CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS

PEDICURES

Nail fungus, otherwise known as Onychomycosis, has been recognized as being a very difficult type of fungal infection to treat. It is a cosmetic condition that most often affects the toenails. Risk factors for nail fungus include increased age, male gender, diabetes, nail trauma, hyperhydrosis, peripheral vascular disease, athlete's foot, immunodeficiency, poor hygiene, and chronic exposure of the nails to water. There are many species of fungus that can infect the nail. Often in nail infections several types of fungus will be present at the same time. All nail fungus infections result in thickened, discolored, and distorted nails.

Nailfungas

 

 

Bunions are misaligned big toe joints that can become swollen and tender, causing the first joint of the big toe to slant outward, and the second joint to angle toward the other toes.
Bunions are misaligned big toe joints.  

 

 

Flat feet are a common condition. In infants and toddlers, the longitudinal arch is not developed and flat feet are normal. The arch develops in childhood, and by adulthood, most people have developed normal arches.

 Flat feet  

 

Heel Spurs
Plantar fasciitis (or heel pain) is commonly traced to an inflammation on the bottom of the foot. Our practice can evaluate arch pain, and may prescribe customized shoe inserts called orthoses to help alleviate the pain.

Heel Spurs  

 

Hammertoes
Hammertoe is a deformity of the second, third or fourth toes. In this condition, the toe is bent at the middle joint, resembling a hammer. Left untreated, hammertoes can become inflexible and require surgery.

Hammertoes 

 

Ingrown nails when the nail grows into the flesh instead of over it -- usually affect the toenails, particularly the big toe. People with curved or thick nails are most susceptible, although anyone can suffer from ingrown nails as a result of an injury, poorly fitting shoes, or because of improper grooming of the feet. Diabetics and people with vascular problems need to be aggressive in treating and preventing minor foot ailments such as an ingrown toenail because they can develop into serious medical problems such as loss of a limb.

Ingrown nails 

Warts normally grow out of the skin in cylindrical columns. These columns do not fuse when the wart grows on thin skin such as the face. On thicker skin, the columns fuse and are packed tightly together giving the surface the typical mosaic pattern. Black dots can sometimes be seen in a wart. These are actually blood vessels that have grown rapidly and irregularly into the wart and have thombosed or clotted off.

Wart                                                                                                                   



Increased media attention has heightened awareness for the spread of infections from shared instruments and unhygienic practices in many salons. One way to avoid any exposure is to do pedicures for yourself at home. Here are some easy steps to follow that will make sure to keep your feet safe:

1. Soak your feet in warm soapy water for approximately 10 minutes. This helps soften and clean skin and nails.

2. After the foot soaking, gently rub the skin with a pumice stone or emery board. This gets rid of dead skin cells and calluses. Some body scrub products can help exfoliate dead skin. (Please contact our office if you have deep calluses or corns and need help shaving them.)

3. Push back the cuticles with an orange stick or a Hindu stone. Cuticles offer protection from bacteria and infection. Cuticles clearly overhanging the nail margins need to be carefully trimmed. Do not trim any further than the nail margin or draw blood as this can lead to infection.

4. Trim toenails straight across rather than in a curved pattern. This helps prevent ingrown toenails, allowing the straight edge of the nail to advance as one unit. Toenails should be trimmed just enough so that you can see a few millimeters of skin just beyond the nail margin. Nails should not overhang the edge of the toe.

5. Refine the nail edge with an emery board, maintaining the straight edge.

6. Apply cream and moisturizing lotion to the skin and nail margins.

7. Massage the cream or lotion into the feet. A foot massage can help relieve tension and tired, aching feet. You can get a good massage at home by rolling your feet back and forth over a rolling pin or bottle. Specialists in the body's reflexes, called reflexologists, believe that points on the foot correspond to other body parts and ailments can be relieved through reflexology. They believe the ball of the foot has a connection to the lungs, the heel to the lower back, and the great toe to the head. Although no scientific research exists to back up these claims, reflexology does seem to produce positive results in some people.

8. Apply nail polish remover to the nails to gently remove excess lotion. This allows nail polish to adhere better to the nail. To apply nail polish, start with a base coat, followed by one or two coats of the nail color, and, finally, a clear topcoat.

9. Space your pedicures apart by approximately eight weeks.