NHS information about an ingrown toenail , including symptoms, self-care, when to see a GP, medical treatments and prevention. Although you may see advice for cutting out an ingrown toenail yourself, doing so can make the problem worse and increase your risk of infection. Here’s why. Ingrown toenail surgery is a relatively minor outpatient procedure to remove part of an ingrown toenail and to kill the portion of the nail matrix from which it grows. It poses several minor ... Ingrown toenails usually affect the big toe. An ingrown toenail may cause pain, inflamed skin, swelling and, sometimes, infection around the toenail. Often you can take care of ingrown toenails on your own.