Background: When a toenail's edge or corner grows into the surrounding skin rather than over it, it's known as an ingrown toenail. The present study compared efficacy of 88% phenol and 10% sodium hydroxide for chemical matricectomy in the management of ingrown toenails. Materials & Methods: 80 patients of matricectomy of both genderswere divided into 2 groups of 40 each. Group I patients received 88% phenol and group II received 10% NaOH chemical matricectomy.Recoded were the length of complaints, the degree of ingrown toenails, the length of postoperative pain, the length of postoperative discharge, and the amount of time needed for tissue normalization. Results: Out of 80 patients, 47 were males and 33 were females. The mean duration of complaints was 13.2 months and 9.5 months, the duration of postoperative pain was 7.3 days and 16.1 days, the duration of postoperative discharge was 15.4 days and 18.3 days, time taken for tissue normalization was 7.2 days and 15.4 days in group I and group II respectively. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). The severity of ingrown toenail in group I and group II was stage 1 in 15 and 16, stage 2 in 8 and 10 and stage 3 in 17 and 14 patients respectively. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: For ingrown toenails, 10% sodium hydroxide therapy is just as effective as 88% phenol chemical matricectomy. Its adverse impact profile is marginally superior.