Patient/caregiver was educated on causes and risk factors of ingrown toenail development as follows:
- Frequent fungal toenail infections: Individuals with history of frequent toenail infections can present with thickened or hypertrophic toenails. Trimming these inappropriately grown toenails can result in left out sharp edges, leading to development of ingrown toenails.
- Abnormal gait: Individuals with history of foot drop can present with hanging foot and toes pointing down causing the toes to scrape the ground during ambulation. This scraping of the toes on the ground can damage the toenails over time. Chronically injured toenail can grow abnormal thick and trimming the inappropriately grown toenails can result in left out sharp edges, leading to development of ingrown toenails.
- Chronic arthritis: Individuals with arthritis involving the toes, such as, rheumatoid arthritis and gout, can present with abnormally shaped toes, which can lead to damage to toenail during activity and ambulation. Chronically injured toenail can grow abnormal and thick, contributing to ingrown toenail development.
