An ingrown toenail (onychocryptosis) is a common discomfort that involves the nail curving down, into the surrounding skin as it grows. Interestingly, ingrown toenails are absent in cultures that go barefoot, but that isn't an option for most of us in Southern California.
Most prevalent in the big toe, ingrown toenails can be painful, display redness, swelling, and infection (yellow drainage). Ingrown toenails frequently resolve without medical treatment, however, chronic or complicated cases may require treatment by a physician.
Dr. Bob Baravaria DPM, FACFAS is a Board-Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Specialist. He is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and serves as Director of University Foot and Ankle Institute.
Dr. Baravarian has been involved in athletics his entire life and played competitive tennis in high school and college. He has an interest in sports medicine, arthritis therapy, and trauma/reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. He is also fluent in five languages (English, French, Spanish, Farsi, and Hebrew),