Ingrown Toenail
Basics
Description
- In an ingrown toenail, the distal margin of the nail plate grows into the lateral nail fold, causing irritation, inflammation, and sometimes bacterial or fungal infection:
- Stage 1 (inflammation): erythema, edema, tenderness to palpation of lateral nail fold
- Stage 2 (abscess): increased pain, erythema, and edema as well as drainage (purulent or serous)
- Stage 3 (granulation): Chronic inflammation leads to further erythema, edema, and pain, often with granulation tissue growing over the nail plate and significant nail fold hypertrophy.
- Can reoccur
- Synonym(s): onychocryptosis, unguis incarnatus
Epidemiology
- Great toenail is most often affected.
- Lateral edge of nail is more commonly affected than the medial edge.
- Most common in males aged 14 to 25 years
- Infrequent, but more often in elderly females than in elderly males
- More common in those with lower incomes
Prevalence
- 2.5% of total population
- 5% of population aged > 65 years
- 2:1 male to female ratio
Etiology and Pathophysiology
- Nail plate penetrates the nail fold, causing a foreign body reaction (inflammation).
- Bacteria or fungi may enter through the opening in the nail fold, causing infection and abscess formation.
- The inflamed and infected area leads to granulation tissue and hypertrophy of the nail fold.
Risk Factors
- Genetic factors
- Increased nail fold width
- Decreased nail thickness
- Medial rotation of the toe
- Many others proposed; none proven, including the following:
- Distorted, thickened nail (onychogryphosis)
- Fungal infection (onychomycosis)
- Hyperhidrosis
- Improper trimming of the lateral nail plate
- Poorly fitting shoes
- Trauma to nail or nail fold
- Conditions that predispose to pedal edema (i.e., thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, obesity, heart failure, renal disease)
General Prevention
- Properly fitting shoes
- Proper nail trimming (see “Patient Education”)
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Citation
Domino, Frank J., et al., editors. "Ingrown Toenail." 5-Minute Clinical Consult, 33rd ed., Wolters Kluwer, 2025. Medicine Central, im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/1688588/all/Ingrown_Toenail.
Ingrown Toenail. In: Domino FJF, Baldor RAR, Golding JJ, et al, eds. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2025. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/1688588/all/Ingrown_Toenail. Accessed October 15, 2024.
Ingrown Toenail. (2025). In Domino, F. J., Baldor, R. A., Golding, J., & Stephens, M. B. (Eds.), 5-Minute Clinical Consult (33rd ed.). Wolters Kluwer. https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/1688588/all/Ingrown_Toenail
Ingrown Toenail [Internet]. In: Domino FJF, Baldor RAR, Golding JJ, Stephens MBM, editors. 5-Minute Clinical Consult. Wolters Kluwer; 2025. [cited 2024 October 15]. Available from: https://im.unboundmedicine.com/medicine/view/5-Minute-Clinical-Consult/1688588/all/Ingrown_Toenail.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
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