If you’ve ever had an ingrown toenail, you know how painful it is. Just wearing a closed shoe can give you pain to the point where you just have to take them off to get relief. But you put up with the pain because you don’t want to go through the pain of having your toe numbed to treat the ingrown toenail surgically.
Typically the only treatment for an ingrown nail is an in-office surgery. That’s changed with the introduction of a new non-invasive procedure that will change how ingrown toenails are treated. We're thrilled to offer Onyfix nail correction system to our Houston podiatry office.
Introducing Onyfix Nail Correction System
I’m happy to introduce a new, non-invasive nail correction system that is pain-free and easily applied in the office. The Onyfix nail correction system is effective in treating ingrown toenails, involuted nails, pincer nails, and split nails. The treatment is done without injections or surgery. It is a completely non-invasive, pain-free solution to treat painful toenail conditions.
The principle behind Onyfix is pretty simple. Your nail is widest at its base. For some people, the nail is too wide for the nail bed, which causes the nail to curve as it grows. That develops into an ingrown nail. Applying Onyfix, provides the nail support as it grows to prevent it from curving and becoming an ingrown toenail.
What Can I Expect From an Onyfix Treatment?
Onyfix is a composite that is placed at the base of the toenail. It does not cause any pain to apply. First, I’ll buff your nail to make it easier for the composite to adhere to the nail. The composite supports the nail as it grows. In cases where you’re having some acute pain from the ingrown toenail, we may apply another strip or half-strip of the composite about 2/3 down the nail. That gives the nail margin some lift from the soft tissue and helps with the pain. An ultraviolet light is then used to harden the composite to provide strength to support the nail.
Here’s the best thing. There is no downtime after the Onyfix is applied to your nail. You can immediately resume all normal activities. There are no contraindications for this system. So it can be used if you’re diabetic. I can be used if you’re pregnant. It can be used in young children. There's no bandaging necessary or soaking in warm water.
You can polish your toenails after the Onyfix is applied, but you can only use regular nail polish. No gels or shellac polishes. They’re just too adherent and when these polishes are taken off, the composite will likely come off with it.
Who is Onyfix Right For?
Onyfix is perfect for anyone who suffers from an ingrown toenail. It’s great for people with very curved, pincer nails. It’s the only treatment that I know of that can make a curved nail straighten out. It takes time and a few applications, but it is effective. It can even help if the nail is curved due to a fungal infection.
Onyfix is particularly suited for people who are at greater risk of complications from an invasive procedure. Because Onyfix is surgery-free, it’s well suited for people with diabetes, undergoing chemotherapy, or other conditions where the immune system is compromised. It’s also perfect for people with special needs who may be disturbed by undergoing an invasive procedure.
Young children are particularly well suited for ingrown toenail treatment with Onyfix. I bet you didn’t think that infants and toddlers get ingrown toenails. It can happen because they drag their toes when they crawl. Sometimes their nail plates are just too wide for their nail beds. Regardless of the reason, no one wants to put a young child through a procedure if there’s another pain-free option.
Symptoms of an Ingrown Toenail
![An infamed and painful ingrown toenail]()
Pain or pressure when walking- Pain in the nail fold
- Thickened nail folds
- Redness and swelling
- Warmth surrounding the toenail
- Pus formation and infection
Pain or pressure when walkingWhat If You Have an Infected Ingrown Toenail?
Let’s talk about an ingrown toenail that is infected. In this case, a procedure will still need to be done to resolve the infection. At our postop visit, however, applying the Onyfix composite will help the nail grow out without becoming ingrown. This will help prevent future problems with ingrown toenails.
