One of the many foot and ankle conditions I treat as a foot doctor are ingrown nails, specifically toenails. An ingrown nail may seem like a simple inconvenience, but they can cause intense pain for many people. Traditional nail surgery has been the tried and true option for foot doctors treating ingrown nails. But even with this, there are some people who nail surgery is too dangerous to be done on, or just don't want ingrown toenail surgery done for several reasons. Many of these patients ask me, "Will an ingrown toenail eventually grow out?"
No. An ingrown toenail will not eventually grow out without something being done to it. A nail correction system like Onyfix can straighten your nail permanently, even without surgery.
The reason why ingrown nails typically don't eventually grow out is because the ingrown nail is deeper than the part of the nail you can see. Once a nail finally gets to the level of being an ingrown nail, one or both sides of the nail have ingrown, not the just corner at the tip of your nail, but the whole side completely. Again, because most of this is under your skin, you can only see one small piece of the bigger issue. So because the ingrown nail is much deeper than what can be seen on the surface, this is why surgery is one form of treatment for ingrown nails. The whole offending nail border can be removed, back to the root.
Downsides of ingrown toenail surgery include:
1. Ingrown toenail surgery cannot be performed in some patients due to poor blood found in the feet with these diseases and an increased risk of poor healing, chronic wounds, infection, and amputation. These people include:
Uncontrolled Diabetics
Those with Peripheral Arterial Disease
Smokers
2. Aftercare for ingrown toenail surgery might not be easy to follow for everyone
Aftercare for ingrown nail surgery includes soaking your toe, performing daily dressing changes, and keeping the wound site clean and dry. For many populations like the elderly, disabled, children, and babies, this will be very difficult to do.
3. Not everyone wants ingrown toenail surgery
Due to the downtime, risk of infection, and pain associated with ingrown toenail surgery, some people might not want this procedure performed. If the nail is not infected, surgery doesn't absolutely have to be performed. There are other options out there available, and it is my goal as a foot doctor to inform people of their options when it comes to their healthcare, and to make a decision with all of the cards on the table so to speak.
Because of this, non-surgical treatment options to treat ingrown toenails have gained popularity. One of these is the Onyfix Nail Correction System.
What is Onyfix?
Onyfix is a non-invasive, non-surgical, conservative method for treating ingrown toenails, Onyfix works by guiding the ingrown part of the nail to grow in the right direction, slowly and over time. This nail correction system uses a resin as a brace to gently lift the nail edge away from the skin, overtime relieving pain, and straightening the toenail permanently.
How Onyfix Works
Applying Onyfix to the toenail is a relatively painless process, typically performed by foot doctors, podiatrists, or foot care specialists. The steps to having Onxyfix applied to your toenail are:
1. Exam: The first step is a thorough exam of the ingrown toenail and toe itself. The foot doctor will check the severity of the ingrown toenail and be sure that you are a suitable candidate for Onyfix.
2. Cleaning and nail prep: The ingrown toenail and the area around this nail are cleaned and prepared for Onyfix.
3. Resin is applied: A band of resin is carefully applied to the ingrown toenail. This resin creates a brace that guides the ingrown toenail outward. This resin is cured with a UV light for it to harden and stay in place.
4. Nail correction happens
As your toenail grows out, the resin band places a gentle tension on the ingrown borders of your nail, relieving pressure. Because toenails grow slowly, this process happens over several months, until the nail can be completely corrected.
5. Follow-up appointments: Patients will need to follow up with their foot doctor or Podiatrist to be sure that the Onyfix strip is continuing to correct the toenail. Onxyfix more than likely will need to be replaced throughout the course of treatment.
What Kind of Nail Problems Can Onyfix Treat?
Onyfix can be used for the following nail conditions:
• Ingrown Nails • Pincer Nails • Detached Nails • Split Nails • AccessoryNails
• Acute/Chronic Pain Relief • Nail Restoration (Unhealthy Nails) • Nail Reconstruction (Broken/Partial Nails) • Can be added to ingrown toenail surgery for added pain relief
Benefits of Onyfix
1. Safe for everyone to use: Because Onyfix doesn't cut open the skin, or enter the body, it's a truly safe treatment that everyone can use, regardless of what health issues they may have.
2. Non-surgical treatment: Onyfix is entirely non-surgical, making it a great option for people who like conservative treatments more, or for many reasons want to avoid having surgery.
3. Pain-free to minimal discomfort: Unlike surgery, Onyfix is usually painless during both the application and treatment process.
4. No downtime: Because Onyfix isn't an invasive procedure, there is no healing or recovery period with application or treatment.
5. Treats the source of the ingrown nail: Onyfix not only treats the ingrown toenail that you currently have, but also it also addresses the underlying cause of your ingrown toenail in the first place, lowering the risk of your ingrown toenail coming back.
Downsides to Onyfix
Even though the Onyfix Nail Correction System is a game changer, even revolutionary in ingrown toenail treatment, there are some downsides to Onyfix:
1. Can take months for the nail to be fully corrected
The Onyfix process of nail correction can be lengthy. Depending on how fast your toenails grow, and how severe the ingrown toenail is, it can take between 6 months or a year for complete nail correction.
2. Can be more expensive than ingrown toenail surgery
Because the treatment time is so lengthy with Onyfix, multiple follow-up visits with your foot doctor are required to make sure that the nail correction process is going as expected. The Onyfix band may also need to be replaced during the treatment as well, all adding to the total cost.
3. Can be concerned about how their nail looks with the Onyfix strip
Some people may be self-conscious about how their toenail looks with the added Onyfix strip. Because of the length of time for the treatment of an ingrown nail with Onyfix, you will have to have the added resin strip on your toenail until the final correction is achieved.
The End
Ingrown toenails can be an extremely painful condition to deal with, but finding the right treatment can make all the difference in getting rid of this. Onyfix offers a non-surgical and innovative approach to treating ingrown toenails. By correcting their growth, the nail straightens, and the pain goes away.
Schedule Your Free Consultation At Direct Podiatry Arizona Today
Looking for a foot doctor in Phoenix that applies the Onyfix Nail Correction System? My name is Dr. Tarr. I am a board-certified foot doctor, and also the owner of Direct Podiatry Arizona in Tempe. To view my available appointment times for your free consultation, click here.