I had ingrown toenails as a child, so I know exactly how your son feels. I was 9 when my first nail grew in. The doctors said cut v's in the toe nail.....this did not work. The nail stayed ingrown.  I was put on antibiotics to rid the infection and then the doctor cut v's in my nails....still it did not work.  I then had local surgery on my toes, where they gave me a local injection to numb the toe and they removed the ingrown part of the toenail.  Yes, this was painfull after the injection wore off, but it only lasted about 24 hours and I was walking again without the painful ingrown toenails.

This, however, was only short lived. The nails grew back in again. I had many more local operations on my toes until one day when I was 14 a saw a different doctor who referred me to another surgeon.  This surgeon actually removed the nail from the nail bed (only the part that grows in, so I still have a normal looking toe nail) so that it will never grow again, and therefore never grow inwards.  It was quite painfull and I was on crutches for a week (one toe at a time), but I have never had an ingrown nail ever since. 

If you want to discuss this any further or you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.

Tracey

i too was given antibiotics for an ingrown toenail.. That did nothing... I was in pain so I went back and another doctor said "Why the antibiotics??"

So he injected my big toe in four places (yes it hurt and yes I cried) but the relief after the toe nail was enough to forget about the injections to put my toe to sleep. :)

I had a dodgy doc though as now my toenail grows in three places, the original, and then two on either side they sprout up and get caught on my socks.. And as yucky as this sounds I have to pull them out with tweezers.. So make sure you don't have a dodgy doc to fix his toe...

Antibiotics did nothing for me... 

The antibiotic would help with an infection......not the nail growth you are right. However when you cut his toe nails cut a small v right in the center and keep doing that for a while and it should not grow out so wide.

firstly cut the toenail square from day dot......for a toenail already ingrown cut a small v in the middle of the nail(the part of the nail u normally cut not the bed LOL)keep the v going until the nail grows out.It works for me and used to work for my Son too regards Merle

If it works for older people it may work for your son.  My husband recently had an ingrown toenail which became very infected and I used an old "Grandma" remedy which is relatively cheap and can't hurt trying.  Soak your son's toe in listerine.  Apparently the antibacerial agents in listerine dissolve the fungus causing the infection.  Hope it works - let us know the results.

hey, antibiotics will fix the problem depending on how bad it is. it should stop the infection completely and get rid of it, he should feel relief within the first 48 hours, i say if he doesn't take him to a another doc for a second opinion , i had a problem with an ingrown hair on my tail bone about a year ago i was given antibiotics and it healed up within a week but i felt relief within the first to second day, then it came back and he antbiotics didn't worl i had to get it removed, very painful but glad it has gone everyone is different so he may react differently and it might not work or it may get rid of it completely i say go with your instincts your his mum, you know best good luck, hope the poor little thing is feeling better soon. Britt xx

That is a bit young to have the nail removed.  My brother had this when he was younger and he too was given antibiotics and told to bathe it in Hydrogen Peroxide to kill the germs.  He also had a piece of aluminium foil folded over and slipped between the nail and the skin to protect the skin (this last one is one of those home remedies but boy did it work). 

Go and see a podiatrist. They  can asses and remove or partially remove the toenail. This is their speciality (feet) so they know a little more than a general practitioner.