THE HEALING PROCESS The toe may appear slightly red and puffy for about 10 days, this is normal. It may weep slightly but will begin to dry out after 2 to 4 weeks, and a scab will form.
The area will begin to dry after 3-4 weeks, when a black scab will form. Do not remove the scab. Limbo socks are useful to keep your foot dry. You will be shown how to do your dressings at the time of nail surgery.
Gradually a scab will form and the discharge will reduce. As soon as the dressings are clean when removed for two consecutive days, you can stop dressing your toe. Eventually the scab will come away and reveal toughened skin over the nail bed.
If all of your nail has been removed it will usually take eight to ten weeks to heal. It is normal for the wound to weep. If the toe(s) get VERY red, swollen and painful the wound may have become infected and you may require a prescription of antibiotics from your GP. Please seek medical advice.
You may have some swelling, colour changes, and bloody crusting on or around the wound for 2 or 3 days. This is normal. Taking good care of your wound at home will help it heal quickly and reduce your chance of infection. The wound should heal within a few weeks.
You should avoid running, jumping, or strenuous activity for 2 weeks after the surgery. Teenagers should not participate in physical education activities for 1 to 2 weeks after the procedure. Infection may develop in the toe during the first few weeks after the surgery.
Normal showering or bathing (including swimming) can be resumed once the toe has healed. When removing a dressing be sure to inspect if there is any discharge on it. If there is no discharge on a dressing two days in a row and a black scab has formed over the wound then normal showering and bathing can be resumed.
The procedure takes less than 5 minutes once the toe is numb. Typical recoveries have limited to no discomfort and usually alleviate ingrown nail discomfort within 24 hours.
If you lose your nail, it will take about 7 to 10 days for the nail bed to heal. A new fingernail will take about 4 to 6 months to grow to replace the lost nail. Toenails take about 12 months to grow back. The new nail will probably have grooves or ridges and be somewhat misshapen.
We advise the use of open-toe shoes for a week after the procedure.
To help with your recovery: Wear cotton socks and loose fitting shoes for about 2 weeks. Do not run or engage in strenuous activities until the toe is healed. You may need to wait 2 weeks.
Leave the first dressing on for two days following the surgery, then the dressings should be changed on a daily basis, as below, until it is healed completely. Please keep your dressing dry in between dressing changes.
The nail bed is moist, soft, and sensitive. It needs to be protected from injury for the first 7 to 10 days until it dries out and becomes hard. Keep it covered with a nonstick dressing or a bandage with ointment.
Once the wound has formed a scab, there is no longer the need to cover it with a bandage as the scab now acts as a protective barrier. Keep the area clean, but be gentle so that you do not accidentally remove the scab.
Pus from the toenail. Swelling or redness of the toe or foot. Regrowth of the nail into the skin of the toe.
Yes, you can have a bath or a shower. If your wound does not have a dressing in place when you go home, then you can have a bath or a shower, simply let water run over the wound. If your wound does have a dressing then you can still bathe or shower.
The nail bed (the tissue under the nail) is moist, soft, and sensitive. Protect the nail bed for the first 7 to 10 days until it dries out and becomes hard. Keep it covered with a nonstick dressing or adhesive bandage until that time. Bandages tend to stick to a newly exposed nail bed.
Keep the nail bed dry, clean, and covered with petroleum jelly and an adhesive bandage until the nail bed is firm or the nail has grown back. Apply a new adhesive bandage whenever the bandage gets wet. Watch for signs of infection such as increasing heat, redness, pain, tenderness, swelling, or pus.
If blood gathers under the nail or if you have bleeding around the nail, you have nail bed damage. If the nail cracks and falls off, your nail bed has been injured. If the nail is torn from your nail bed, there is no doubt that your nail bed has been damaged by the experience.
It is normal to have some pain and throbbing when the local anesthetic (freezing) wears off. If your surgeon gives you a prescription, fill it at your pharmacy.
Once the toe is numb, you will not experience any pain while the nail is removed. After the procedure, when the anaesthetic wears off, the toe will be cushioned in a protective dressing. It may feel a little tender but should not be painful at all. You just need to take care not to knock it against something!
It may be hard to imagine anything remedying the situation. Outright removing your toenails, however, is the absolute last resort option for treating toenail fungus, and only performed in very rare cases.
Soak the affected foot/feet in warm water using Epsom salt for 15-20 minutes TWICE a day for the first week and then ONCE a day for the second week after the procedure. Each time after soaking, apply Neosporin or Polysporin cream (NOT ointment) to the site.
Minor nail bed injuries, including subungual hematomas, often heal on their own, especially when no other injuries are present. Receiving professional treatment can help ensure that the nail bed heals appropriately, forming a smooth surface on which the new nail can grow.