Ingrowing nails are easily corrected with minimal pain if addressed early. Often the big toe is involved however it can affect any toes. It often starts with mild irritation with some redness and progressively gets worse from inflammation to infection as the redness, pain and swelling increase. 

In some cases granulation tissue forms making the area vascular and very sensitive.

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                 Causes and risk factors

High school kids, active individuals particularly those who play with ball are particularly prone to this. Narrow shoes, trauma and family history are other risk factors for ingrowing nails.

Involuted/curved nails in particular are prone to ingrowing nails. Ideally when the nail/toe becomes tender the edges should be removed and sulci cleared  by a podiatrist to avoid it digging into the skin. This is because as the nail starts to dig in, the surrounding skin hardens up to protect itself. However this increases pressure and results in a viscous cycle where the nail digs in further, taking with it any bacteria on the skin and thus leading to an infection.