Medical pedicures offer a safe environment for your feet!
Waterless pedicures have become a popular option for those trying to reduce environmental impact and have a more sanitary nail salon experience. Medical pedicures take it one step farther by doing a service under the guidance of a podiatrist.
Similar to waterless pedicures, medi-pedis reduce the risk of waterborne pathogens often present in traditional salon footbaths, says Dr. Ushma Sheth, a podiatrist at Gauld Foot and Ankle and owner and founder of Sona Medical Pedicure Spa in Buckhead. Sheth and her colleagues began Sona to serve patients who had fungal and bacterial infections from regular nail salons. “After we got them better, they would ask us, ‘Where do I go now?’ and I didn’t have a place I could recommend that was safe. So we made one,” she says.
Sheth says she’s not alone in catching onto this trend. “A lot of podiatrists will have a medical nail tech on staff exclusively for their patients,” she says. “We come at it from a preventative health angle to help people avoid infections and having to come see us.” Education is a big part of what a good medical pedicure spa will do. “We want our clients to understand the nail techs and what they can do, as well as how not to create issues in the future,” she says.
The doctor difference
Sheth deals with dozens of foot problems every day and often sees wounds, ulcers and infections courtesy of traditional nail salon environments. In a medical pedicure, everything is surgically sterilized. The products used are breathable and non-toxic, and the main focuses are rehydration (without water) and skin repair, rather than how the polish looks. Additionally, certified medical pedicure technicians like those at Sona can refer patients to a podiatrist down the hall should they see something alarming.
Plenty of patients
Two types of clients use medical pedicure spas: people who are under the medical advice of a doctor, and anyone who wants a more hygienic and cleaner experience to promote healthy nails. “We see clients with diabetes and vascular issues, pregnant clients and people with neuropathy [nerve damage] issues. All of them are more likely to catch an infection,” she says. Diabetics in particular are more susceptible to issues. “It takes twice as long to heal from something if you have diabetes,” Sheth says. “One of the first things they tell you when you are diagnosed with diabetes is to try not to get pedicures because you are setting yourself up for potentially getting a bacterial infection that won’t heal.”
Sheth says regular polish can strip your nails. Gel polish is a big offender. “Polish strips the keratin and occludes the nail cells. If you don’t use breathable polish, and you keep the polish on for months, fungus can grow in a dark and damp environment like a shoe,” she says.
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize
Hydration is an oft-skipped step in a traditional setting beyond a generic lotion application and a soak. “Those water baths aren’t doing anything for you,” Dr. Sheth says. Instead of soaking feet—and wasting water—she recommends using products that exfoliate and hydrate to preserve the skin’s natural moisture balance, like the Footlogix products Sona uses. “Prolonged water exposure can actually cause dryness and irritation,” she says.
Price adjustment
A medical pedicure or nail service is not much more than a traditional salon experience. At Sona, a signature medical pedicure starts at $70. “We’re more than a traditional nail salon but less than a hotel spa service,” she says. The price is reflective of the education and environment. “We create a clean, sterile and healthy pedicure, but it’s also very relaxing and luxurious,” she says. Most appointments at a medical pedicure spa are private, allowing nail techs to focus on delivering a top-notch experience.
Sheth, naturally, puts it into a shoe metaphor: People love high heels, but they’re not necessarily the best footwear for foot health, she says. “The same is true for a medical pedicure. If you’re only paying for the aesthetics of a salon and not a good system, then what’s it really worth?
SONA MEDICAL PEDICURE SPA
404.436.6765
sonamedicalpedicure.com
@sonamedicalpedicure
