The Pedicure Safety Checklist: Salon Red Flags, Fungus, and Ingrown Toenails

Who doesn't love a relaxing pedicure? Sitting back in a massage chair while someone else takes care of your feet feels like the ultimate luxury. However, if your chosen salon is cutting corners on sanitation or using aggressive trimming techniques, that hour of pampering can quickly turn into a painful medical issue.

At PodiatryCare, P.C. and the Heel Pain Center, serving Enfield and South Windsor, CT, we frequently treat the aftermath of improper salon pedicures. Before you dip your toes into the water, here is our pedicure safety checklist and the major red flags you need to watch out for.

Red Flag #1: The Fungal Foot Bath

The fungus that causes onychomycosis thrives in warm, moist environments, making improperly sanitized foot baths a prime breeding ground.

·      Fungus can stay in the nails for many years and is easily passed from one person to another through shared water basins or unsterilized clippers.

·      If you leave the salon and later notice thick, yellow, discolored toenails, you likely picked up a fungal infection.

·      We successfully treat these stubborn infections using a highly effective combination of topical and oral medications.

·      If you want to dive deeper into how this happens and how to prevent it, read our guide to fighting off foot toenail infections.

Red Flag #2: Aggressive Corner Cutting

A skilled nail technician will always cut your toenails straight across. If they use clippers to dig into the corners of your nail to create a rounded shape, stop them immediately.

·      Improper trimming is one of the leading causes of an ingrown toenail, which occurs when a corner of the nail grows into the flesh of the toe, causing redness, swelling, and eventual infection.

·      Many of our patients fear coming in for treatment, arriving in serious pain. But don't let fear delay your care! The treatment is gentle and virtually painless.

·      We gently numb the toe and remove the offending corner. If the problem is chronic, we can even remove the root in the office to permanently prevent regrowth.

(Proper trimming habits start early. Check out what happens if your kids don't trim their toenails to see why cutting straight across matters at every age!)

Your Pedicure Safety Checklist

To protect your feet, keep this mental checklist handy during your next salon visit:

-  Look for the Autoclave: Tools sitting in that blue Barbicide liquid aren't always fully sterilized. The salon should use a medical-grade autoclave (a machine that uses high-pressure steam) to sterilize metal instruments.

-  Say No to the Cheese Grater: Salons should never use metal rasps or "cheese graters" on your heels. These cause micro-tears in the skin, inviting bacterial infections. Pumice stones or gentle foot files are the only safe options.

-  Don't Shave Beforehand: Do not shave your legs for at least 24 hours before a pedicure. Micro-cuts from your razor act as open doors for bacteria lingering in the footbath.

-  Bring Your Own Tools: The absolute safest way to guarantee sterile equipment is to purchase a basic pedicure kit and bring your own tools to the salon.

When to See a Podiatrist

If you leave the salon with pain, redness, or signs of an infection, do not try to treat it with drugstore remedies. It is vital to know the symptoms you shouldn't ignore!

If you are dealing with a painful ingrown nail or are embarrassed to wear your open-toed shoes in public due to a fungal infection, schedule an appointment. We will get you back to your normal activities right away!

At PodiatryCare, PC, and the Heel Pain Center, we care for a wide variety of foot and ankle ailments. Dr. Matthew Tschudy, Dr. Rebecca Wiesner, Dr. Kristen Winters, Dr. Laura Vander Poel, and the rest of our team are ready to serve our Hartford County patients. To schedule an appointment at our Enfield location, call (860) 741-3041; for an appointment at our South Windsor location, call (860) 644-6525.