Information Text:

Dr. Scott Kilberg, Podiatry, Indiana Podiatry Group: “A pedicure is basically a luxury service for most people.  It’s good for hygiene and for grooming.  However there are certain people to whom it would actually provide some health benefit and that’s people who simply cannot reach down to take care of their own nails or take care of callouses and skin around their toes; they have a bad back or large belly or just are just otherwise are unable to bend over and provide that care on themselves.  A lot of people have hand arthritis and are not able to provide their own care.  Pedicures can offer, certainly, a health benefit for those folks.  There are certain people for whom any type of aggressive care can actually be seriously dangerous to the health of one’s foot, like those that have diabetes and those that otherwise have poor sensation.  The essential way to protect one’s self is to go to a facility that does a very good job about cleaning its instruments and making sure that the instruments are sterilized prior to use on another individual.  Medical grade chemical sterilants are certainly the easiest to use, but also steam autoclave or steam sterilization procedures.  And then the second way is basically ensuring that service is not going to become too overly aggressive with care of the nails, including the skin surrounding the nail and the rest of the skin on the foot.”

Angie’s List tips:                                                                                                             

Salon safety:

Inform salon of any medical conditions

Ask about instrument cleaning techniques

Pedicure safety:

Be gentle with cuticles

Bacterial infections can be serious