ABSTRACT
Ingrowing nails are usually acquired and attributed to poorly fitting shoes, sport, aggressive manicure, nail-biting or other trauma. There is a basic disproportion between the nail and lateral nail fold, resulting in damage to the latter. In pincer nail the most frequent cause is pressure on the nail plate from footwear or deformed digits, although when many nails are affected a family history may exist. Occasionally, isolated cases may result from an underlying exostosis.
