If you’ve been living with the recurring pain of an ingrown or involuted toenail — dreading the thought of surgery or struggling with uncomfortable wire braces — there’s a genuinely pain-free alternative. Onyfix nail correction uses a hardened composite band to gently retrain your nail back to its natural flat shape, with no wires, no hooks, and no discomfort.
Available at Peak Performance Institute in West Leederville, Onyfix represents a significant advance over traditional nail bracing. Applied by our senior podiatrist Aaron Gregory, the system has helped patients avoid nail surgery entirely — or combine it with partial nail resection for more complex cases.
What Is Onyfix Nail Correction?
Onyfix is a German-engineered nail correction system that treats ingrown (onychocryptosis) and involuted (curved-inward) toenails without surgery, wires, or hooks. The principle is elegantly simple: a composite resin is applied across the width of the nail, cured under LED light into a rigid band, and as the nail grows over 2–3 months, the band guides it back into a flatter, healthier shape.
Unlike traditional nail braces — which use small wire hooks that grip under the sides of the nail plate — Onyfix sits entirely on top of the nail. There’s nothing digging into the nail folds, nothing to catch on socks, and nothing to cause the inflammation that often accompanies wire bracing.
How Onyfix Works: The 4-Step Process
- Nail preparation — Your podiatrist files down and flattens the nail surface to create an optimal bonding surface. Debris is cleared from the nail folds and the plate is cleaned thoroughly for maximum adhesion.
- Primer application — An Onyfix bonding primer is applied evenly across the widest portion of the nail plate. This ensures the composite band adheres securely for the full 2–3 month correction period.
- Composite band application — The Onyfix composite resin is applied across the nail base as a band. For nails needing additional lift at the free edge, a second band can be applied distally with a fine probe gently raising the nail edge. The material is sculpted in real-time to the exact width and contour of your nail.
- LED curing (30 seconds) — The bands are cured under an LED light. The composite hardens instantly into a rigid, durable brace — and you walk out with the correction already working.
Each band takes approximately 10 minutes to apply. The entire process is pain-free from start to finish — no anaesthetic required.
Onyfix vs Traditional Nail Bracing
| Feature | Onyfix Composite Band | Traditional Wire Brace |
|---|---|---|
| Comfort | Completely pain-free — nothing hooks under the nail | Can cause discomfort, inflammation, and pressure on nail folds |
| Risk of dislodgement | Low — composite bonds to nail surface | Higher — wires can slip, catch on socks, or dislodge in closed footwear |
| Adaptability | Custom-sculpted to your nail width and curvature | Standard wire sizes — less customisation |
| Nail polish | Can be applied over the band | Wires interfere with polish application and removal |
| Activity restriction | None — resume sport, swimming, and normal footwear immediately | May require modified footwear or activity during treatment |
| Suitability | Safe during pregnancy, for diabetics, and for elderly patients | May not suit all patient groups |
Who Can Benefit from Onyfix?
Onyfix is remarkably versatile — three distinct patient groups benefit:
1. Involuted (curved) toenails with a flat nail base — These are the ideal candidates. The Onyfix band can achieve complete correction without any surgery, often in a single 2–3 month treatment cycle. If your nail curves inward at the edges but has a reasonably flat base, Onyfix alone may be the complete solution.
2. Severely curved or wide nail bases — For nails with significant curvature from the matrix (the growth centre), Onyfix can be combined with a partial nail avulsion (PNA) — a minor procedure that removes the curved edge of the nail. The Onyfix band then guides the remaining nail to grow flatter, preventing recurrence.
3. Split nails — If you have a nail that repeatedly splits or fissures, Onyfix can bridge the split, allowing the nail to grow out intact while preventing the fissure from progressing to the base. The band keeps the nail structurally sound until healthy nail replaces it.
Treatment Timeline and Cost
- Application: 10–20 minutes per nail, performed in-clinic — often in the same appointment as your initial consultation.
- Interval: New bands applied every 6 weeks. We recommend 3–4 bands total over approximately 4–6 months.
- Completion: Once the nail has grown out with the corrected shape, the composite is removed and the nail continues to grow naturally.
- Cost: One toe $95 | Two toes $150 (per application). Private health rebates may apply — check with your fund.
The nail grows from the matrix at the base — so the correction is gradual. The first new growth (a few millimetres) appears flat at around 6 weeks. By 4–6 months, the corrected nail shape is established and maintained naturally.
Key Benefits at a Glance
- Pain-free — from application to removal, no discomfort at any stage
- No downtime — return to sport, work, and normal footwear immediately
- Evidence-based — clinically validated composite resin technology
- Versatile — combinable with partial nail surgery for complex cases; works for split nails too
- Safe for everyone — pregnancy, diabetes, elderly — no contraindications for most patients
- Nail polish friendly — apply polish over the band without affecting the correction
- No wires, no hooks — nothing digging into nail folds or catching on socks
Contraindications: When Onyfix May Not Be Suitable
Your podiatrist will assess suitability at your consultation. Onyfix is generally not recommended if:
- More than 50% of the nail is affected by fungal infection
- The nail has detached from the nail bed (onycholysis)
- There is active nail bruising or suspected malignancy
Why PPI for Your Nail Correction?
At Peak Performance Institute, Onyfix sits within a complete podiatry practice. Your treatment is conducted by Aaron Gregory — a podiatrist with over 15 years of clinical experience. If your ingrown nail has a biomechanical driver (such as overpronation loading the medial nail fold), that can be assessed and managed in the same clinic. If you need partial nail surgery combined with Onyfix, it’s coordinated seamlessly.
You’re not getting a standalone cosmetic fix — you’re getting a clinically reasoned solution to a painful, recurrent problem.
Book your Onyfix consultation today — call (08) 9381 1265 or visit us at ppiperth.com.au. Located at 144 Cambridge Street, West Leederville, serving patients from Subiaco, Wembley, Leederville, Highgate, and across Perth.
References
- Onyfix Nail Correction System — Product Monograph. (n.d.). Onyfix GmbH.
- Erdogan, F. G., & Erdogan, G. (2019). A new therapeutic approach to ingrown toenails: Onyfix composite nail correction system. Dermatologic Therapy, 32(4), e12942.
