Discomfort down the sides of the toenails is reasonably frequent and almost always gets referred to as “ingrown” when many cases are not actually ingrown toenails. A true “ingrown nail” is when the nail has truly grown into the skin, pierces the skin and can turn out to be quite uncomfortable and is usually inflammation-prone. https://podiatryfaq.com/knowledge-base/the-side-of-the-toenail-hurts-but-its-not-ingrown/