Ingrown nails are a very common condition and although it is a minor problem, it can still cause serious problems for patients. Ingrown nails are especially common in teenagers, as the chronic pain and oozing caused by infection can affect the patient’s school and life. Moreover, the recurrence of ingrown nails can be unbearable due to improper treatment or various other reasons. So, how can ingrown nails be treated? Many people will ask for nail removal, but in fact nail removal is the least recommended way. One is that nail extraction is not a cure, and it will happen again when the toenail grows. Second, repeated nail pulling causes the nail bed to shrink and become smaller, making ingrown nails more likely to occur. Thirdly, nail plucking may damage the nail root, resulting in impaired growth or severe deformity of the toenail. Every year, I see 70 to 80 cases of various complications due to nail extraction in my clinic. So this is the main reason why I don’t recommend nail extraction. The first method is conservative treatment. When the ingrown nail first occurs in the early stage, the ingrown nail is cleaned with 0.5% iodophor and the skin and soft tissue of the nail groove on the side of the ingrown nail is gently pushed away with a cotton swab to promote the growth of the nail plate but reduce the irritation of the nail plate to the soft tissue of the nail groove, and the ingrown nail is solved when the growth of the toenail exceeds the distal end of the nail groove. The second method is surgery, through nail groove shaping, where the enlarged, infected portion of the nail groove tissue is removed along with the toenail, nail bed, and nail root. The nail gouge is then shaped in one go. Recurrence is usually rare after the above treatment. Note: The occurrence of ingrown toenails is often associated with excessive toenail trimming. If you have a nail ingrowth, change your shoes with loose shoes to avoid it.