or Degremona.

The natural remedy significantly improves the patient’s condition with adenoma and prostatitis without medications. To combat these problems, you can use fresh leaves of the plant or prepare an alcohol tincture from them. Treatment can begin only after a final diagnosis from a doctor.

Men who do not like to consult specialists with delicate problems also use Kalanchoe juice to treat hemorrhoids. By the way, the healing properties of the flower for such an illness are recognized even by official medicine. Compresses are made from the juice of the plant, diluted with water.

The benefits of Kalanchoe for women are undeniable. For example, in gynecology, juice is used in the form of douching. The procedure helps get rid of cervical erosion and speed up the healing process of ruptures after childbirth.

Representatives of the fair sex love to use various parts of Kalanchoe to maintain their beauty. For example, its juice can be added to moisturizers or acne treatments, as well as masks against hair loss.

It is allowed to use plants to treat a child if he is over 3 years old. For example, parts of the flower are used for sore throat in a small patient, adenoids and burns. The juice of the plant helps to cope with a runny nose and cough. When instilled into the nose, the liquid must be diluted with boiled water or milk so as not to damage the mucous membranes.

Treatment methods

Treatment of an ingrown toenail is carried out using different methods. The main and most reliable method is surgery. Thumb surgery is performed on an outpatient basis and does not require hospitalization. There are several modifications of operations, incl. using radio waves and lasers. The doctor decides which operation to perform on a given patient, depending on the specific situation.

Anesthesia for operations on ingrown toenails is always conductive - a small amount of anesthetic is injected into the base of the finger on both sides under the skin, after which you need to wait 5 - 10 minutes, and the finger will be completely anesthetized. With this type of anesthesia, the operation is completely painless in 100% of cases.

Let's consider the main types of operations. They all solve the problem of how to remove an ingrown toenail.

Regional resection of the nail plate using radio waves or lasers.

This method is the most common, low-traumatic and reliable; it involves removing the ingrown edge of the nail (1–2 mm), treating a fragment of the growth zone with a radio wave or laser, and removing purulent tissue along the edge of the periungual fold. It should be noted that there is no fundamental difference between radio wave and laser exposure; both of these devices ensure reliable destruction of the desired fragment of the growth zone with minimal damage to neighboring tissues.

Alcohol tincture of Kalanchoe application

Due to the fact that the tincture retains all the healing qualities of the plant for a long time, it is used in folk therapy more often than other Kalanchoe remedies. It is taken orally and used externally for lotions, rubs, and compresses. The beneficial substances included in its composition treat various ailments. She helps:

For various skin problems (wounds, burns, bedsores, acne, boils, warts, etc.).
For colds (runny nose, flu, sinusitis, sore throat).
For ailments of internal organs (gastritis, peptic ulcer, prostatitis, varicose veins (varicose veins), thrombophlebitis).
For diseases of the ears and oral cavity (otitis, stomatitis, gingivitis, periodontitis).

How to use it in the fight against ailments? Here are some specific recipes for use:

If you have a cold, runny nose, or sinusitis, drop your nose with a mixture of tincture and boiled water (1:5) several times a day.
To gargle against diseases of the throat and mouth, use a mixture with water (ratio 1:3). Do rinses 2 – 3 times daily for a week.
To treat boils, acne, pustules, skin rashes, wipe the problem areas with a moistened cotton swab in the morning and evening.
To quickly heal wounds and cuts, wash the wound once a day, cover with a bandage soaked in tincture, and secure with a bandage.
For skin diseases, apply gauze moistened with tincture to the affected area and secure with a bandage. Course 10 – 15 days.
To treat diseases of the stomach and intestines, female diseases, prostatitis, take the medicine 1 tsp. twice a day for 1.5 months (0.5 hours before meals).
To get rid of warts, apply to the wart 2-3 times daily. As a rule, after 1.5 - 2 weeks the formations disappear.
For otitis media, before going to bed, drop 1-2 drops of alcohol medicine into the sore ear and cover the ear with cotton wool.
To improve vision, drink 1 s each for 2 weeks. l. three times a day. After a 10-day break, repeat the dose.

Application for varicose veins

For varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, the formation of spider veins, pain and swelling of the legs, alcohol tincture is a very effective medicine. Before going to bed, rub your feet daily with a cotton swab soaked in tincture. Do this in a circular motion, starting from your feet to your knees and above. In the morning, give your feet a cool shower and a light massage. This will normalize blood circulation, relieve swelling, relieve pain, and reduce “venous networks.”

Latest information: Treatment of varicose veins on the legs with folk remedies

But please be patient, a noticeable improvement in varicose veins will not occur earlier than after 3 to 4 months of regular rubbing. However, in the initial stages of varicose veins, the effect will become noticeable after the first month of the procedures. This treatment is recommended to be used in conjunction with medications.

Alcohol tincture of Kalanchoe - contraindications

If you decide to be treated with alcohol tincture of Kalanchoe, make sure that such treatment is not contraindicated for you. You should not use this folk medicine:

Pregnant and breastfeeding women and children.
For severe liver diseases, cancer, Whipple's disease.
If there is an individual intolerance to the plant.

You can check how your body tolerates Kalanchoe this way: apply a couple of drops of juice to the inside of the elbow or near the nose - if after 2 hours there is no redness or itching - medications based on it are suitable for you. But to be completely safe, consult your doctor.

Marginal resection of the nail plate with plastic surgery of the periungual fold according to Schmieden

The method is clearly indicated for patients with excess periungual ridge. If you leave such a roller, then in all other types of operations it will still be the cause of relapse. A relative indication is multiple relapses after other interventions.

Surgery technique: a conventional marginal resection is performed using radio waves or a laser, which is supplemented by a wedge-shaped excision of the periungual fold with closure of the defect with sutures. The sutures are removed on days 7–8, after which recovery begins. Relapses after Schmiden's surgery are extremely rare.

Contraindications

The plant has no contraindications for external use. The only exceptions are individual intolerances to plant components. When using tinctures or ointments, allergies or rashes may occur.

The presence of wounds is also considered a reason not to use this method of treating varicose veins. The presence of wounds can cause complications that will aggravate varicose veins.

When taking orally, you should pay attention to the presence of chronic diseases. Since the plant causes vasodilation, the risk of symptoms of chronic diseases increases.

Self-treatment at home and folk remedies

Such treatment is permissible only in the very initial manifestations of ingrowth, when there is only slight pain and swelling of the cushion. When suppuration occurs, and even more so when “wild meat” appears, treatment at home is ineffective; it may bring temporary relief, but all symptoms will soon return. In these cases, surgery is needed.

Among the “home” methods, we can recommend semi-alcohol dressings with Levomekol ointment. A strip of levomekol ointment is applied to the area of inflammation, after which the finger is wrapped in a gauze cloth soaked in vodka and secured with a regular bandage. The time to wear the bandage is until it dries completely. Can be applied twice a day - morning and night. If the symptoms do not disappear within 2-3 days, you need to consult a doctor who will determine how to properly treat this condition.

You should be warned against using methods such as the use of aloe and celandine. These drugs, like many similar ones, can cause severe local irritation of tissues, and thereby cause the progression of inflammation. In addition, an allergic reaction is possible. Vishnevsky ointment creates favorable conditions for the development of microflora, therefore it is also not recommended for use.

Practice shows that most often, after prolonged use of various “home” and “folk” methods, patients still end up undergoing surgery, but in a more “advanced” state.

Healing composition and medicinal properties

Kalanchoe leaves contain more than 90% liquid. Kalanchoe juice contains organic acids, flavonoids, tannins, vitamins and microelements.

Despite the fact that the healing properties of the components of Kalanchoe have been officially proven, some questions about the mechanisms of its healing effect on the body remain to be clarified.

The current ingredients for the treatment of varicose veins are as follows:

Flavonoids. Thanks to their P-vitamin activity, the walls of blood vessels are strengthened. In addition, they provide a choleretic and bactericidal effect.
Tannins. They are responsible for anti-inflammatory and hemostatic effects.
Vitamin C. It also helps strengthen the vascular wall and optimize its permeability. Stimulates immunity.

Healing properties:

Kalanchoe juice is recognized as a strong biogenic stimulant.
It is a natural antibiotic. Kalanchoe destroys some bacteria and has an effect that stops the growth and development of others.
The anti-inflammatory properties of Kalanchoe are manifested by its inhibitory effect on the synthesis and accumulation of inflammatory mediators. As a result, the severity of the inflammatory response is leveled. And this leads to a reduction in swelling of the affected tissue and pain.
Kalanchoe is also known for its hemostatic properties. Lubricating the wound with juice from it or applying gruel from its leaves helps reduce bleeding of the wound.
Surprising is the property of this plant to “clean” sluggish wound surfaces from necrotic masses. Considering that Kalanchoe has pronounced reparative properties, it promotes rapid healing of wounds and the development of new epithelium.

Conservative treatment methods

They are mainly used for uncomplicated ingrown toenails, when there is no pronounced suppuration or persistent invasion of the nail plate into the tissue of the periungual fold. There are many known methods of conservative treatment - tamponade, application of corrective devices (plastic, metal, glued to the nail, in the form of one- and two-sided staples, etc.). In many cases, treatment with all these methods is quite effective. There are also disadvantages. The main ones include the following:

Duration of treatment – correction of a nail with staples takes weeks and sometimes months, but the result is not 100% guaranteed, and it is possible that in the end you will still need surgery to remove the ingrown nail.
High price. The corrective devices themselves are not very expensive, but they need to be constantly monitored, which requires repeated visits to a specialist, and, in total, is not cheap.
The presence and visibility of a brace on the leg (and it needs to be worn for quite a long time and can only be removed at the end of the course of treatment).
A good effect can be achieved only if the treatment is carried out by an experienced podologist; there are few such specialists, although many undertake to treat with these methods, often without proper knowledge of the technique.

Kalanchoe tinctures for varicose veins and their use

The plant that you choose for preparing tinctures needs to be strong, healthy and mature (at least three years old). It is preferable that the stem be about half a meter long, since it will be very juicy, and it is easy to obtain a significant amount of healing tincture from it.

Most often, tinctures from Kalanchoe are used for varicose veins, which have a decongestant effect and normalize blood circulation and improve the activity of blood vessels.

For varicose veins, Kalanchoe tincture is one of the common remedies that traditional medicine can offer us. Tinctures from Kalanchoe are considered the most effective means to help avoid varicose veins.

When starting to use the plant for medicinal purposes, it is necessary not to water it for one week.

Next, we will consider various recipes for Kalanchoe for varicose veins.

Based on plant leaves

One of the most common is a tincture according to the following recipe:

In a glass container, fill up to half its volume with Kalanchoe leaves.
Fill to the top with water.
Close the lid and leave it in a dark place for a week, shaking it daily.

After the seven-day period, this tincture is ready for use.

Directions for use: every day before bed, massage and rub into the skin of the legs, starting with the feet and ending with the groin fold.

It is recommended that immediately after the procedure, bed rest. The duration of treatment is three to four months.

Juice based

The second, no less popular, recipe:

We cut the leaves and hide them for a week in a cool place where the temperature will not exceed 8 °C. This is necessary so that the leaves do not lose their beneficial qualities.
Seven days later, when the leaves are already slightly limp, grind them using a meat grinder.
Squeeze out all the juice and let it sit for at least two days.
Drain the juice, and add alcohol to the sediment that has settled to the bottom in the following proportion: for 25 tablespoons of juice - 1 tablespoon of alcohol.
Store at approximately 8-12 °C.

Directions for use: moisten a cotton swab and wipe your feet in affected areas. Recommended before bedtime.

Tincture used for both external and internal use

Our third recipe is more labor-intensive than the previous ones, but very effective:

Finely chopped fresh and clean Kalanchoe leaves are placed in a glass container.
Pour in alcohol at the rate of one glass per three tablespoons of crushed leaves.
Let the tincture stand for about ten days.
Next, use gauze or a clean bandage to strain.
Pour into an airtight container and our tincture is ready for use.

You can use the tincture:

as lotions;
as a compress;
for internal use.

Prevention methods

To prevent ingrown toenails, you need to follow several rules, which in most cases help to avoid problems.

Firstly, you need to wear comfortable shoes not with narrow toes, the heel should be no more than 4 cm high.

Secondly, it is necessary to trim the nail correctly - the edge of the nail must “come out” of the roller, and only then can it be rounded. Thus, the pressure on the roller will be not from the “angle”, but from the “plane”, which will reduce the likelihood of ingrowth.

Thirdly, if you have flat feet, you need to wear special orthopedic insoles.

Fourthly, if you have nail fungus, it needs to be treated by a dermatologist or mycologist.

Kalanchoe juice

Kalanchoe juice can be obtained in the following ways:

Place the chopped leaves in a glass container, fill with purified water and leave for a week. The container must be tightly closed with a lid, so it is better to use a jar. Use while massaging your feet, generously lubricating the skin.
Grind the leaves of the plant, place them in a glass container and place them in a place where the temperature is 8 degrees maximum. After a week of infusion, the crushed leaves need to be ground using a meat grinder. Then you need to squeeze the juice through several layers of gauze and use it for its intended purpose. It is advisable to mix the juice with alcohol. For 1 spoon of medical alcohol you will need 22-26 tablespoons of pure juice without sediment. The juice should be stored at room temperature.

Where to delete?

To solve the problem, you need to contact a surgeon. Only this specialist can get rid of an ingrown toenail. When choosing a specialist, you need to be guided by his experience and work experience. It will be useful to read reviews about it from other patients (they can always be found on the Internet). A large number of negative reviews, as well as the lack of reviews, should alert you. The clinic where the doctor works must have the necessary equipment for radio wave or laser removal. The doctor must have sufficient experience working with these devices, because with insufficient exposure to radio waves or lasers, a relapse may occur, and with excessive exposure, damage to adjacent areas of the growth zone may occur, which will cause permanent deformation of the entire nail. The surgeon must also be able to perform plastic surgery of the periungual fold in order to apply this method if there are appropriate indications.

Dr. Elshansky Igor Vitalievich has worked as a surgeon since 1993, candidate of medical sciences, has been treating ingrown toenails for more than 20 years, knows all treatment methods and modifications of operations. The clinic has a radio wave device; there are all conditions for diagnosing and treating ingrown toenails at any stage of the disease.

All our videos on ingrown toenails - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP8p3HIB4FTJprjiZKvJ6e_oY2pcnHL6u

Proven Recipes

You can make a tincture from all parts of Kalanchoe. One plant can be used entirely if the leaves are not fleshy or developed enough. The classic and simplest recipe is suitable for those who have no experience in making complex alcohol tinctures. It is necessary to choose a glass container of optimal volume, for example, a standard 0.5 liter wide-neck bottle. Fill the vessel halfway with the prepared raw materials; do not compact it too much. Fill the top with high-quality vodka to the top. Place in a dark place away from heat sources. Shake daily for a week. Then you can use it.

You can also make a concentrated tincture based on the plant juice prepared in advance. Trim off large leaves and place them in a container in the refrigerator for one week. Then grind in a large meat grinder. Drain the juice, squeeze out the pulp additionally, and if desired, you can rub it through a coarse sieve. Place in a glass container for a week in a dark place. During this time, the liquid component will separate from the dense jelly-like sediment, which should be used. Drain the upper liquid part through a tube, dilute the sediment with vodka in a ratio of 25:1, where 25 are parts of Kalanchoe juice. Mix thoroughly, then store at a temperature of 8 to 12 degrees.

An excellent place to store the finished product would be the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. This is the most suitable temperature. If the refrigerator is old, you should move the container with the tincture away from the back freezing wall.

A tincture made according to a more complex recipe is suitable for internal use. Finely chop the leaves and stems or pass through a meat grinder. Fill the glass bottle halfway and also add vodka. Leave in a dark place for a week and a half, shaking occasionally. It is advisable to find a container with an airtight lid or seal it with foil or a rubber band. Strain through three layers of cheesecloth to separate the fractions of the crushed plant. Store in an airtight container in a cool place.

To enhance the effect of rubbing the tincture, you should gently massage the affected areas with your hands. This will reduce the amount of tincture evaporating into the air and increase the percentage of absorbed substance. Circular massage movements will increase blood flow and outflow of lymphatic fluid.

After rubbing the tincture, bed rest is recommended for at least one hour. During the treatment period, active sports with a pronounced load on the lower extremities should be excluded.

Valery: due to constant work on the legs, the first problems with blood vessels appeared at the age of 43. Treatment began only when thick blue veins became noticeable. My wife now makes a tincture of the leaves in juice, which has proven to be the most effective. I wipe it only twice a day, but this is enough if you repeat the courses regularly.

Larisa: I heard about Kalanchoe juice for varicose veins quite recently. Completed the first course of treatment. My plant is quite small, there are not enough leaves, so I used the stems too. The most convenient option is to do it in small portions, for example, in a 0.5 liter jar or even less. It is convenient to store, and there will always be fresh product.

Kalanchoe tincture with vodka is one of the most inexpensive, easy-to-make remedies for varicose veins. The leaves and stems of the plant retain their healing properties all year round, so there will be no problems with regular repetition of courses. A complete cure for the disease in this way is impossible with the development of stages 2 and 3 of the pathology, however, timely initiation of treatment significantly increases the chances of reducing symptoms and overall improvement of the condition.

Laser

This technique uses laser radiation of a special frequency. The laser beam allows you to glue, solder and sclerosis the veins that make up the cosmetic defect. It is worth noting that despite its popularity, the technique has obvious disadvantages. The procedure is accompanied by a significant thermal effect on the skin with burning of the entire star pattern, whereas with sclerotherapy the sclerosant is injected and distributed through one injection point. With laser exposure, it is not always possible to close the “feeding veins,” which can lead to the rapid appearance of new subcutaneous patterns.