Toenail Fungus and Ingrown Toenails 68 (& Woljeongsa Sisters Pagoda)

The cold winter is coming to an end.

Today, I’m studying toenail fungus and ingrown toenails again.

Toenail fungus treatment is already widely available, so it is similar, but we finish treatment in the shortest time in the country, 4 months.

Ingrown toenails seem to have already become common outside of hospitals, using products rather than medical devices.

What is concerning is that there is a high risk of complications, and the cost-effectiveness is much higher than at a hospital.

Because of the nature of blogs, the return visit rate is almost 1%, so there are some repeated photos.

There is no “like” click due to the nature of hospital blogs.

It has been more than 25 years since we opened the first nail specialty hospital in Korea in 1995.

We have continued on one path only. We treat only fingernails and toenails.

Let’s look at ingrown toenails and fungal nail infections.

Toenail fungus is treated with a pinpoint laser once a month for about 4 months, for a total of 5 treatments.

We take pride in having the shortest treatment period in Korea.

Ingrown toenails that dig into the skin are treated with a non-surgical method, without surgery.

They are simply treated with a correction device that straightens them at the hospital.

Surgical treatment is also a good treatment method and minimizes recurrence permanently.

You may choose either one.

If you send questions about fingernails and toenails, along with photos and text, to the hospital inquiry phone (010-9682-1501),

I will answer them.

If you would like to visit, make a reservation first at Tomorrow Clinic (02-3431-1500), 100 meters ahead of Exit 4 of Jamsil Saenae Station on Subway Line 2, on the 4th floor of City Pharmacy.

You must come after making a reservation.

---

This is a severely curved, badly ingrown toenail. The fungus is also severe.

Usually, these are called pincer nails, and there are many severe types like this that curl inward.

Because of fungus or being overweight, nails become like this pincer shape.

However, if you wear a correction device for about 2 weeks,

you can continue all daily activities as usual.

After 2 weeks, it may fall off on its own, or it may come off easily if lightly tapped.

For this type, surgical treatment is also a very useful method.

...............................................................

I took the photo right after inserting it.

It can be treated this simply.

The government has approved three types as medical devices, namely (KD, Stirling, and Buetoring),

so they can only be used in hospitals. Products made as general consumer goods and used outside hospitals

may be unhygienic, and complications can be troublesome.

So I strongly recommend receiving treatment at a hospital.

Hospital treatment offers good cost-effectiveness.

However, this correction-device treatment is convenient and good, but recurrence can occur.

---

A nail that grows inward from the root structure like this is called a pincer nail.

Correction-device treatment is possible, but this type has a high chance of recurrence.

For this type, surgical treatment is more effective.

After local anesthesia, both sides are cut by about 1 mm and the root is removed as well.

Then you just need to have it disinfected for about 10 days at a clinic near your home.

Surgical treatment has the advantage of being almost recurrence-free and permanent.

---

This type is also more effectively treated with surgery rather than a correction device.

---

Even if it is not a pincer nail that bends inward from the root overall, if there is this much inflammation throughout,

surgical treatment is more effective than correction-device treatment.

---

This is a severe type of ingrown toenail. Structurally, it curls inward, and a tunnel forms in the middle, causing keratin buildup.

In this case, it is a difficult nail, and treatment is only possible with surgery.

The width on both sides must be reduced, and the keratin in the middle must also be removed.

Now, let’s look at the photo after surgery.

---

This is a photo after surgery.

The keratin inside the tunnel in the center on the left has disappeared, and the width on both sides has been reduced,

so it becomes a normal-looking toenail.

This is a good case of surgical treatment.

---

This is called curvature nail deformity (kong-myeon-deung).

When body weight is applied to the nail and bruising or nail loss repeats,

permanent deformity occurs like this.

It is often mistaken for fungus, and complete recovery is difficult,

but if corrected with surgery, partial recovery is possible.

Now, let’s look at the photo after surgery.

---

This is a photo after surgery.

The nail bed supporting the underside of the nail has shrunk to half that of a normal person.

So the nail grows only up to half its length, and after that, its shape becomes deformed.

Careful management after surgery is important.

---

This is also called curvature deformity accompanied by fungus.

After the nail falls off and becomes deformed, the nail permanently grows upward and detached.

In this case, fungus treatment has no response at all.

Many people undergo fungus treatment for years, but

this is a nail that can only be treated with surgery.

Next, let’s look at the nail after surgery.

---

After treatment with surgery,

after 3 months of fungus treatment, this is the appearance.

It is still not perfect,

but it is almost recovered.

This is the post-treatment appearance of curvature deformity plus fungus.

---

Toenail fungus is treated with a laser.

However, with the pinpoint laser, it is cured in a total of 4 months, once a month.

The pinpoint laser is stronger than the Lunula laser.

Laser alone is not enough; it must be combined with polishing treatment,

and then it is cured in the shortest time in Korea, 4 months.

Without the polishing treatment, it would take about 1 year.

---

This is the pinpoint laser.

The laser wavelength passes through the nail without damaging it,

and then sterilizes it at a high temperature of 80 degrees Celsius.

It is the most powerful treatment method.

Since its introduction in Korea in 2015, the pinpoint laser has shown the strongest effect.

With laser and special polishing treatment, our clinic

achieves a complete cure in the shortest time in Korea, 4 months.

This is a feature unique to our hospital.

---

This shows ingrown toenails accompanied by severe toenail fungus.

The effect is maximized only when the nail is ground down and then laser treatment is performed.

We complete laser treatment in 4 months, once a month.

We will look at the appearance after 4 months in the next photo.

---

This is the appearance after 4 months.

This is after the pinpoint laser was performed 5 times.

Based on the shortest treatment period in Korea (other hospitals take 1 year),

our clinic applies this to all patients.

---

It is time for advertising.

This is how treatment is done. If you have questions, take a photo and send it to the number above (010-9682-1501),

and I will answer. When coming, you must make a reservation first (02-3431-1500).

---

In detail, we treat in many different ways like this.

We are the only clinic in Korea that specializes exclusively in fingernails and toenails.

When others were not interested in nails, I alone have continued to focus only on nails.

---

A long time ago... when no one cared about fingernails and toenails,

this is from my enthusiastic 30s, when I was studying nails.

This is a photo from an appearance on SBS Morning Wide.

It was a time when everyone ignored nails, and I was devoted only to nails.

---

As time passes, an era opens in which people become interested in fingernails and toenails.

Now, compensation is being given for the years I spent living only for nails.

Looking at my current, seasoned appearance,

I provide you with good, high-quality treatment, as befits my years of experience.

----------------------------------------------Reservation system (02-3431-1500)

Winter is almost over.

Imbolc has long passed, and now spring is coming.

Take care of your health.

This is a snowy scene of the Sisters Pagoda at Woljeongsa.

Take a moment to step away from the world

and spend some time in quiet reflection.