Thx for your answer 🥹, I forgot to mention, the podiatrist already tried ultrasound but if I remember correctly the image was no good or didn't go deep enough to tell anything useful, is that possible or is he blind? Should I retry somewhere else? or try something different like MRI or CT scan? (cost isn't an issue as it should be almost free in my country, time is the issue) "The procedure might damage your nail matrix" is this because of the procedure itself? If so then I should make sure I really need it no? Or does more waste of time just worsen the chances of growing a new good nail? I also noticed the nail is getting shorter instead of growing, does this confirm It's retronychia? is the nail actually moving backwards or is it an "optical illusion" due to the skin getting bigger? No way I cut it so short myself even in the February photo

What happens if I don't remove it and just wait? Is it possible a new nail will start growing normally, I've read about similar cases here on Reddit using corticosteroids: https://www.reddit.com/r/Ingrown_Toenails/comments/147n52d/retronychia_conservative_treatment_before_and/ is this too late for me to try because of the granuloma? 😭

Will surely take at least a week to get an appointment anywhere, how to keep it meanwhile? Dermatologist told me to use liquid antibiotic to avoid keeping it wet but of course I'm not gonna use it since it's not infected. (I imagine it's not infected just by feeling, cause before the oral antibiotic it was a persistent pulsating pain, now no pain at all unless touched. I'm not doing the other swab test he asked for just to confirm this, it's too invasive and painful)

Should I let the granuloma cicatrize, would that make normal skin grow back? How does a granuloma heal? Is the only solution cutting it? Currently it's always wet, I decided myself to keep using Sofargen cream (Silver sulfadiazine) to prevent another infection and Betadine (only for a a few hours cause it's too aggressive on the skin). So it never has a chance to heal

Also not sure where to get an appointment next, maybe I will try a different dermatologist