IMPORTANT PEDICURE TIPS!!

We are in full swing of summer now and women everywhere are getting their weekly pedicures or bimonthly!  Best advice if you have callouses is to SEE A PODIATRIST FIRST!

(BTW - toe nails grow slower than fingernails so you do NOT need to have them done with every manicure).




I often have patients saying they "catch" fungus from a pedicure but I honestly think that is not always the case.  Direct infection to the skin of the feet and legs, however is another story.

While not common, there are certainly documented cases where infections occur as a result of transferring bacteria (or fungus) from one person to another.   CBS News just put out this article of a woman almost losing her leg because a contaminated callous shaver was used on her.

So here are my tips for pedicures!

1)  Pedicurists in most states are not allowed to use blades or other callous removers.  If you have callouses that are thick, painful or simply unsightly, SEE A PODIATRIST to have them removed before you have your pedicure!  The benefits to the skin from the pedicure will last much longer if you have the callouses removed properly from a podiatrist.

Pinch Callous

2) Understand that callouses are a result of a structural problem and will continue to develop unless those problems are corrected.  Your podiatrist (podiatric physician) will educate you on the whys, hows and whens that influence your callouses.  Sometimes simply wearing custom orthotics can get rid of that "pinch" callous on the joint of your big toe that many of us seem to have.

3) Go to a salon first thing in the morning when the tools and whirlpools have the least chance of being contaminated.

4) Make sure they are using freshly sterilized instruments, including the nail files!

5) Never shave just prior to going for a pedicure.  This will reduce the risk of bacteria entering your skin if there is a contamination.

Finally - enjoy your freshly painted pink/red/blue/gray toes!!

Stilettos and Cobblestone - do the two work together???

Okay,  I am a little obsessed right now with Meghan Markle but not as much as Google thinks because I keep getting Meghan Markle news links!  But this one was pertinent.  Meghan wears heels on cobblestone in Dublin explores the difficulty wearing heels while walking on cobblestone streets!

I could swear I already wrote an article on this, but can't seem to find it.  The short answer is NO - of course high heels and cobblestones don't mix!  Walking on any uneven surface is difficult but cobblestone surface is uneven, irregular and a mix of contours joined together with sand.   And if you have ever tried walking in sand with heels, you know what additional problems that brings!

So what risks did Meghan take when walking on cobblestone in her 3 inch Sarah Flint shoes (not really stilettos if they are only 3 inches People Magazine)?  She risks spraining her ankles, spraying her foot, sustaining a fracture if she slips and getting those skinny heels stuck in that sand!

What the People article didn't talk about is the problem more women experience while wearing heels in another inconvenient surface:  grass.  They did provide a photo showing the Duchess of Sussex standing in the grass and mentioned that she was able to walk across the park, but the take home message in this instance is simply having those skinny heels sink into the grass!  I KNOW you have experienced that at least once.  in your high heel wearing life time!  Unlike walking on cobblestone, walking on grass while in heels once is certainly enough to make sure you don't make that mistake again.  Seems that getting stuck in the grass is more embarrassing than falling and spraining your ankles!  And who want to clean the mud off the heels while you are out and about all dressed up!

Bottom line - know where you will be walking BEFORE you venture out in those skinny heels!

It’s July 4th so we should all be thinking Red, White and Blue!! Even when we are thinking of our toes??

The color of each and every toe can indicate the health condition of that toe!

With the summer months of having exposed toes, it’s important to understand what each color might mean.

Red Toes.  Assuming we are not talking about active bleeding, having redness appear suddenly or even gradually may indicate inflammation.  Inflammation is your body’s reaction to something that is injuring or irritating your body.  Stubbing your toe, a cut in the skin or even an ingrown nail can all cause inflammation.   As inflammation increases, the area that appears red, or pink, may spread.  Infection is always a worry with redness as well.  It is often difficult to know if your redness is infection or inflammation so if it worsens, its important to see a podiatric physician as soon as possible.  At  Family Podiatry Center we always make room for same day appointments for injuries, ingrown nails or suspected infections.

White Toes.  If a toe turns white, it is likely related to your arterial (blood) supply to that toe.  People with heart disease or peripheral arterial disease may experience white toes, but even otherwise health people may have this problem.  Raynaud’s is a condition that causes spasm of the small arteries that give blood and oxygen to the toes.  Some people develop Raynaud’s by itself or it may be present with certain inflammatory or arthritic conditions.  It’s important to take protective measures of proper socks and shoe wear and not to smoke cigarettes which can increase the spasms of the arteries.  These spasms can occur in the cold of winter but also in damp climates regardless of temperature.  Speaking of cold weather…white toes in the winter may also be the result of frostbite!

Blue Toes.  Blue toes usually indicate that the veins leading the blood away from the toes are not working and the blood is pooling in the toes.  Veins function to bring blood from all areas of our body back to the heart.  With the toes having the smallest veins and being subject the most to gravity, venous congestion of the feet (and toes) can be a sign of vein disease.  It’s not uncommon for women and men n their 30’s and 40’s to begin having symptoms of vein issues.  A podiatric physician can identify if your veins are causing your swelling, pain or discoloration.