Ingrown toenail surgery

What is ingrown toenail surgery?

An ingrown toenail happens when the edge of the nail grows into the skin beside it, causing pain, redness and sometimes infection. It most often affects the big toe.

Ingrown toenail surgery is a small procedure done under local anaesthetic. The clinician removes the troublesome edge of the nail (partial nail avulsion), or sometimes the whole nail. In most planned cases they then treat the nail bed underneath, usually with a chemical called phenol, so that part of the nail does not grow back and dig in again.

It is usually done by a podiatrist or a GP with the right training, and sometimes by a surgeon. It treats the nail itself. It does not change the shape of your toe bone or how you cut your nails in future, which both matter for stopping the problem coming back.

Many ingrown toenails settle with simpler steps first, such as good nail-cutting, soaking and treating any infection. Surgery is usually for nails that keep coming back or do not improve with these measures.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

With phenol vs without phenol

Most planned ingrown toenail surgery uses phenol because it greatly reduces the chance of the problem returning. Discuss the trade-off with your clinician.

Preparing for your procedure

• See the clinician (often a podiatrist) who will examine the toe, check the blood supply and feeling, and ask about diabetes or circulation problems.
• Tell them about all medicines, especially blood thinners, and any allergies.
• Mention diabetes, poor circulation or a weak immune system, as these affect healing and the decision to operate.
• Treat any active infection first; the procedure is often delayed until heavy infection has settled.
• Wear or bring open-toed or roomy footwear for going home, as the toe will have a bulky dressing.
• Arrange for someone to help you get home if you would struggle to walk far afterwards.
• Plan a few quieter days with your foot up, and avoid booking it just before a holiday, sport or a long day on your feet.

What happens

The procedure is done with you awake. The clinician injects local anaesthetic into the base of the toe so it goes numb; the injection stings briefly but the procedure itself should not hurt. A tight band may be put around the toe to reduce bleeding.

The ingrowing edge of the nail (or the whole nail) is gently lifted and removed. If phenol is being used, it is applied to the exposed nail bed for a short time to stop that part of the nail regrowing, then washed away. A dressing is applied.

The whole appointment usually takes about 20–45 minutes. You can normally walk out, though the toe will feel numb for a few hours and then become sore as the anaesthetic wears off.

Is this procedure right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Comfort, sedation or contrast choices

If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.

The main trade-off is between phenol (lower chance the nail comes back) and slightly slower healing with a little more risk of minor infection. People with diabetes, poor circulation or a weak immune system need careful assessment first, because foot wounds can heal slowly and become serious. Ask how your individual healing risk has been considered.

Published figures to discuss

Reported rates vary because studies differ in technique, follow-up length and how recurrence is defined, and the overall quality of evidence is modest. The figures below are cautious ranges from reviews of surgical treatment, not promises for any one person.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

This is a small procedure, but the toe takes a few weeks to heal fully because the wound is left open to heal on its own. Most people manage the first few days with simple painkillers, a raised foot and roomy shoes.

• Soreness and throbbing for the first few days that improves with painkillers
• Some clear or blood-stained ooze from the toe early on
• A nail that looks narrower or slightly different once healed
• A few weeks before the wound is fully healed, especially with phenol

Aftercare

• Take simple painkillers such as paracetamol as advised; check before using ibuprofen if you have other conditions.
• Keep the dressing dry for the time you are told, then follow the soaking and dressing-change advice you are given.
• Keep your foot raised when resting in the first days to reduce throbbing.
• Wear open or roomy footwear until the toe is comfortable, and avoid tight shoes.
• Avoid swimming, sport and standing for long periods until the wound has healed and you are advised it is safe.
• Watch for signs of infection and know who to contact if the toe becomes more painful, red or starts to discharge pus.
• Cut your nails straight across in future and keep feet clean and dry to reduce the chance of it returning.

• Simple painkillers at home
• Open or roomy shoes ready
• Spare dressings if you have been asked to change them
• A few quieter days planned with your foot up
• Someone to help with shopping or travel if needed
• The clinic or podiatry contact number saved

Scars and how they heal

There is usually no surgical cut to stitch, so there is no scar in the normal sense. The toe is left with a small raw area beside the nail that heals over a few weeks. Once healed, the nail often looks slightly narrower on the treated side. If a wedge of tissue was cut out and stitched, there may be a small line beside the nail.

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Increasing pain, redness, heat or swelling spreading up the toe or foot
• Pus or a bad smell from the wound
• Feeling generally unwell, hot, cold or shivery
• Bleeding that will not stop with gentle pressure
• The toe becoming pale, blue, very cold or numb
• Any wound problems if you have diabetes or poor circulation — seek advice promptly

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good result means the painful ingrowing edge is gone, the wound heals, and the nail does not dig in again. When phenol is used, the treated strip of nail should not grow back, so the problem is far less likely to return.

Surgery treats the nail, but it cannot guarantee the toe will never give trouble again, and it does not change how you cut your nails or the shape of your toe. Good nail care afterwards is part of a lasting result.

When the nail edge is treated with phenol, the result is usually long-lasting and the ingrown nail rarely comes back. Without phenol, the nail edge is much more likely to regrow and the problem can return. Even after a good result, careful nail-cutting and well-fitting shoes help keep the toe healthy.

Follow-up & long-term care

You may be given a follow-up appointment to check healing and change dressings, or asked to manage dressings yourself with advice on what to watch for. If a small piece of nail regrows or the problem returns, the procedure can usually be repeated.

• Cut toenails straight across, not down into the corners
• Wear shoes with enough room for your toes
• Keep feet clean and dry, and treat any fungal nail or skin infection
• Seek early advice if a nail edge starts to dig in again

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• If a small piece of nail (spicule) regrows, a repeat procedure on that edge is usually straightforward.
• Without phenol, repeat treatment is more often needed because recurrence is higher.
• Over-treatment cannot easily be reversed if too much nail is removed, so a measured approach matters.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• Clear written advice on painkillers, dressing care and soaking.
• A named contact and instructions for what to do if the toe becomes infected.
• A plan for follow-up or self-managed dressing changes and when healing should be checked.
• Advice on nail-cutting and footwear to reduce the chance of it returning.
• Extra care and earlier review arranged for people with diabetes or poor circulation.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• Whether you see a podiatrist, GP or surgeon, and the clinic's fee
• Whether one nail edge, both edges or the whole nail is treated
• Whether phenol or a surgical (wedge) technique is used
• The cost of dressings and any follow-up appointments
• Whether antibiotics are needed for infection
• Whether one or both feet are treated

• The clinician's fee for the procedure
• Local anaesthetic, dressings and any phenol treatment included
• How many nail edges or nails are being treated
• Follow-up appointments and dressing changes
• What happens, and any extra cost, if the nail regrows or needs repeating
• What happens if the wound becomes infected

On the NHS? Ingrown toenail surgery is available on the NHS through podiatry or GP services when simpler care has not worked, but waiting times vary and some people choose private care for speed or convenience.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the surgeon who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.

• Do I really need surgery, or could nail care and treating any infection work first?
• Will you use phenol, and how does that change the chance of it coming back versus healing time?
• How will my diabetes, circulation or other conditions affect healing in my case?
• How long is the toe likely to take to heal, and what should I avoid in that time?
• What should I do, and who do I contact, if the toe becomes infected or the problem returns?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the surgeon who carries out my procedure, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this procedure not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified surgeon for ingrown toenail surgery

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NHS — Ingrown toenail Cochrane review — Surgical treatments for ingrowing toenails Systematic review and meta-analysis: recurrence and symptom relief (PMC) Systematic review and meta-analysis: healing, complications, pain (PMC) Partial nail avulsion with phenol vs without (PMC)

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.