Assessment
A full history and a thorough examination of the skin, nails, circulation and, where relevant, your gait. You leave with a working diagnosis you understand and a plan agreed with you, not handed to you.
Nail Surgery
Nail Surgery
Nail surgery in Canary Wharf, London from our HCPC-registered podiatrists: a minor procedure under local anaesthetic that removes part or all of a problem toenail and treats the nail bed with phenol to stop the troublesome edge regrowing, across both our London clinics.
The short answer
What this treatment is
Nail surgery is the permanent solution for an ingrown, involuted, thickened or recurrent toenail that has not settled with conservative care. Under local anaesthetic, our HCPC-registered podiatrists remove the problem section of nail and, where needed, apply phenol to the nail bed to stop that edge regrowing.
What does a podiatrist do at your first appointment?
Your initial consultation covers a full history and a thorough examination of the skin, nails, circulation and, where relevant, the way you walk. We explain what we find in plain English and agree a working diagnosis with you.
Where it is safe to do so, treatment starts the same day, and you leave understanding the plan and the options in front of you.
Nail surgery can help with:
Painful, recurrent ingrown toenails
When the nail edge keeps growing into the skin (onychocryptosis), causing pain, redness and sometimes infection, surgery removes that edge for good. Once ingrown toenails start, they are often hard to stop coming back, and surgery ends the cycle.
Ingrown toenails that keep getting infected
For a toe that flares up again and again, we treat any active infection first, with antibiotics if needed, then remove the offending nail edge so the infections have nothing to keep returning to.
A permanent fix when conservative care keeps failing
Filing, taping and regular resection can settle a mild ingrown nail, but they need repeating. Where the problem is chronic or keeps recurring, nail surgery with phenol is the permanent solution rather than ongoing maintenance.
Involuted or thickened, curved nails
Nails that curl inward (involuted) or grow thick and curved (onychogryphosis) can press painfully into the skin and be hard to fit into shoes. Surgery narrows or removes the problem nail to take the pressure off the surrounding skin.
Damaged or dystrophic nails after trauma
A nail left deformed by injury, or one with an abnormal shape, colour or texture (nail dystrophy), can catch, hurt or keep splitting. Where it will not settle on its own, surgery removes the damaged nail so it is no longer a problem.
Christine is the feet whisperer, she is marvellous! I should have gone to her before I actually did. If you have any issues with your feet, do not hesitate — book an appointment to see her. Highly recommended!
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Had been in pain for many weeks. As soon as I went to Canary Wharf Podiatry I was taken care of excellently and sorted out, by the kindest staff. This was my best ever medical experience. Thank you so much!
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Had a great experience with Hinson the podiatrist — extremely patient and thorough in explaining the different treatment options. I really appreciated how professional and reassuring he was throughout the appointment.
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Christine was very gentle and took the time to answer all of our questions. She explained everything clearly and educated us with so much patience. We will definitely be coming back.
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Nail surgery fees and insurance
You can self-refer and book online, with no GP referral needed. Many patients claim treatment back through private health insurance: cover varies by policy, and some insurers ask for a GP or consultant referral first, so please check your plan before booking.
- Self-referral: book directly online, no GP letter needed
- Detailed invoices and procedure information provided for insurance claims
- Claimable with insurers such as WPA, Aviva and Vitality, subject to your policy
- One transparent price list across both London clinics
Your journey
with us
Everything starts with an accurate diagnosis. We find what is really causing the problem, treat it, and help you keep it from coming back, so you can stand, walk and train on comfortable feet.
Treatment
The care your foot problem actually needs, from painless skin and nail work to nail surgery under local anaesthetic, using sterile technique. Where a procedure carries real risk, we talk you through it and take consent first.
Advanced care
Where it helps, we draw on on-site MRI and X-ray, custom orthotics made in our own lab, and treatments such as laser and shockwave, so the right tool is matched to the right problem rather than a one-size-fits-all fix.
Maintenance
We address the underlying cause, footwear, pressure or load, so the problem is less likely to return, and offer routine reviews and medical pedicures so your feet are looked after before there is a problem, not only once there is one.
"I wish I had known about you sooner." We hear it constantly. Feet are easy to ignore until they hurt, so we treat podiatry the way a dentist treats teeth: a regular check and a little maintenance keeps small problems from becoming big ones.
- Two London clinics: Canary Wharf, inside LycaHealth at 1 Westferry Circus, and City Dock in Wapping.
- Rated 5.0 on Google, with an HCPC-registered team and evidence-based care led by an Oxford-trained Clinical Director.
- Founded in 2021 and grown almost entirely by word of mouth across two London clinics.
What our podiatrists and chiropodists treat
- Nail surgery for painful, recurrent ingrown toenails
- Skin and nail conditions: verrucae, corns, callus and fungal nails
- Evidence-based fungal nail treatment, including laser
- Biomechanics and custom orthotics made in our own lab
- Musculoskeletal and heel pain, with shockwave therapy
- On-site MRI and X-ray for same-day diagnosis
- Medical pedicures and routine foot-care maintenance
- Prescribing podiatrists: medication started promptly when it is needed
2 Locations
Nail surgery across our two London clinics
- Canary Wharf 1 Westferry Circus, London E14 4HD View location →
- City Dock 142 Vaughan Way, London E1W 2AF View location →
Written and medically reviewed byChristine Yau, Lead Podiatrist & Clinical Director · HCPC-registered · MSc (Oxon) · Royal College of Podiatry and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC); general clinical guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
FAQ
FAQs
Is nail surgery painful?
The procedure itself should not hurt, because we numb the toe first with a local anaesthetic injection, usually Mepivacaine, which takes effect in about five minutes. You may feel the injection and some pressure. Once it wears off, most patients report a dull ache for a few hours to a day, eased by Paracetamol or Ibuprofen, not Aspirin.
Will the ingrown toenail come back after surgery?
Recurrence is uncommon because we apply phenol, a weak acid, to the nail matrix for about three minutes to stop that section regrowing. Across our practice, around five percent of patients see some regrowth, and no procedure can promise zero. We check healing at your follow-up and act early if any edge starts to return.
How long does it take to heal after nail surgery?
Healing usually takes four to six weeks after a partial nail removal, and six to eight weeks after a total nail removal, with regular redressings in between. Most people walk out the same day, but you should avoid running for two to three weeks and football or swimming for four to six weeks until the toe has fully settled.
Can I have nail surgery if I have diabetes?
Possibly, but not without a careful assessment first. Diabetes, peripheral arterial disease and neuropathy all affect healing and infection risk, so we check the blood flow and nerve sensation in your feet, with an ultrasound of the circulation if needed, before deciding. Well-controlled diabetes is not an automatic barrier; poor control or poor circulation may make surgery unsuitable.
Do I need a GP referral, and can I drive afterwards?
No referral is needed: you can self-refer and book directly online with our HCPC-registered podiatrists. We use only a local anaesthetic, but driving while your toe is still numb can leave you unfit to drive and may invalidate your insurance, so please arrange to be driven home. Public transport is not recommended straight after surgery.
What is included in nail surgery?
Your fee covers the procedure with one of our podiatrists, a prescription script if needed, and a culture swab sent to the lab. You also receive your dressings and a Limbo waterproof cover to keep the toe dry in the shower, your redressing appointment, and a further review up to twelve weeks after surgery, directed by you.
Related Treatments
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Canary Wharf Podiatry • 1 Westferry Circus, Canary Wharf, London E14 4HD
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