A prospective study of partial nail avulsion and chemical matrixectomy using 80% trichloroacetic acid involving 197 ingrown toenails demonstrated a 94% success rate with 4% non-ingrown spicule reform and rate recurrence rate of 2%.
This agent caused less pain reported in one study than did phenol or sodium hydroxide, but direct comparison studies are lacking.
More evidence of safety and relative efficacy is still needed.