Ingrown Nail

The most common cause of ingrown nails is cutting the nails too short and creating a rounded shape on the sides. Nails should have corners. Additionally, very tight shoes can press on the feet, causing ingrown nails. This condition is particularly common among those who prefer high heels, those wearing military boots who strain their feet for hours, and during adolescence, where body growth is rapid and doesn’t align with the fast-changing shoe sizes.

Other causes that lead to onychocryptosis include nail disorders from other conditions, like fungal infections that harden the nail and cause it to penetrate the skin. Some individuals also have increased nail curvature (hereditary) and often suffer from ingrown nails. Lastly, trauma to the area can allow the nail to enter the skin and cause inflammation.

Ingrown nails are classified into three stages based on their severity. In the first stage, the nail enters the skin, causing mild inflammation with accompanying pain, swelling, and redness. In the second stage, the pain intensifies and there’s discharge of pus or serous fluid. In the third stage, the inflammation is intense, and the pain is unbearable. In this stage, hypertrophic granulation tissue develops.

έντονη και ο πόνος ανυπόφορος. Σε αυτό το στάδιο αναπτύσσεται υπερτροφικός κοκκιώδης ιστός.