Skip the Pedicure and see a Podiatrist!

 According to Wikipedia a pedicure is performed for “cosmetic, theraputic and medical purposes.” Now, it could simply be due to the fact that therapeutic is not even spelled correctly, or it could be due to the suspicion that arises when publicly accessed literature implies beauticians can perform “medical” procedures. Either way some red flags need to be raised when it’s been suggested a beautician is qualified to perform anything more than simple nail trimming and painting.  A few things to consider before your next pedicure:

•          Salons may try to re-use tools. This is a big issue for obvious reasons. Consider asking, or looking for clues of re-use next time a technician takes to those toes with a beauty tool. Every year there are many reported cases of Staph and sometimes-even MRSA infections due to nail salons re-using non-professionally sterilized tools. Believe it or not the liquid “antiseptic” solutions salons use generally only kill low-level pathogenicity microbes, rendering this practice fairly infective in actual disease prevention.

•          Although footbaths or whirlpools may seem like wonderful foot therapy if not properly cleaned with serious antiseptics after every single use they can harbor everything from HPV to MRSA.

•         Ingrown toenails (onychocryptosis) should never be attempted to be remedied by a nail technician! This is an actual medical condition that should only be treated with professionally sterilized tools by a health care professional such as a Podiatrist. Not only could the nail plate and bed be further damaged by an untrained individual, but serious infections are a huge risk as well.

•          Nail technicians want to augment your cuticles but this is a big “no-no”. Cuticles were put around your nails for a reason; they prevent infection as they make a seal between your nail plate and skin from the external environment.

These are just a few reasons to skip pedicures altogether and see the Podiatrist. If you still need further convincing check out one of the following links including articles written by US News, Huffington Post and the Washington Post…

US News article - Pedicure or Pedicurse?

Washington Post article

Huffington Post--5 Dangers awaiting you at the nail salon

**This blog, and the medical information it presents is made possible by Dr. Michael Garvin of Port Saint Lucie, Florida. He has been practicing board certified podiatry for over 20 years, and accepts new patients. Visit his website for additional information here. To schedule an appointment, or find directions to his office click here.

5 Suggestions for Keeping Your Feet Healthy

Are you confident that your daily decisions aren’t negatively affecting your foot health? There are a lot of variables that we subconsciously factor into our choices of footwear and care on a daily basis-that we may not even realize are potentially detrimental. Below is a short list of suggestions that will help prevent a trip to the doctor due to your casual decisions.

• Pay close attention to your feet during routine hygiene; this includes noting the skin texture/quality, toenail color, & any irregular lumps and bumps

• If you’re aging, stay on top of keeping the skin on your plantar and dorsal feet moisturized. Dry, cracking skin is more prone to fungal, bacterial and viral infections

• Wear shoes that are well fitting and match your activity levels for each day. I.e. if you’re spending all day walking at a mall, or an amusement park choose a pair of supportive running shoes instead of something fashionable

• There’s a time and place for stilettos and flip-flops. Both can cause a flare-up of plantar fasciitis or achilles tendinitis, so if you know you’re going to have a long day save them for the short and sweet occasions exclusively

• Going barefoot seems so attractive at waterparks, the community pool, and the beach, but sometimes this can be a big mistake. Areas that are high traffic and always wet can be a breeding ground for fungi and viruses. This is the time to grab your favorite pair of podiatrist recommended flip flops and avoid cutting your foot on a shell at the beach, or picking up athlete’s foot in the locker room

**This blog and the medical information it presents is made possible by Dr. Michael Garvin of Port Saint Lucie, Florida. He has been practicing board certified podiatry for over 20 years and accepts new patients. Visit his website for additional information here. To schedule an appointment, or find directions to his office click here.

Warts on your feet?

Commonly known as plantar verrucae, the plantar wart is caused by the Human Papillomavirus. The virus attacks the skin through direct contact, entering through possibly tiny cuts and abrasions in the outermost layer of the skin. Infection typically occurs from moist walking surfaces such as showers or swimming pools. After the infection, warts may not become visible for several weeks or months. Because of pressure on the sole of the foot, the wart is pushed inward and a layer of hard skin may form over the wart. Depending on where the warts are located, some may cause pain when walking. A common misconception about plantar warts is that they have roots which can grow deep into the tissues and attach to the bone. This is not true. A wart only grows in the top layer of skin and although the wart may extend slightly deeper, this is generally due to walking, putting pressure on the affected area and pushing the wart deeper into the tissue.

Because plantar warts are spread by contact with moist walking surfaces, they can be prevented by not walking barefoot in public areas such as showers or communal changing rooms (wearing flip flops or sandals helps), not sharing shoes and socks, and avoiding direct contact with warts on other parts of the body or on other people. Humans build immunity with age, so infection is less common among adults than children. The virus can survive many months without a host, making it highly contagious. There are many different treatments for warts including topical acid, freezing, laser and surgery to name a few.

Warts on the bottom of the foot can look a lot like calluses, so when in doubt, it is best to have it looked at by a Dr. Garvin. So if you or a loved one is suffering with a painful wart that just won’t go away, call Dr. Garvin’s office today at 772-335-7171 and schedule an appointment.