Frequently asked questions about the laser treatment of the ingrown toenail
Here you will find answers to the most common questions from our patients — from treatment and anaesthesia through recovery to costs and health insurance. If your question is not among them, please get in touch. Treatment takes place exclusively at our practice in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
General questions
Appointment, consultation, getting there and practice organisation.
You can conveniently book an appointment online via Doctolib at any time or reach us by phone. Alternatively, use our free initial assessment — you describe your situation and we get back to you with an individual recommendation and a cost estimate. After every enquiry you receive an automatic confirmation by email.
In most cases, yes. The consultation, the medical examination and the actual laser treatment can be carried out in one appointment. We send you all documents in advance by email so that you are well prepared on the day of treatment. As no sutures are placed with the CO₂ laser method, a separate appointment for suture removal is not needed either.
The treatment is carried out exclusively by specialist physicians with many years of experience in laser medicine and outpatient surgery. Our practice specialises in the CO₂ laser treatment of the ingrown toenail. We have already performed more than 10,000 treatments in the field of laser and nail surgery.
The actual procedure usually takes between 20 and 40 minutes — depending on whether one or both nail edges need to be treated and how pronounced the change is. Including the consultation, preparation and a short observation period after the treatment, you should plan for around 60 to 90 minutes at the practice in total.
As the procedure is carried out under local anaesthesia, you are usually fully fit to drive afterwards and can drive home yourself. If you feel unsure or have a longer journey ahead, we recommend, as a precaution, bringing a companion or travelling by public transport. Parking is available directly in front of the practice.
Many patients come to us specifically from other cities — especially when previous treatments elsewhere did not achieve the desired result. As the treatment is outpatient and usually carried out in a single appointment, you can travel back the same day. There is also a partner hotel in the immediate vicinity of the practice should you wish to stay overnight. The treatment takes place exclusively at our practice in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Travel is generally possible, but we recommend leaving a little time between the treatment and departure. A car journey on the same day is usually unproblematic. For longer flights, beach or activity holidays, ideally plan for around a week so that the dressing stays reliably dry and any swelling does not bother you on the plane. Swimming, sauna visits and walking barefoot on the beach should be avoided for the first 2 to 3 weeks.
About the laser treatment
Method, pain, anaesthesia and comparison with surgery.
The procedure is carried out under local anaesthesia and is usually well tolerable. Only the injection of the anaesthetic may cause a brief prick, similar to at the dentist. Because the CO₂ laser method is minimally invasive, discomfort after the anaesthetic wears off is, based on our practice experience, often less than after classic surgery. Pain perception is individual.
We work with a local anaesthetic (an Oberst nerve block) in the area of the toe. General anaesthesia is not necessary for the treatment. This has the great advantage that you can go home independently after a short observation period and that no special preparations such as fasting are required.
The classic wedge resection (Emmert plasty) is a surgical procedure involving a scalpel incision, removal of a wedge of tissue and subsequent suturing. It usually requires a longer period of wound healing and several follow-up appointments. The CO₂ laser method, by contrast, works without an incision and without sutures: the laser selectively ablates only the growth-responsible cells at the nail edge. The tissue remains largely uninjured, healing proceeds more quickly and the aesthetic results are very good in the vast majority of cases.
The CO₂ laser method is suitable for adults and adolescents with ingrown toenails of all degrees of severity. Patients for whom conservative treatment or a previous operation did not achieve the desired result are also frequently good candidates. In the case of certain pre-existing conditions — such as severe circulatory disorders or untreated diabetes mellitus — we assess suitability individually in the preliminary consultation.
No special preparation is needed. You do not have to attend on an empty stomach and can eat and drink as usual. On the day of treatment, please wear comfortable, wide footwear (ideally open shoes or sandals) so that the dressing has plenty of room afterwards. If you take blood-thinning medication, please inform us in advance — we will then check whether an adjustment is necessary.
With the gentle laser method, only the lateral portion of the nail matrix that is responsible for the ingrowth is ablated. The nail retains its basic shape and, once fully healed, merely appears somewhat narrower. Most patients notice no visible difference in everyday life — the cosmetic result is usually very pleasing.
Fear of injections is very common and part of our everyday work — no one needs to feel ashamed of it. Before the treatment, we take our time, explain every step and work with particularly fine needles. On request, we numb the injection site beforehand with cooling or a local anaesthetic cream so that the injection is barely noticeable. Simply let us know before your appointment — we work at your pace.
After the treatment
Recovery, dressing, sport and aftercare.
Recovery time is one of the biggest advantages of the laser method. As a rule you can drive home directly after the treatment and resume normal everyday activities the same day. We recommend taking it a little easy on the foot for one to two days and keeping it elevated frequently. Most patients do not need a sick note; for standing or walking-intensive jobs, a short break of a few days may be sensible.
Keep the treated toe clean and dry during the first few days. We give you a detailed aftercare plan to take home, which explains, among other things, regular foot baths, gentle care and changing the dressing. In the first week, avoid tight shoes and longer baths or visits to the swimming pool. Should any unusual symptoms occur, we are reachable by phone at any time.
Light movement such as walking is usually possible as early as the next day. With moderate exercise (cycling, yoga, light strength training without heavy load on the foot) you can as a rule start again after about a week. We recommend running, jumping and contact sports (jogging, football, tennis) no earlier than two to three weeks afterwards — depending on the individual course of healing. If in doubt, we are happy to discuss this at the check-up appointment.
Yes, after the treatment you receive a sterile dressing that protects the treated area. We show you on site how to change the dressing yourself at home. In the first few days the dressing should be renewed daily; after that, plasters are usually sufficient until the small wound has fully healed. We provide you with dressing material to take home.
A check-up appointment is not strictly necessary, as wound healing usually proceeds without complications. On request or in case of uncertainty, we are happy to offer a follow-up check-up. Of course, we are also reachable by phone or email at any time for questions after the treatment.
As with any medical procedure, complications can never be entirely ruled out — but they are very rare with the CO₂ laser method. In the first few days, mild swelling, occasional secondary bleeding or wound pain are possible, which can be managed well with over-the-counter painkillers. Very rarely, a wound infection can occur. During the informed-consent consultation before the treatment, we explain all risks transparently and answer your questions.
The small wound is usually superficially closed within 1 to 2 weeks. Complete healing of the nail fold, including regrowth of the nail, takes a few weeks to a few months depending on the individual growth rate. In everyday life, however, you are fully able to function again after just a few days — the longer healing time only concerns the appearance, not the function.
Showering is usually possible from the next day, provided the dressing stays protected — most easily with a waterproof dressing cover or a plastic bag over the foot. You should refrain from full baths, swimming-pool or sauna visits for about 2 to 3 weeks so that the nail fold can heal reliably. Once the wound is closed, short foot baths are even expressly welcome — they support healing.
Yes, if you need a certificate of incapacity for work, we issue it to you following the treatment. Most patients whose work is predominantly seated manage without a sick note or need only 1 to 2 days. For standing, walking-intensive or physically demanding jobs, a break of 3 to 7 days is sensible. Simply let us know on the day of treatment.
Costs & health insurance
Statutory and private insurance, self-pay and cost estimates.
German statutory health insurers generally do not cover the costs of the CO₂ laser treatment, as it is a private medical service. As a rule, only the classic wedge resection is reimbursed. For international patients, the treatment is a self-pay service; we cannot make any assurances of reimbursement for foreign insurers. We issue you a cost estimate that you can submit to your insurer in advance.
Private health insurers and public-sector assistance schemes usually cover the treatment costs in full or in part — depending on your individual policy. For international patients, the treatment is a self-pay service; we cannot make any assurances of reimbursement for foreign insurers. We recommend briefly checking with your insurer before the treatment and submitting our cost estimate there. That way you have full cost transparency before deciding on the treatment.
Yes, gladly. As part of your enquiry or initial assessment, we prepare a written cost estimate for you that breaks down all services transparently — from the consultation and the treatment through to aftercare. That way there are no hidden costs and you can decide at your leisure.
The costs are based on the German scale of fees for physicians (GOÄ) and depend on the individual findings — for example whether one or both nail edges need to be treated and how pronounced the change is. A flat-rate price is therefore not something we can reputably quote. You always receive a detailed cost estimate from us in advance, so that you know exactly what to expect.
Medically necessary treatments that are not reimbursed by health insurance can, as a rule, be claimed as extraordinary expenses in the German income tax return. For this, keep the invoices as well as our cost estimate and the medical indication. For the specific tax treatment, you should consult your tax adviser or the tax office. (This applies to persons subject to tax in Germany; different rules may apply for international patients.)
Yes, payment in instalments is possible on request. For this we work with a medical billing service that offers you flexible models — usually in 2 to 12 monthly instalments, depending on the extent of the treatment. Simply talk to us and we will discuss the options before the appointment. Payment by debit card, credit card or bank transfer is also possible without any problems.
Special situations
Diabetes, pregnancy, children, blood thinners, fungal infection and more.
Yes, we can as a rule safely treat patients with diabetes mellitus too — precisely because ingrown toenails can become particularly dangerous with diabetes. What matters is well-controlled blood sugar and intact circulation. Please bring your current blood sugar values (HbA1c) with you and, if applicable, a report on your circulation. We assess each case individually and, where necessary, coordinate closely with your GP.
During pregnancy we only carry out the laser treatment in urgent cases and after individual consideration. The local anaesthetic is considered safe; nevertheless, we usually postpone plannable procedures until after the birth. During breastfeeding the treatment is possible without any problems — the medications used are compatible with breastfeeding. Please talk to us and together we will find the right time.
We treat adolescents from about 12 years of age — provided the young patient can tolerate the brief local anaesthetic well. For younger children we assess this individually and involve the parents closely in the decision. The laser method is often attractive precisely for young people, because healing proceeds quickly and school, sport and hobbies only need to be interrupted briefly. Parents are of course present at the appointment.
In most cases, yes. As the CO₂ laser method works without an incision and seals vessels directly, heavy secondary bleeding is very rare — even under ASA, warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban or dabigatran. Please do, however, tell us about your medication before the appointment. We will then check together with your treating physician whether pausing or adjusting it is sensible — usually it is not.
Yes, this is possible and for many patients the more pleasant route — a single appointment, a single healing phase. On request we treat several nail edges, several toes or both feet in the same session. The time required increases accordingly, but recovery time usually remains comparable. For very extensive findings, we discuss individually whether a second appointment is more sensible.
An accompanying nail fungus is not an obstacle to the laser treatment of the ingrown nail. We first specifically treat the ingrowth and then discuss how the fungal infection is best treated — for example with antifungal lacquers or supplementary medical foot care through our podiatry. That way you tackle the problem holistically.
Absolutely. An acute inflammation with pus and "proud flesh" (granulation tissue) is a very typical situation in which our patients come to us — and no reason to wait. On the contrary: the sooner the growth disturbance at the nail edge is corrected, the faster the inflammation also subsides. In the case of a very severe infection, we prescribe a short course of an antibiotic beforehand. Please call us and we will make an appointment available at short notice.