[Phenolisation: treatment of choice for ingrown nails].

Ingrown nails are a common and painful pathology not always responding to local treatment. Destroying the matrix by application of phenol (phenolisation) has proven its superiority over the so called classic surgical methods. This is partially due to the exceptional properties of phenol: demyelinisation of the terminal nerve fibres provides long-term pain relief, the coagulation of proteins stops bleeding and the molecule has antiseptic properties. Phenolisation requires only few resources and can be widely used. Recurrence rates are particularly low at 2 %. We present this technique as the treatment of choice for ingrown nails.