As Service Providers, we see all types foot conditions including bruised nails. We’ve answered some common questions below that we receive during pedicures.
Do bruised nails grow out?
Yes, they do grow out. However, if there has been trauma to the matrix of the nail, there may be permanent damage such as ridges. The matrix is where the nail is developed, in other words, a damaged “nail factory” will produce damaged nails.
How long does it take for a bruised nail to grow out?
The answer to that question depends on where the trauma is located on the nail. Typically it takes about a year for the nail to fully replenish itself; that is assuming the bruise is at the base of the nail.
On the other hand if the trauma is midpoint, it is safe to estimate it will take about 6 months to grow out. If the nail trauma is a quarter of the way down, it should out take about 3 months, and so on.
Does a new nail grow under the bruised nail?
No, a new nail does not grow underneath, but it grows behind it. So, if the trauma to the nail is bad enough, then the nail will eventually fall as the new nail starts to push out that damaged nail. Depending on how bad the bruise is, sometimes the nail will just slowly grow out.
Home care tips for bruised nails.
Keeping them clean and dry will prevent your vulnerable feet from developing other conditions, such as athlete’s foot or nail fungus. Avoiding tight shoes will prevent unnecessary pressure and will therefore allow normal blood flow to the feet. We recommend wearing sandals in the summer time, it is safe to cover up the bruise with nail polish.
If it is a pretty bad hematoma (bruise) it is recommended to have it drained by a doctor to alleviate some of the pressure.
Pedicures not only help wit the esthetics of a bruised nail, they also remove any collection of tissue and blood that collects between the nail and the nail bed.
What is the difference between a corn and a plantar wart?
Plantar warts appear only on the sole of the foot. They are unique in that sense whereas other warts can transfer all over the body. Plantar warts usually appear in clusters. The main difference is that corns are not contagious. They are caused pressure. On the other hand, warts are caused by a virus. Moreover, they are contagious.
A good pre-indicator of a wart is the diversion in the natural print of the skin. Just like palms and fingerprints, feet have a unique set of ridges that make up the print of the skin. If you spot something that you think may be a wart, check for diversions on the ridges. The ridges on warts will completely grow around the wart.
Another way to test if you are dealing with a plantar wart is by squeezing the tissue around it. If it hurts, it is most likely a wart, otherwise it could just be a corn. It’s always best to check with your doctor.
Where do plantar warts come from?
A wart is a virus that is spread by touch and cross contamination (being exposed to it after someone has touched that surface). For instance, exposing broken skin to the virus will result in a wart.
Are plantar warts an STD?
No, they are strictly affect the sole of the foot.
What happens to a plantar wart if left untreated?
If left untreated, plantar warts will continue to grow through the sole of the foot and become very painful. They are easy to spread through touch or cross contamination. If the virus continues to get worse, it will start pulling nutrients from your body. In addition, it will start pulling blood supply from that area. All this leaves you vulnerable to other infections.
Treatment
If it is manageable with over the counter medications, you can get pads or ointments. However, medical intervention is required if warts spread out of control, the person is usually prescribed an antiviral oral medication and/or have them frozen off with liquid nitrogen which is painful on the foot.
Home tips to prevent Plantar’s Warts
👉Always wear sandals in a public space.
👉Don’t share socks or shoes.
👉Clean pedicures.
Can you get a pedicure if you have plantar’s warts?
In minor cases you can have a pedicure that is properly staged for prevention for cross contamination. If you wish to book a pedicure and you have plantar warts, please include a note on your booking.
Also known as Tinea Pedis, Athlete’s Foot is a foot fungus found between the toes. Because of their appearance, many people mistake them for moisture blisters. We recommend following our tips below if you believe you may have Athlete’s Foot.
The fungus is localized during early stages. However if it starts to spread, it goes all over the foot often mimicking dry skin. This may cause some people to think their feet are just simply dry. However, it is contagious, so it’s best to seek Athlete’s Foot treatment immediately. A good indicator is if it’s only affecting one foot or one section more than others.
In its developed stages Athlete’s Foot leads to scaly, dry skin and can become itchy and hot in its bad stages. Plus, it smells! Be on the lookout for a particular musky smell.
Athlete’s Foot Causes
Foot fungi are often spread through cross contamination in locker room floors, swimming pools, sharing shoes/socks. Their preferred environment is humid and therefore thrive in feet enclosed in humid shoes, as well as toes that have not been dried properly.
Home care tips
Wear cotton socks.
Change socks and shoes regularly.
Wear flip flops in public places.
Avoid home slippers made of cloth material on the inside.
Get clean regular pedicures.
Avoid close-toed slippers at home.
Athlete’s Foot Treatment
Use a scrubbing glove to get rid of dead skin between the toes. Getting rid of that dead skin eliminates food sources for the fungus to grow. Afterwards when getting out of the shower, use powder in between the toes to absorb moisture. In addition, you can use over the counter foot sprays with urea.
Regular Pedicures
Regular pedicures are important to maintain foot health. Our pedicures are designed to provide you with all the benefits of a traditional pedicure combined with our treatment approach and signature touch of luxury.
Heel fissures are deep cracks in calloused areas of the foot. Callous is an overgrowth of dry dead skin. This is often caused by improper foot care. For instance, not removing callous on a regular basis and allowing it to get abnormally thick. However, there are other causes of fissures. Medications that dry out the skin, bad foot wear, and improper weight distribution can cause excessive callous which can then lead to fissures.
How long does it take to heal a heel fissure?
Fissures do not go away on their own. They need to be shaved down. Heel fissures treatment includes a series of pedicures to safely and effectively remove excess callous.
Careful though…
Sometimes, excessive callous is caused by bad pedicures. If too much callous is removed, the skin will overcompensate and build twice as much callous. Fissures can be taken down by means of either a pedicure blade, drills, and rasps in a spa pedicure.
Garbage to some, gold to others.
Aftercare includes using a foot cream that contains urea. Urea is derived from urine. More specifically, it is a waste product excreted by your kidneys when you urinate. Though this sounds gross, urea helps to soften and eat away the dead skin. While your kidneys may consider it garbage, urea is gold to your sad feet! Urea has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that heal and protect your feet.
Tips: Moisturizing often, regular pedicures, and home care.
After applying foot cream, try to use soft socks, for example, cotton socks. Avoid pantyhose as they can get caught in the fissures. Consequently, this can cause snagging and even bleeding which can lead to infections. Moreover, using a foot paddle or pumice stone in the shower will help maintain foot care.
In general, poor foot hygiene is a cause of nail fungus. It is important to cut the toenails and clean underneath regularly. Keeping them long creates unnecessary pressure.
Properly drying your feet is a must. Wiping your feet on the bath mat after your shower or bath is not enough. A proper drying is necessary, especially for overweight people.
Aside from poor hygiene, there are 3 major categories of nail fungus sources:
Ill-fitted shoes
Tight-fitting shoes create pressure that traumatizes the nail therefore making it vulnerable to infections.
Improper pedicures
What constitutes an improper pedicure? Examples include reusing of disposable tools, poor cleaning protocols, and cross contamination. The risk of cross contamination is high when a Service Provider jumps between two simultaneous pedicures in order to maximize the number of clients served.
People with healthy, unbroken skin won’t regularly have an issue with improper pedicures. However, someone with unhealthy feet may fall prey to a fungus infection.
Shoe humidity
Athletes are most likely to develop fungus infections due to the humidity in their shoes. In addition, they often use locker rooms which are known to provide conditions that make fungi thrive (humidity).
In addition to humidity, runners in particular create extra pressure as their feet pound the pavement. This pressure traumatizes the nail therefore making it vulnerable to infections.
Can nail fungus cure itself?
Nail fungus cannot cure itself. A nail fungus can be compared to a parasite. Unless you remove one of the ideal conditions, fungus will continue to thrive. Ideal conditions include humidity, darkness, warm temperature, and nutrients (for example, dirt or dead skin cells).
What happens when left untreated?
There are many reasons to treat a fungal infection aside from the foot not being esthetically pleasing. Firstly, it will cause embarrassing odour. If left untreated long enough it starts to mutate. The fungus starts growing roots under the nails which bury themselves in the nail bed causing it to “pump” itself up. This pumping manifests as thick nails. Once roots starts growing, the fungus can spread to other nails or other people.
Can I wear nail polish if I have a fungal infection?
We recommend that you not apply colour nail polish on an infected toenail. A clear coat is ok, but colours will create an umbrella effect giving the fungi the darkness it needs to thrive. Its like a bug living under a log.
Another reason to refrain from nail polish is to avoid contamination of your nail polish. Once a bottle of polish has been contaminated it can spread to other fingers and people who use your polish.
Prevention tips
Do not share socks or shoes.
Sock material- not all socks are made of cotton. Some are made of acrylic/nylon material which are more likely to cause feet to sweat.
Do not wear the same shoes 2 days in a row, especially closed-toed shoes made from material that builds moisture.
Do not wear poor quality shoes. Some shoes are made of plastic and the paint on the shoes is also plastic which causes sweaty feet and bacteria.
Clean and dry feet properly.
Do not cut nails so short that it breaks the seal.
Wear sandals in locker rooms.
Nail Fungus Treatment
There are different levels of nail fungus treatment.
Anti-fungal drops
This is something you can do at home. The natural toenail takes one year to replace itself. This is the amount of time it will take to care for your feet with drops.
Advanced pedicure
In an Anti-Fungal Tx, we cut the nail down to a safe point in order to cut and scoop as much fungus out. We then insert soaked therapeutic pads where the fungus was removed. As a result, there is less area for moisture to collect.
Your service provider will provide you with post care to continue to care for your infected nail at home.
An ingrown toenail is caused by an overgrowth of nail along the side of the nail. Consequently, this condition creates pressure which can lead to swelling, a lot of pain, and even infections. The extra nail growth can be caused by many factors. For example, incorrect nail cutting, trauma or injury to the nail, or genetics.
Can an ingrown toenail heal itself?
With proper nail care, cutting, and trimming, an ingrown toenail can grow out by itself. However, in certain cases, the ingrown nail will continue to come back.
For instance, ingrown toenails due to the way the shoe forms pressure on the foot will return as long as the specific shoes are in use.
In cases where its hereditary or due to the shape of the foot, ingrown toenails may have to be surgically removed or sometimes the whole toenail is surgically removed.
What happens of an ingrown toenail is left untreated?
If it’s a mild condition ingrown toenails can be treated with proper foot care and nail care.
On the other hand, they can turn into an infection which can turn sepsis. In other words, the infection makes its ways to your bloodstream and can become severe.
How do we fix ingrown toenails?
In mild cases, your service provider will clean the area and file down the sides, properly trim and monitor growth.
DIY and tips to prevent ingrown toenails
do not cut nails down too short
wear properly fitted shoes
above all, practice regular foot care including cleaning around the nails or regular pedicures
