Summer is in full swing, so it’s important for us to feel comfortable. The heat might make you want to lose your shoes, but you might second-guess that if your feet don’t look nice. Getting weekly or monthly pedicures is a great way to feel pampered and maintain healthy feet, especially for people with diabetes who may have various foot conditions.
When you have diabetes you need to take extra good care of your feet. It’s important to know what to look for in a salon so that you don’t end up with even more foot woes. Find a place that takes great care to keep a clean environment. This means they scrub the instruments, soak them in antibacterial solution, and then completely disinfect them in an autoclave. This might sound like a lot, but it’s a key element in staying safe from unwanted germs. You might also consider providing your own tools to the technician. Let them know about any foot conditions you might have, including neuropathy. If you have a loss of feeling in your feet, you need to be sure to take even more extra care.
Diabetics have a higher degree of responsibility to their feet than most people. One of the most important things you can do is to check your feet daily. Look for any wounds that weren’t there before or anything else that seems out of the ordinary. At the same time, you can do a little at-home maintenance. You can trim your toenails, but make sure they aren’t too short and that you cut straight across. Using a pumice stone, you can gently slough away dead skin. Always be very careful with your feet when you are doing this and call a doctor immediately if any injury should occur.
For more information on pedicures for diabetics, call Dr. Mitchell Wachtel at (978) 794-8406 to schedule an appointment in one of three Massachusetts offices.