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!!

Resolution #9: Clear out that fungal infection once and for all!

2011 brings much good news for fungal nails! New laser treatments are now being used to attack the fungus within and beneath the nails and are showing great success and Family Podiatry Center is the first (and one of the only) offices to offer it in the western suburbs! It’s no longer necessary to decide if the anti-fungal pills are worth the risk – laser treatments for fungal nails will change the way we look at our toe nails!

The laser we are using is a dual wave length laser that acts by destroying the fungal cells within the nail and the skin beneath the nail. The results we have been seeing are dramatic. The advantage for this laser is that you only have to treat the nails that have the fungus so it is more economical than outer options.