Ingrown toenail treated with cotton collodion insert.

Separating the distal anterior tip and lateral edges of an ingrown toenail from the adjacent soft tissue with a wisp of absorbent cotton coated with collodion gives immediate relief of pain and provides a firm runway for further growth of the nail. The collodion coating fixes the cotton in place, waterproofs, and permits bathing. This simple office method was successfully used on 86 private patients. It is not applicable in patients with infected acute paronychia.