Can I stop this ingrown nail from coming back?

Ingrown toenails can be pesky, annoying, painful, and also may interfere with our lives. They make shoes, sports, and even daily activities challenging. Ingrown nails can be caused by genetics, improper shoe gear, incorrect cutting of the nail, trauma or injuries to the nail, fungus or psoriasis, and other causes. There are many patients who get this condition repeatedly and want to permanently correct it, so what can be done? There is a procedure called a matrixectomy which can solve this problem of recurrent ingrown nails. After numbing up the toe with an injection, a portion of nail is removed from the area where the ingrown nail is occurring. A chemical called phenol is applied to the area, so the nail border will no longer regrow. There is a longer recovery time for this procedure than when the nail is simply removed. However, the problem of recurrent ingrown nails can be solved with this matrixectomy. It is important to note that this procedure cannot be performed if there is an infection in the nail or surrounding tissue, and there are certain patients who are not ideal candidates for this procedure. Please see your podiatrist to see if it will work for you! Dr. Bender, oakparkpodiatry.com

Keeping Children's feet Safe in the Summer

School is out in Oak Park. Camp is in session. The pools and parks are open and busy. Now is the time to think about keeping your children's feet safe for the summer. Here are some handy tips! 1. No barefoot walking! It is important to have a supportive gym shoe or sandal on when playing outside. Barefoot kids can step on twigs, leaves, rocks, and other outdoor items when they are having fun in the yard or park. This can lead to pain, blisters, sores, and infection if not treated properly. Worse yet, walking around the pool locker rooms or snack bars without shoes can cause kids or adults to develop warts (a virus that loves warm, moist environments). 2. Wear supportive shoes! Many flip flops offer no support to the feet and are not recommended for children's growing feet. Running and playing in these types of shoes makes kids (and adults!) less stable, and each summer people come into the office with blisters, abrasions, broken toes, and pain from flip flops. Want to know about some supportive shoe options for kids or adults...ask me! 3. Keep the feet dry! After a swim in the pool, make sure to dry the feet before putting on socks and shoes, as it will reduce the chance of warts, athlete's foot, blisters, and foot odor. Also, it is important to change the socks frequently during the summer months for these same reasons. Keeping an extra pair in a camp bag or gym bag allows kids to change their socks if they feel damp. 4. Come to the office if something looks or feels funny! It is so much easier to treat one wart before it multiplies and spreads. A mildly tender ingrown nail is much easier to treat before it becomes infected. Finally, heel pain and other aches are easier to control if you come to the office sooner. oakparkpodiatry.com