The other day, a parent brought their child to see a doctor, and I saw that the child’s left bunion was red and swollen on the lateral edge, and it hurt when he walked or touched it. The parent wondered why it was like that. So I smiled and asked her, “How do you usually cut his toenails?” The parents didn’t understand, so I continued, “I’m sure you cut his toenails very deeply, right?” The parent nodded, so I added, “That’s the most common cause of his disease!” Then I gave her a serious explanation of what ingrown toenails and nail infections are, and then prescribed a compound polymyxin B ointment to be applied topically, with instructions to return in 3 days for a minor surgery. Well, after all these stories, I think it is necessary to explain to you what is called ingrown nail. Ingrown nail is a common condition in which the lateral edge of the nail plate grows into the nearby soft tissue, causing pain like a foreign object inserted into the nail groove. There are many reasons for ingrown nails, but the most common cause is a short and deep nail trimming! The nail edge is not trimmed flush, and the trimming is too short and too deep, making the toenail pierce the soft tissue in the nail groove like a hard spike. Improperly worn shoes, too tight shoes, mostly caused by wearing pointed shoes or high heels squeeze toes, the lateral edge of the toenail is compressed, making ingrown nails aggravated. Ingrown nail disease and occupation also have a certain relationship, mostly seen in standing work of the crowd. In addition, genetic factors, the curvature and axial direction of the nail is related to the occurrence of ingrown nails, mechanical injury, collision, extrusion, etc., so that the lateral edge of the nail plate closer to the soft tissue of the nail groove and the formation of ingrown nails, mostly seen in young students. Deformed nails caused by certain diseases, such as congenital bunion, nail dystrophy, thick nail disease or nail fungus, etc. also easily cause ingrown nails. Ingrown nail is the lateral edge of the nail submerged in the nail groove, easy to secondary infection caused by nail infection, with continuous pain, serious can affect the patient’s work and life. Most ingrown nails occur in the toenail of the bunion, especially with the lateral side is common, some patients can occur bilaterally ingrown nail of the bunion. The main treatment is to avoid trimming the nail too short, too deep and nail trauma, wear loose shoes, timely correction of nail deformity, try to avoid standing for a long time, for the inflammation is light, the disease is short, available tincture of iodine or external application of ichthyolite ointment after bandaging, for the local has been septic, can be appropriate oral antibiotics, for most ingrown nail conservative treatment effect is not good, can choose surgical treatment, partial or complete removal or extraction of the nail plate. Here, I think I need to briefly introduce my surgical method! It is a method I created myself 3 years ago and has cured many patients with ingrown nails and recurrent onychomycosis. The method is to inject local anesthesia, then use small curved pliers to remove the ingrown nail, then do external fixation of the ingrown nail, and then the newly grown nail will grow in the right direction, thus avoiding ingrown nail. I’m sure you know how to prevent ingrown nails and nail infections by not cutting your toenails too short and too deep, and by avoiding wearing shoes with pointy ends that squeeze your toes!