A pedicure usually means a quick trip to the neighbourhood salon. Dipping your feet in warm water, followed by a scrub and massage is the vanilla treatment. The medi-pedi aka medical-pedicure has arrived to get you up on your feet. A waterless method, it cannot be performed at just any salon. Instead, the service is done by a specialist who is an expert in podiatry and nail care.
How is it done?
Medical pedicure isn’t about relaxing in a massage chair in a salon while someone paints pretty colours on your toenails. While the feeling isn’t comparable, nonetheless the feet get a gentle feel and will be soft and silky to the touch.
The procedure is performed dry, which helps prevent and avoid bacterial infections. It includes trimming the toenails, removing any thickened and diseased nails, and cutting out and removing corns and calluses on the bottom of the feet. Unlike in salons, during a medical pedicure, podiatrists avoid excessive cutting as well as pushing back the cuticle at the base of the toenails.
Experts believe when the cuticle layer is removed, there is a higher chance of traumatising the nail and developing fungal nail disease. Podiatrists and nail technicians in medical practices will cut the toenails in a way to avoid developing ingrown toenails. For those already suffering from ingrown toenails, visiting a podiatrist instead of having someone at a nail salon will provide relief.
