At Pure Peninsula Spa, a pedicure is a cosmetic treatment of the feet and toenails, and often includes a therapeutic component with a foot soak and massage. Medical-grade products are used as well as a fresh set of sterilized instruments for each client.

Besides having a cosmetic and therapeutic treatment of the feet and toenails, a pedicure can also have a medical component as well, depending on the facility. It can help make clients aware of and prevent nail diseases and nail disorders. Your nail technician does a professional assessment of your feet and toenails before proceeding with any treatment. You may be referred to a podiatrist if the nail technician feels you need medical treatment prior to a pedicure.

A medical pedicure includes the professional assessment by our certified nail technician and recommendations for treatment options based on those findings. A medical pedicure can help address conditions of toenails and skin pathologies of the foot where appropriate. It adheres to only the highest levels of sanitation to provide the most hygienic care of the toenails, surrounding tissue, and soles of the feet. Products chosen by our podiatrist for their therapeutic benefits and safety standards are used as well as a fresh set of surgical-grade sterilized instruments for each client.

A medical pedicure provides the safest pedicure option for people with compromised immune systems and other medical conditions, like diabetes, that would delay their ability to heal in the event of injury to their skin. While non-medical pedicures at Pure Peninsula Spa are still performed under sterile and clean conditions, our medical pedicures are tailored to the clients needs for skin, nail and callus care with use of enzymes and masques instead of harsher tools.

During a medical pedicure, the nail technician will review with you your concerns for your feet and nails as well as any medical conditions you have indicated on your intake form. Based on the information you provide, the nail technician can help you customize a pedicure package that will safely care for your feet during your service. As part of the assessment, the nail technician will evaluate your feet for signs of the following:

• Possible infection (e.g., bacterial, fungal, or viral).
• Possible skin conditions (e.g., calluses, corns, skin irritations or open wounds).
• Possible nail abnormalities (e.g., thickened toenails, ingrown toenails, discolored toenails).

After the foot and nail assessment, the nail technician will soak your feet for a shortened period of time, to soften your toenails and skin, but prevent microscopic skin breaks that could open you to infection. This type of attention to detail, personalized assessment and expert care level are the keys to making these pedicures the safest option for our more at-risk clients.

Having a pedicure is a personal choice and how often you should have one as well. If you enjoy the spa treatment of a pedicure and would like to keep your feet looking and feeling healthy, you may want to have one on a monthly basis.

To get the full benefit of a medical pedicure, you should have a pedicure at least once every other month with polish changes in between. This will greatly decrease your risk of infection from long nails or hard calluses.

There are several things you can do to prepare for your pedicure, including:

• Wash your feet with soap and water.
• Wear comfortable clothing that allows for easy roll up of the pant legs; no skinny jeans. Avoid skirts because you’ll be sitting with your legs apart.
• Don’t trim your toenails or remove old polish.
• Bring flip flops or other open-toed shoes to wear after your pedicure.
• Don’t bring children with you to your appointment, as we want this to be a quiet and peaceful time for you and your neighbors.
• Don’t shave your legs beforehand.

During your appointment, please silence your cell phone.

Dr. Sarah Neitzel chooses all of the lotions, creams, and moisturizers we use at Pure Peninsula Spa. These items are all specially chosen for their therapeutic benefits, safety standards, natural ingredients, and lack of harmful chemicals and acids.

You should see a podiatrist instead of a nail technician if your toes look infected or if you have nail fungus. You should also see a podiatrist for problems with ingrown toenails. Nail technicians are not trained to provide ingrown toenail care.

If you are having issues with your skin or toenails, you may want to see a podiatrist for consultation and treatment before scheduling a pedicure. Dr. Sarah Neitzel can help you with your toenail problems.

Dr. Sarah Neitzel recommends that diabetics have a foot care service at least once a month to maintain the moisture in the skin to prevent cracked heels and other skin irritations or nail infections.

For a diabetic safe pedicure, also considered our medical pedicure, our techniques and protocols are modified from a standard pedicure to ensure optimal foot health for our diabetic clients:

DOs

• Do use cream, lotions, and moisturizers that are free of extraneous preservatives, harmful chemicals and alcohol.
• Do use a foot spa but for less time to prevent micro openings in the skin.
• Do scrub the foot but less aggressively.
• Do provide a foot massage to stimulate the muscles, improve circulation, and reduce pain.
• Do use sterile instruments for each pedicure.

DONTs

• Don’t use pumice stones for foot scrubs.
• Don’t cut cuticles.
• Don’t use a callus trimmer. If the diabetic patient has a large callus, it should be removed by a podiatrist. Note: These should be removed before scheduling a pedicure.

We follow EPA guidelines for all non-tool items, including our foot basin sterilization procedures and all other items being single-use and disposable. We also use disposable liners for each client visit.

Discoloration can occur for multiple reasons. The main cause of minor discoloration in fingernails is due to nail polish sitting on the nails, disrupting the flow of oxygen to the nail beds. An easy fix would be going with a natural manicure minus the polish to give your nails time to heal. Fungus can also cause discoloration, but it can be medically treated.  

We recommend that you get a manicure at least once a month to help maintain healthy nails and remove any dead skin or cuticles that could grow onto your nail beds. Of course, you can always get a manicure at whatever frequency you prefer. 

Because your hands are not exposed to the UV light for an extended amount of time, the risk of any damage being done is extremely low. However, if you are concerned, you can always apply sunblock to your hands before receiving your gel manicure. 

A freshly manicured nail bed, where the nail technician removes any dead skin or cuticles that may be adhering to the nail bed, allows the nail polish to be applied more smoothly and last longer.