PODIATRIST DISCUSSES INGROWN TOENAILS IN DANCERS

Ingrown toenails are not unique to dancers. But dancing definitely makes them more likely. Commonly caused by improper nail cutting, ingrown nails can also be the result of repetitive microtrauma damaging the nail plate. "An ingrown toenail is basically a part of the nail plate that grows into the skin," says Alyson Slater, DPM, a podiatrist at Palm Beach Foot & Ankle and a former dancer. "And it's exquisitely painful."

 

Dr. Alyson Slater

 

Do not practice what Dr. Slater calls "bathroom surgery" by attempting to cut the ingrown yourself. Using dull, non-sterile tools and not knowing how far to cut are more likely to result in pain, irregular nail growth, and even infections. Do not dance through infections, no matter how high your pain tolerance. "If that infection festers, it can become very severe," says Slater, "causing a soft-tissue infection or even a bone infection." See a healthcare provider if the skin around an ingrown nail has redness, swelling, or fluid build-up, or if the nail itself is unusually thick and yellowed.

 

Source: Hannah Foster, Dance Magazine [5/12/21]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News