Ingrown Toenails

You can often diagnose the condition yourself, based on your symptoms and how your toe looks and feels.

Your healthcare provider (which may be your regular provider or a foot specialist called a podiatrist) will likely diagnose an ingrown toenail by inspecting it. They’ll examine the skin at the edge of your nail. They’ll diagnose you with this foot condition if the skin is:

• Growing over your nail.
• Swollen, tender, warm and red or darker in color.
• Painful to light touch.
• Looks different than your other toes.

What tests might I have for an ingrown toenail?

You typically don’t need any tests or X-rays to diagnose an ingrown toenail. In rare cases, when your toenail is severely infected, your healthcare provider might take a sample of the discharge or nail itself. They’ll run a bacteria culture test or sometimes a fungal culture to identify what’s causing the infection. You may need X-rays for more serious infections.