Ingrown toenails are a common complaint than can just be ‘niggly’ and progress into a nasty infection. An ingrown toenail can be caused by tight footwear, trauma or being incorrectly cut.

Removal of the ingrown portion of the toenail is relatively painless and immediate relief is often experience. Sometimes, however, due to the local inflammation, pain can sometimes still be present for 6-12 hours after.

If the ingrown toenail is chronic, recurring and consistently becoming infected we suggest a minor procedure to permanently remove the offending portion. This is called a partial nail avulsion.

A partial nail avulsion (PNA) is a minor procedure where a portion of the nail that is persistently growing in is removed and the nail bed is chemically cauterised (burnt) to stop it from growing back. For this, we use a chemical called phenol.

The procedure takes about 45-60mins and is done in our rooms at Shellharbour City Centre. It is done under local anaesthetic, the application of which is the only discomfort you should experience throughout the whole procedure.

Click Here for an information PDF of the the procedure from the Royal College of General Practitioners.