Ingrown Fleshy Nail Bud: Treatments and Operations
Do you have a sore ingrown fleshy nail bud? Doctor Julien Lopez accompanies you and adapts the necessary treatments.
Generally present on the big toe, ingrown nails are a pathology of the forefoot (link to parent page: forefoot) corresponding to the entry of the nail into the skin. They cause a red and sensitive swelling called an « inflammatory fleshy bud ». Some non-surgical treatments and surgical procedures may be considered depending on how advanced the stage of the nail is in the skin called a « spur » .
Solving this fleshy bud, anapath or anatomy-pathology is a specialty of medicine that is used to examine your body cells within your organs and tissues. Without any action on your part, some swollen parts can be generated, representative of an infection. At this stage, surgery is most often necessary. The discomfort and pain caused by an ingrown nail and a fleshy bud cause an urgent consultation with a specialist. Doctor Julien Lopez will be able to accompany you and point you towards the best solution to allow you to walk and wear shoes without discomfort.
Fleshy foot bud: causes and risk factors
A fleshy bud at the foot has several causes and risk factors. Some can be avoided to prevent ingrown nails and its various complications that can be painful.
In some cases they can be avoided and you can act to prevent them, they are often related to the types of shoes you wear. If they are too tight or if you wear high heels regularly, they can cause this type of pathology by compression and deformation of the foot.
Shoes that are too rigid, such as safety shoes, or unsuitable for your body shape can also be causes of ingrown nails. Indeed, the rigidity and narrowness of this footwear may create a conflict between the nail and the adjacent skin.
Improper cutting of the big toe nail can also cause this type of pathology. Indeed, by leaving a piece of the nail in the groove, an infection is caused resulting in a hyperplastic, painful fleshy bud. The same applies to poor hygiene and the physical inability of some people to access their feet. People with reduced mobility, elderly or overweight, for example, will have more difficulty cutting and will then be more likely to develop this type of pathology.
Intense sports practice causes swelling of the feet and increases their volume, thus creating a greater compression of the foot being also a risk factor for ingrown nails. Blows to the feet and other injuries that have occurred in this part of the body can also be the cause.
Other risk factors such as diabetes, abnormalities of growth of the ungual bulge (the skin tip located near the nail of the toe) also exist. The nail of individuals can differ depending on the shape and thickness and some can cause more frequent ingrown nails. The presence of a hallux valgus or a pronation of the front of the foot can also be attributed to an ingrown nail. This corresponds to walking and leaning on the inside of the foot, creating an imbalance towards the inside and therefore towards the big toes.
During your consultation with a podiatrist or a surgeon specialized in the foot, you will be told if you have an abnormality of this type and what actions are necessary to take to reduce your pain. Non-surgical or surgical treatments can then be considered depending on your situation.
Hyperplastic fleshy bud: complications
A hyperplastic fleshy bud admits various complications if not taken care of quickly.
The first is an infection that creates a large pocket of pus, called a panaris. It admits a non-negotiable risk of spreading the infection. A person with diabetes, an ulceration or even necrosis may also appear as a result of poor treatment of ingrown nails. These complications can lead to infection of bone tissue by bacteria. An accompaniment by a foot surgeon can allow you to answer your questions and adapt the treatment to your situation, to avoid possible complications.
Fleshy Toe Bud: Treatments
A fleshy toe bud can be medically or surgically treated.
The treatment of a fleshy nail bud ingrown by a dermatologist is possible because it does not require surgery in the operating room. This will depend on the stage of advancement of the nail in the skin and a possible infection.
Stage 1 of the ingrown nail corresponds to the onset of pain and inflammation without infection. Pedicure care is sufficient to remove the part entered into the skin (the spur). The cutting of your nail will be done optimally so that it does not happen again.
Stage 2 of the ingrown nail corresponds to an infection without a fleshy bud and it requires regular dressings. In case of failure of medical treatment or if the ingrown nail recurs, surgical treatment will be proposed.
Stage 3 of the ingrown nail corresponds to stage 2 with a fleshy bud also called botryomycoma. This is a small benign tumor that tends to bleed easily. Medical treatment can be tried and silver nitrate will be used to burn the bud. Taking antibiotics will accompany this treatment to cure the infection.
If this is considered necessary by the professionals consulted, surgery may be scheduled. The cost of an operation on a fleshy toe bud varies depending on the establishment, the professional and the nature and complexity of the intervention.
It depends on the nature:
- Removal of the side of the nail shelf
- The removal of the entire fleshy bud with cutaneous plastia, that is, the lateral excision of the edges of the nail concerned
- Resection of the corresponding ungual matrix. This is the most important gesture because its resection allows to shrink the nail in width permanently. This helps prevent recurrence.
The following operations:
According to the surgeon’s advice and instructions, you should avoid walking too much and wearing tight shoes for a few days. It is recommended to ice and raise the leg in the first few days to avoid swelling. If you do not follow these instructions, the time needed for skin healing may be extended from 2 to 3 weeks. In the presence of a large infection (stage 3), the complete healing is longer, on average 3 weeks. To speed up healing after ingrown nail surgery, you can remove the dressing 1 hour before the nurse’s passage: leaving the toe in the air which will help it dry and avoid softening and moisture. Quick management by Doctor Julien Lopez will allow you to be diagnosed and to treat your ingrown nails and your fleshy buds so you can walk without pain. The resumption of sports activities is possible without limit as soon as complete healing. It is recommended that between 2 to 21 days off work on average are needed depending on the work activity, the footwear and the level of pain experienced during the post-operative period.
