MD Podiatrist Provides Safety Tips for Nail Salon Visits

In order to do their job of supporting your entire body, your feet need a little TLC-otherwise you could face issues like painful strains and sprains or gnarly infections. Especially now that warmer weather is here, it’s a good time to give this often-ignored body part the attention it deserves, Dan Michaels, DPM states.  
 
Pedicures? Love them. Foot infections? Not so much. At a minimum, you want to make sure that any tools used during a pedicure, such as metal nail files, clippers, and cuticle trimmers, are sterilized after every use. “You should ask to see the instruments taken out of a sterile bag,” Dr. Michaels says. It’s important to remember that harmful pathogens can also live in the drains of salon foot basins, meaning it’s best not to put your feet directly into the tub before a foot soak, Dr. Michaels says. “There should be a liner in the tub which is changed after every client,” he says. “The only water that touches the client should be the water that comes out of the faucet.”