Should you treat your own ingrown toenail?

Question

Or should a doctor do it?

I'm 15 and I have an ingrown toenail and it hurts so bad it's practically throbbing every minute and I can't even walk well.

And how much does it cost for a doctor to do it?

Answer 1

ive had my toe nail removed by my doctor a total of 3 times now, this is now the fourth time it has come back, im not sure if im just unlucky or if there doing sometihng wrong but i would still suggest you try the doctors meathod first, trust me ive gone my own way of trying to pull it out or cut it away and it just isnt worth it + theres a great risk of infection if it isnt allredy infected go to your doctor, have it removed properly and have them kill the nail bed...

EDIT -  I live in Canada where health care is free so for me the cost was nothing at all... hopefully your insurance will cover any major costs to you...

I hope it works the first time, i know all about this

Best of luck!

Answer 2

No no no no no!  Do not try to treat it yourself!  Trust me, I have had both my big toes ripped apart by ingrown toenails.  I tried every home remedy you could think of (cutting the V into it, shoving cotton under it, soaking it in salts) and it just made them worse.  My were so bad that...well the details are gruesome so I won't elaborate.  I got to the point where I couldn't put a sock on, never mind walk on it.  Your best bet is to go to a podiatrist.  I did and my toes have been fine ever since.

Edit- When I went to the podiatrist, they gave me about 3 shots in my toes.  Once they were nice and numb, they cut out the ingrown parts.  They actually cut the sides down past the cuticle and then poured acid on the cuticle to stop if from growing back.  Your toe will look disgusting for about a month or two, but in time, they will look like normal toe nails again.  I assure you, going to the doctor will be worth it.

Answer 3

I am a trained nurse, and I know better than to try to treat an ingrown nail, see a doctor, get er done.

Answer 4

I work for a podiatrist (foot doctor) and generally people make it worse when they do it themselves.  If you have insurance, they only charge a copay usually.  I live in the southeast and the average price for someone that does not have insurance can range from $150 to $200 depending on if they do a partial or full removal of the nail.  

Answer 5

go see a doctor and let them get paid for something