Medical Pedicure

Medical Pedicure Q&A

What is a medical pedicure?

A medical pedicure combines podiatry and nail care. It presents an opportunity to check in on the health of your feet and treat them to some tender loving care.

During a medical pedicure, you don’t soak your feet or have your toenails painted. Instead, your Foot and Ankle Wellness Center provider completes a podiatry exam and performs a sterile, waterless pedicure. Treatment emphasizes the removal of dead skin, hangnails, or damaged nail tissue to improve the health of your feet and prevent future complications.

What types of issues can benefit from a medical pedicure?

At Foot and Ankle Wellness Center, the team of experienced podiatrists uses medical pedicures to treat various issues, including:

  • Thick skin and nails
  • Damaged or weakened toenails
  • Corns and calluses
  • Athlete’s foot
  • Splinters
  • Blisters
  • Ingrown toenails
  • Discolored toenails
  • Fungal toenails

Medical pedicures can treat cracked heels, dry skin, and other foot-related complications of diabetes.

What does a medical pedicure involve?

At Foot and Ankle Wellness Center, medical pedicures typically take 60-90 minutes.

First, your podiatrist reviews your medical records and asks about your symptoms. Next, they examine your feet, toes, and toenails, checking for corns, calluses, blisters, and other abnormalities. Most foot and nail issues are easy to spot, but your provider may collect nail clippings or skin samples to rule out non-foot-related issues, like psoriasis.

Your provider cleans and sterilizes your feet. They then use medical-grade tools to clip and file your toenails, thin out thickened nails, and remove dead skin or tissue. 

If you have corns or calluses, your provider applies a topical anesthetic and carefully removes them. If you have plantar warts, at an additional cost, they complete Swift® microwave therapy to remove them.

Last, your provider applies tea tree oil to your nails and between your toes and carefully pushes your cuticles back with an orangewood stick. They then complete a gentle foot massage using an emollient (a product that helps your skin retain moisture). The massage increases circulation, relieves pain, and promotes healing.

What makes a medical pedicure different from a traditional pedicure?

Traditional pedicures are a type of self-care that occur in a salon setting. In contrast, medical pedicures are performed for specific health-related issues. 

Foot and Ankle Wellness Center can develop a personalized care plan that improves mobility and quality of life. 

Call the nearest Foot and Ankle Wellness Center office today to request a medical pedicure or make an appointment online.

Foot and Ankle Wellness Center

Podiatric Medicine and Surgery located in Washington, DC

If you have a foot injury, bunion, hammertoe, arthritis, or another foot problem that requires surgery, you can turn to the highly trained podiatry team at Foot and Ankle Wellness Center. They diagnose the cause of foot pain and offer minimally invasive foot surgery to restore your foot’s structure and function. Foot and Ankle Wellness Center is in Washington, DC. Call today to schedule an appointment.
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Foot and Ankle Wellness Center

Podiatric Medicine and Surgery located in Washington, DC

If you have a foot injury, bunion, hammertoe, arthritis, or another foot problem that requires surgery, you can turn to the highly trained podiatry team at Foot and Ankle Wellness Center. They diagnose the cause of foot pain and offer minimally invasive foot surgery to restore your foot’s structure and function. Foot and Ankle Wellness Center is in Washington, DC. Call today to schedule an appointment.