A painful, red, or infected ingrown toenail rarely heals on its own.
At Skylake Medical Associates in North Miami Beach, our board-certified foot and ankle specialist treats ingrown toenails and, when needed, performs quick in-office toenail removal for lasting relief. If you have been searching for a podiatrist for toenail removal or an ingrown toenail specialist near you in Miami, you are in the right place.
An ingrown toenail (medically called onychocryptosis) happens when the edge or corner of a nail grows into the surrounding skin instead of over it. It most often affects the big toe. As the nail curves into the skin, it triggers pain, pressure, and inflammation, and it can open the door to infection. Some people develop a naturally curved or pincer nail that presses into the skin on both sides, making ingrown toenails come back again and again.
Early on, an ingrown toenail causes pain and tenderness along the side of the nail, with redness and swelling. Left untreated, it can become an infected ingrown toenail, with pus or drainage, an ingrown nail blister, and overgrown granulation tissue. In more advanced cases an abscess of the toe forms — a painful pocket of pus that usually needs to be drained by a podiatrist. Bleeding and a foul odor are signs the infection is worsening.
The procedure itself is virtually painless — the toe is fully numbed with local anesthesia first.
See a podiatrist if the pain is getting worse, you see pus or spreading redness, or home care has not helped within a few days. You should come in right away if your ingrown toenails keep coming back, or if you have diabetes, poor circulation, or nerve problems in the feet — in those cases even a minor toe infection can become serious. Ingrown toenails in children should also be checked rather than treated with repeated “bathroom surgery” at home.
Treatment is matched to how severe the nail is. Many patients ask how a podiatrist removes a toenail — here is what to expect, from the most conservative option to permanent nail surgery.
For a mild ingrown nail, we can lift the nail edge and place a small splint or cotton so it grows over the skin, along with soaks and antibiotics if there is infection.
The most common in-office procedure. After numbing the toe with local anesthesia, the podiatrist removes only the ingrown border of the nail. It is quick, minimally invasive, and relief is usually immediate.
Relief usually immediateWhen the whole nail is involved or badly infected, the entire toenail is removed.
For ingrown toenails that keep returning, we treat the nail root (matrix) — often with a chemical called phenol — so that portion of the nail does not grow back. This is the closest thing to a permanent solution and stops the same nail from becoming ingrown again.
Because Skylake is a full foot-and-ankle surgical practice, the same podiatrist handles your nail removal from start to finish — from a simple in-office procedure to permanent nail surgery — with no outside referral needed. This is the range of services we provide for patients with ingrown toenails.
The procedure itself is virtually painless — the toe is fully numbed with local anesthesia first, so most patients feel only mild pressure. Afterward there may be some soreness for a day or two. Recovery is fast: most people return to normal activities the same day or the next while the toe finishes healing over the following weeks, keeping it clean, bandaged, and elevated as directed. We give you simple aftercare instructions and a follow-up plan so the toe heals cleanly and the infection clears.
Ingrown toenail removal is an affordable in-office procedure, and it is often covered by insurance when it is medically necessary. The surgical toenail removal cost depends on whether one or both sides are treated and whether it is a permanent (matrixectomy) procedure. We accept most major plans — including Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Medicare, UnitedHealthcare, and Humana, and we verify your coverage and hand you an itemized estimate before any procedure. If you do not have coverage, call us for a clear self-pay estimate before your visit.
Rated 5.0 on Google across 57 verified patient reviews — from patients treated by a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon, not a spa or nail salon. Reviews load live below; nothing here is hand-picked.
Reviews shown are general practice reviews from verified Skylake patients and are not specific to ingrown toenail removal. Individual healing times vary — your podiatrist will set realistic expectations for your toe.
Skylake Medical Associates is located at 1380 NE Miami Gardens Dr, Ste. 280, North Miami Beach, FL 33179, and we see patients from across Miami-Dade — including Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Gardens, and Hallandale Beach. If you have been looking for ingrown toenail surgery near me or an ingrown toenail doctor near me, we make it easy to get seen quickly.