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How long does it take for an ingrown toenail to grow out?

Author

Daniel Moore

Published Jan 21, 2026

Lifting the nail.

For a slightly ingrown nail, your health care provider may carefully lift the ingrowing nail edge and place cotton, dental floss or a splint under it. This separates the nail from the overlying skin and helps the nail grow above the skin edge, usually in 2 to 12 weeks.

Will an ingrown toenail eventually grow out?

In some cases, an ingrown toenail will grow out and heal on its own. That's not always the case since an ingrown toenails left untreated can lead to complications.

What is the fastest way to get rid of a ingrown toenail?

They may:

  1. Lift the nail. The doctor might lift the ingrown nail and put a splint under it to relieve some pressure. ...
  2. Cut away part of the nail. If the doctor has to do this, they'll numb your toe with a shot first.
  3. Remove the whole nail and some tissue. If your ingrown nail keeps coming back, this might be an option.

How much is it to get a ingrown toenail removed?

For patients without health insurance, ingrown toenail treatment typically costs less than $50 for at-home treatment, but can reach $200-$1,000 or more if a doctor visit and a procedure to remove all or part of the toenail is required.

How do you dissolve an ingrown toenail?

The best way to do this is to put the toe in water while rubbing the Epsom salt into the affected area. The Epsom salt will absorb into the skin and help to soften and dissolve portions of the nail that has become embedded in the skin.

41 related questions found

How long can you leave an ingrown toenail untreated?

They will not go away without intervention, but people can usually treat them at home over a few days. A person should speak to a doctor if: the ingrown toenail does not improve with home care. they have an underlying health condition that affects the feet, such as diabetes.

How can I permanently fix an ingrown toenail?

An ingrown toenail can be permanently corrected with a procedure called a chemical matrixectomy. This procedure involves removing either a portion of the nail that is ingrown or the entire toenail in certain cases.

Can you walk after ingrown toenail surgery?

Patients that are involved in walking, running, or athletic activity can typically return to activity within 2-3 days for removal of infected toenail and 5-7 days for a permanent nail procedure with chemical application.

Can you fix ingrown toenail yourself?

Removing an ingrown toenail is a simple, straightforward, and safe procedure … for a podiatrist who has been specially trained to perform it. Attempting to do so yourself, however, can be extremely dangerous.

What happens if you don't take care of an ingrown toenail?

Untreated ingrown toenails can become severely painful, and can easily get infected. If that infection isn't dealt with promptly, it can spread and deepen, potentially even reaching the bone. By this point, if you haven't sought help from a podiatrist, extreme measures like amputation may now be on the table.

When should I be concerned about ingrown toenail?

Pain and swelling around your toe and the inability to wear certain shoes might be signs of an ingrown toenail. It's a common condition that you can sometimes take care of at home. But if the pain becomes unbearable, or you can see an infection in the tissue around your toenail, you may need to seek medical treatment.

Can you lose a toe from an ingrown toenail?

Ingrown toenails left untreated usually cause a lot of pain, can get infected and, in the worst situations, can actually lead to bone infections and loss of the toe. It is always surprising to those who have never suffered an ingrown toenail how much a small piece of nail stuck in the skin can hurt so much.

Why do I keep getting ingrown toenails on my big toe?

Occasionally, stubbing or jamming your toe, dropping something on your toe or participating in activities that put repeated pressure on your toes (like running, soccer or ballet) can cause ingrown toenails to develop. Improper trimming. One of the most common causes of ingrown toenails is cutting them too short.

What does an infected toe look like?

Redness. Soreness or pain. A pus-filled blister, or pus that drains from your toe. Cracked, thickened, yellow toenails (from a fungal infection)

How do I keep my ingrown toenail from getting worse?

When treating an ingrown toenail, it's important to let the skin heal by not wearing socks or shoes that are too tight. Soak the affected toe in warm water, keep up with your splints, and use pain medication or antibiotic cream as needed to stop an ingrown toenail from getting worse.

What does an infected ingrown toenail look like?

tender, swollen, or hard skin next to the nail. inflamed skin at the top of the toe. bleeding from the ingrown toenail. white or yellow pus in the affected area.

How serious is an infected ingrown toenail?

The Danger of an Infected Ingrown Toenail

This type of infection moves beyond impacting the immediate area of the toenail and can even spread into the bone. A serious Staph infection often requires weeks of intravenous antibiotics and in some severe cases, even surgery to treat.

How long do ingrown toenails hurt?

Pain should be gone in 1 week. Area should be healed up in 2 weeks.

Can a pedicure fix an ingrown toenail?

Can pedicures get rid of ingrown toenails? Many may believe that visiting a nail technician for a pedicure can rid or prevent ingrown toenails. However, this isn't the case. Pedicures aren't recommended by podiatrists and are actually believed to make the condition worse.

Why does my big toenail hurt so much?

Ingrown toenail

Ingrown toenails are a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, inflamed skin, swelling and, sometimes, an infection. Ingrown toenails usually affect the big toe. Often you can take care of ingrown toenails on your own.

Does cutting nails too short cause ingrown toenails?

The most common reason for ingrown toenails is cutting toenails too short. When people cut their nails too short, the skin on the sides can cover the corners of the nail. This causes the nail to grow back into the skin.

Is ingrown toenail surgery painful?

The entire ingrown toenail surgery is completely painless due to the effects of the anesthetic. By the time the anesthetic wears off, your pain level will be significantly reduced from where it was before the procedure. Downtime is extremely minimal for almost all patients.

How can I tell if my toenail is infected?

Toenail infection symptoms

  1. Pain with pressure on your toe.
  2. The skin next to your nail being swollen, tender, or hard.
  3. Redness.
  4. Bleeding.
  5. Skin that grows over part of your toenail.
  6. A blister filled with pus (you may not notice a blister, but have large amounts of drainage coming from your toe)

How do you treat an infected big toenail?

How to treat an infected ingrown toenail

  1. Soak your foot in warm water and Epsom salt or coarse salt to soften the area. ...
  2. Apply antibiotic or antifungal lotion directly to the nail and to the skin under and around the nail.
  3. Take over-the-counter pain medication to help reduce symptoms, such as discomfort and swelling.

What is Covid toe?

What Are the Symptoms of COVID Toes? The skin on one or more of your toes or fingers may swell up and look bright red, then gradually turn purple. Skin of color can look swollen and purple, and brownish-purple spots may appear. ADVERTISEMENT.