Medical Pedicures Are The Key To Getting Baby Soft Feet
In a perfect world, weekly pedicures would be enough to remove the toughest calluses. But sometimes your feet need a little more TLC, especially if you’re on them all day. Or, maybe you’re experiencing underlying conditions like diabetes or an autoimmune disease that leave feet cracked, dry, and even painful. That’s where a medical pedicure comes in.
Think of a medical pedicure as “the bridge between podiatry and nail care," Marcela Correa, a licensed medical pedicurist, and the owner of Medi-Pedi NYC tells Women's Health.
Meet the expert: Marcela Correa, licensed medical pedicurist and owner of Medi Pedi NYC.
Medical pedicures, aka, medi-pedis, aren't as scary as they sound. In fact, they’re soothing and treat almost any condition your feet may have, like cracked heels and ingrown toenails. Ahead, Correa shares everything you need to know about the service and what to look for in a technician.
What Is a Medical Pedicure?
When you think of a pedicure, the first thing that likely comes to mind is a trip to your neighborhood salon, where you'll typically relax in a massage chair while someone massages your feet, trims and shapes your toenails, and paints them after soaking them in water.
Medical pedicures are completely different, though, and aren't performed at just any salon. Instead, the service is completed by a specialist who is an expert in podiatry and nail care. “Combining education and foot care, medical pedicures provide a one-of-a-kind foot care experience,” Correa says. “This sterile and waterless pedicure is tailored to target the needs of each individual. This includes dead skin removal with professional equipment, nail nipping, filing, shaping, and buffing your nails to shiny perfection.”
And much like a traditional pedicure, a med-pedi lasts about 45 minutes or up to one hour. Correa explains that the pedicure is done in a private room for optimal comfortability and sanitation. Plus, the benefits go beyond aesthetics. According to Correa, you can think of this as a form of preventative care. "By simply incorporating these treatments into your health and wellness routine you prevent problems that can lead to invasive correction, such as bunions, hammertoes, recurring ingrown nails, and more,” she says.
What Happens During a Medical Pedicure?
If you’re new to medi-pedis, here’s what to expect when you go in for a service. “You are placed in a private room with a medical nail technician, who will evaluate your nails and soles of the feet,” Correa explains.
From there, your pedicure will be customized to your individual needs, but the dead skin on your feet will be removed with safe and professional equipment. The tech will also clip your nails, file, shape, and buff them. Next, your nail expert will address cracked heels, thick nails, discoloration, nail fungus, and other concerns.
But the best part of the pedicure is how your feet feel afterward. “To quote our clients, feet feel like ‘they are walking on clouds,’” Correa reports. She also says that clients feel like they have “lost weight and inches off their feet,” and how heels are “as soft as a baby’s bottom.”
Who Should Get a Medical Pedicure?
Although it seems like med-pedis are only for those experiencing dry, cracked skin and other issues on their feet, these pedicures are for everyone.
Most times, medical pedicures are suggested for athletes and anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet. “This pedicure is also for people that want to maintain the health of their feet and those that don’t feel comfortable taking their shoes off in front of others at a regular nail salon,” Correa notes.
Those who suffer from underlying conditions like diabetes, cancer, or autoimmune diseases are also great candidates for medi pedis, as they can remove thick calluses that make it difficult to walk without putting the compromised at risk of contracting infections from tools that aren't correctly sanitized.
Correa also explains that most of her clients come in to treat conditions like nail fungus, athlete's foot, and ingrown nails. "Clients who have had bad experiences in the past in nail salons or podiatry offices often try this as a last hope and are pleasantly surprised to find this was exactly what they were looking for," she says.
Plus, those who are experiencing discomfort or pain due to a build-up of calluses, corns, or ingrown nails benefit from medical pedicures: They provide immediate relief!
According to Correa, you can get them monthly or every six to eight weeks. Since the treatments are non-invasive, there's no downtime or periods of waiting in between the services.
How Much Does a Medical Pedicure Cost?
Correa says to expect a medical pedicure to start at $200, but sometimes the costs can vary depending on the technician and business.
Anything Else I Should Know?
But before committing to the pedicure, the best thing you can do is research! Since these can only be performed by licensed providers, make sure that your provider is licensed in the state they work in and have completed at least 40 hours of training under a podiatrist.
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