What High Heels Can Do...Don't let your heels get you down

Recently I came across this news article and thought it was interesting. Being a woman myself, who can resist the urge of new shoes? Everyone who's ever watch Sex and the City all oohed and ahhhed at the closet full of clothes and shoes. This new scanning technology at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in North London, England allows them to see the function of the foot while wearing the shoes.

However, the concern is that this isn't an adequate tool for diagnosing because it does not show you the pressure distribution. The other argument is that the foot pain could have been a result from previous injury. Preventing woman from wearing high heels is practically impossible but what you can do is wear in moderation and some are better than others. Limiting the time you wear heels so that you relief the pressure from the foot. The height of the heel also play an important role because the higher it is the more stress you will put the front of the foot. Wearing ones that put less strain on the feet such as wedges that provide more support. I think this picture was very educational in describing what heels can do.

So before you put on those heels for your holiday parties, remember what this could be doing to your feet and body!  If your feet are bugging you from wearing heels, come and see Dr. Henne or Dr. McGowan for all for you foot and ankle problems. Call our office at 352-242-2502 to make an appointment.

Soles 4 Souls

Children are the ultimate voices of reason sometimes.  My oldest two daughters have been that for me over the last ten years. They have a giving nature which we have tried to nurture. I recently had a bad experience in business in helping others and over extending myself to a fault.  I did not help these people because I wanted a thank you, I helped them because I wanted to see them improve and thrive.  What I learned from this experience is that you really can't help people that could help themselves but choose not to.

But who are the people that need help? That is a great question.  Domestically and around the world there are people who truly are less fortunate.  Life was not a series of just bad decisions that got them to the point where they are looking for a handout.  These people have been either born into such economic inequality or have been a victim of a tragedy that I could never imagine.  Right in your back yard you can find such individuals that need help.  They are not standing with their hand out, they are too busy trying to make the best of what they have. 

My oldest daughter overheard me say that I want to be able to help make a change in the world, that I want to make a difference but wasn't sure how.  My daughter then said, "Can't you do something to help people's feet, maybe donate shoes or something?" Pretty wise for a 9 year old.  I immediately remember seeing an organization online 3 years ago that was responsible for collecting shoes for people all over the world. People domestically and abroad that have seen natural disasters that I hope to never see.  People who are born into the poorest of economic conditions.  These are the people I want to help.  There is a Tracy Chapman song and a line says something like, "Those whose soul misfortune is having mountains of nothing at birth".

Don't get me wrong, I'm just a tough girl from Jersey, from parents that tried their best, but we did not have a lot of money.  I wore hand me down everything and even have a picture on Santa's lap wearing a skate board shirt from a brother and an old pair of shoes that were definitely not on their first tour on a McGowan pair of feet:) But they were shoes, they protected my feet.  They helped me walk to school everyday to get my education.  And over the years I wore many old pairs of shoes passed down from siblings.  I didn't complain I was happy to have anything. 

I want to bring smiles to those who are just happy somebody cared enough to put shoes on their feet that brings a smile to their face.  We are now going to participate in a "Soles 4 Souls" shoe drive.  This is an amazing organization that takes gently used shoes and new shoe donations from organizations all of the US and distributes to the areas most in need. 

Founded in 2004, Soles4Souls is a global not-for-profit institution dedicated to fighting the devastating impact and perpetuation of poverty through the distribution of shoes and clothing.

Soles4Souls receives millions of articles of used shoes and clothing that have been collected by individuals, schools, faith-based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners.  After sorting items in its national warehouse system, Soles4Souls typically sells the used shoes and clothing, as well as some new items allocated by manufacturers, to carefully selected micro-enterprise organizations. These both private and non-profit companies are contracted to provide shipping, financing, inventory, training and other support to ultra-small businesses in countries like Haiti where there are virtually no jobs to generate personal income.

Through the collection and sale of used (and new) clothing and shoes, Soles4Souls helps create self-sustaining jobs that generate desperately needed revenues throughout those communities. The sale of footwear and apparel to support micro-jobs also provides the majority of funding to sustain Soles4Souls operations and further expand its donations of new shoes and clothing.

I am pleased to have the Center for Ankle and Foot Care(my own little micro-enterprise) help build businesses and contribute to stopping a perpetual cycle of poverty.  We will have drop off locations in all three of our offices for gently used and new shoes. The shoe drive will begin November 1st, 2013 and will continue until December 31st, 2013. Click on either one of these happy kids, just happy to have shoes on their feet to learn more:)

Click here to see where and when to drop off your shoes

Help our office, that takes such great pride in helping people's feet each day, fight poverty one pair of shoes at a time.  It is easy and you don't have to spend a dime.  Dr. Henne and myself, Dr. McGowan, will take care of the shipping of the shoes.  You just need to go through your closet and your kids closet and come to our office to drop off your shoes.  Thank you in advance for any help you can give.  Share this information with friends and family.   Again please click here to see our drop off locations and times!

 

LeBron James' Toes A Nightmare??

It has been all over the internet lately over the controversy of LeBron James' toes. What's wrong with them you say? Here is a picture:

First of all, it is fixable by a Podiatrist (yes, it can be fixed) through surgery. But what is it that caused the foot, toes specifically, to look like that? The cause of these deformities can be contributed to multiple factors. From the picture we can clearly see that there are overlapping digits. The 5th digit is going on top of the 4th and the 2nd digit is propped upwards by the big toe and 3rd digit. The most probable cause is due to a small toe box, not giving the toes enough room in the shoe, such deformity is also commonly seen in wearers of high heels (see our previous blog post). You can also see that there are callus on the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) and this is because the digits are pushed upward they will rub against the shoes. He also seems to have digital contractions that look like hammertoes from this picture and he may have some biomechanical abnormalities. On his big toe he has a hallux abducto valgus (HAV) which is the fancy word for the infamous bunion. Usually if the bunion does not bother with normal daily activities it is left alone but it can be bothersome and progress to pain. If you are concerned with how your feet looks make an appointment to see your podiatrist before it progresses to something unfixable! Visit our Webpage at http://www.centeranklefootcare.com/id10.html to learn more or to request an appointment online :)

Football season is a GO! and so are injuries

With the football season starting up again and everyone talking about creating their fantasy football teams, injuries are also of interest. We always hear of them having concussion but there are definitely injuries of the lower limb that can keep players out of the season. Dustin Keller for the Miami Dolphins recently injured his right knee against the Houston Texans. He had torn ACL, PCL, and MCL, which was no surprise that led to a dislocated knee. So what do those acronyms stand for and why do they cause such serious injuries?

Here’s a quick explanation:

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL): It is one of the four ligaments that attaches the front of the tibia to the femur and it is located inside the knee. It prevents the lower leg from sliding out in front of the upper leg. Tears of the ligament often result from frontal impact on knee or thigh when the foot is fixed. A test used to determine if your ACL is torn is called anterior drawer sign because the leg will slide forward like opening a drawer.

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL): This is like the stronger brother of the ACL that helps hold the upper and lower leg together. This ligament prevents the lower leg from sliding out behind the upper leg. Injury usually happens by overextending the knee, such as a direct blow to the flexed knee or motor vehicle accidents (“dashboard injury”).

Medial collateral ligament (MCL): It is located on the inner surface of the knee connecting femur and tibia. Part of the ligament Stabilize the knee, promote locking of joint, and prevents the knee from bending inward. Tackling is a common cause of injury to this ligament.

As you can see with the picture to the right that the ACL and PCL cross each other inside the knee joint and that is  why they are called the cruciate ligaments. I hope that this helps some people understand each of these injuries and since he tore 3 of the 4 ligaments that help hold his knee together it is no wonder he was left with a dislocated knee. 

Fungus Among Us, I mean really in my own home, Mommy Foot Doctor's Worst Nightmare!!!

As I sit and have breakfast with my three beautiful children I reflect on just a couple weeks ago when my oldest asked me to check her feet.  It was 8:30pm when she decided to ask me to give her an impromptu foot exam.  See Lily's bedtime is 8:00 pm, so when she asked for her gratis foot exam I declined:) The next night went very similar to the night before. "Mom! please check my foot", Lily cried at 8:20 pm.  Of course, my mommy, not foot doctor response was, "GO TO BED".  My kids know I love talking feet, but I felt that my very smart 8 year old was trying to manipulate me.

Several days passed and finally my poor Lily said to me at exactly 7:59pm, "Please just take a peek at my toes mommy." I gave in to her request only to discover that:

1. My daughter had Athlete's foot and 2. I am a TERRIBLE MOTHER:)

Now you may insert the music from any horror movie.  I looked in shock at the peeling red skin between all of her toes and on the bottom of her feet. I quickly threw down her covers over her feet and ran to my 7 year olds room. Ripped the sheets off of her feet while she was resting peacefully in her bed.  You may now insert the sound effect of a horror movie scream that went off in my head! My two sweet baby girls had fungus in between all of their toes and on the bottoms of their feet.  Abby, my 7 year old, woke up and said "Yeah, that's been there forever, can you turn out the light."

I scrambled through my house looking for a topical anti-fungal, but much to my dismay, I had none.  What kind of podiatrist doesn't have anti-fungal in their house, right.  Honestly, that is not something you think about keeping in your house on a regular basis.  Both my Lily and Abby are in gymnastics. They go into the gym every time with out shoes and socks and walk several steps outside of the gym barefoot to get their shoes on before leaving the building at the end of practice.  My kids are not immunocompromised, they are not more susceptible to fungus than the next guy, they are normal kids. 

Why them? This is the questions patients ask me all the time when I tell them they have fungus on their skin or nails.  The reality is when you wear an organ on the outside, i.e. your skin, you are exposing it to everything.  Fungus does not discriminate, it does not care if you are young or old, it is out there just waiting for you(insert scary music once more:))!!!

Fungus can thrive for quite some time without a host, it can hang out on some dry skin that has flaked off of someone with a fungal infection.  You then step on the fungal flakes of skin and bam you gots the fungus! But that's not all, if left untreated, like my poor neglected children ( I blame their father, he's a foot doctor too), it can lead to the much more difficult to treat NAIL FUNGUS.  That night I discovered my childrens fungus, I could not sleep at all, I just kept seeing that "Digger the Dermataphyte" lifting up my poor sweet babies toenails. 

The story has a happy ending, as I was able to get an anti-fungal from the office, Clarus Foot Cream, shameless plug, but great product we sell in our office:) In three days it looked better. But I tell all my patients that you always treat skin fungus at least for a week or two longer than you think you have to.  This gives you time to do all the important things like evaluate your shoe gear, throw out whatever is questionable and treat the rest either with spray or SteriShoe.  See once you personally have fungus, skin or nail, the biggest offender for your reinfection is YOU.  The shoes you put back on that have already been exposed to the fungus, the floor surfaces in your house that may have a nice little fungal spot of dead skin waiting to attack, the repeating of PEDICURES in establishments that do not take your health into consideration, these among others are reasons that you should treat athletes foot for a little longer. (Also shameless plug number 2, in our office we have a Safe Pedicure Experience for those who do not want to get nail fungus while getting a pedicure, check us out at  The Natural Nail Spa). And if you are struggling with a nail fungus, taking Lamisil pills by mouth or having the Laser performed, you must continue with a sound preventive program.  It is true that the Laser and Lamisil may increase the nail clear appearance but we tell ALL of our patients that it is so easy to get reinfected.  The patients success is linked and tied closely to them understanding that preventing nail fungus is a life long journey and anti-fungals become a daily occurrence FORVER, to prevent any reinfection.

The reason I even mention nail infections from fungus is because the fungus that commonly causes athletes foot is the same fungus that often cause a toenail fungus.  So if you have athletes foot and no toenail fungus this is a warning, prevention is the best medicine.  I see people on a daily basis who come into my office with ankle sprains, heel pain and other non skin related conditions, many of these people are in shock to find out that they also have athletes foot. But these lucky people are able to treat their condition so it doesn't progress to something worse.

If you are reading this, I would encourage you to check your feet. Inspect the bottoms of your feet, do you see peeling skin in between your toes? Are the soles of your feet peeling? Do you have weird little cracks on your feet? This may be fungus, don't be like my gross, neglected kids, TREAT IT:)

If you know me then you know I have one other child, she was lucky enough to not get the athletes foot in our fungal laden house:) 

But She has her own issues, see below:)

KEEP YOUR FEET HAPPY AND HEALTHY:)  Thank you for taking the time to read our little blog. As always, if you ever have any foot or ankle problems, Dr. Henne and myself are there for you.  If you would like any more information about foot stuff please visit our webpage at centeranklefootcare.com we have tons of information on all different kinds of foot and ankle conditions and information about the PinPointe Laser for Nail Fungus. 

Take Care, 

Dr. McGowan:)

Do you have a sweet tooth?

In a recent article published in Nature (link here) found that consumption of added sugar in your diet could be harmful to your health. They found in their study that when mice had added sugar that made up 25% of their diet, female mice died two times as fast while the male mice were less likely to reproduce. This of course excludes sugar that are naturally present in foods, but how does this all relate to you?

                According to the American Diabetes Association there are 25.8 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes in 2011 and about 86 million people are estimated are undiagnoised with diabetes or have prediabetes. The results of this study suggest that diabetes may be on the rise and there may be more side effects than previously known. About ¼ of Americans have diets that are made up of 25% added sugar and these people are at the highest risk of acquiring diseases such as diabetes. Other diseases and complications may also be seen such as heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, neuropathy, and amputation.

                The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes.  This type of Diabetes is commonly linked to a higher percentage of belly fat around the abdomen.  These individuals are more often than not producing insulin but it is getting trapped in their fat cells. Many of the people with type 2 diabetes are insulin resistant for quite some time before obtaining the diagnosis of diabetes.  Insulin resistance, this term means is that you have high blood glucose levels compared to a normal person as your body is struggling to regulate your blood sugars. The reason why some people are undiagnosed is because there are no clear symptoms and you may or may not know that you have it. There are risk factors associated with diabetes type 2 and being overweight is one of them. The American Diabetes Association lists the risk factors here. What about those that have diabetes, what can you do? From a podiatrist’s perspective there are steps you can do to take care of your feet because one of the areas you first display symptoms are in your feet. The complications in the foot can be devastating and diabetic non-traumatic amputations are globally happening at the rate of 1 every 30 seconds.  Visit our website to learn more about these steps!

Head over heels, what would you do for fashion?

It is inevitable, that parents are the first adults that children look up to as role models. Little girls love to play dress up with mom’s clothes, jewelry and makeup. But as a parent, when would you draw the line? In  2009  photos of Suri Cruise, daughter of Tom Cruise and Kate Holmes,  sparked the “Suri Effect” wearing heels in the tabloids. This trend has now spread across the country to little girls everywhere. This has become a problem for moms and dads during back to school shoe shopping. Would  you let your daughter choose heels? While many parents are undecided, marketing research companies have shown steady increase in sales of fashionable shoes for girls in the last two years. It is now a 4 billion dollar industry.

One of the concerns expressed by some doctors is that it sends the wrong message to girls, promoting sexuality and by being ‘sexy’ you can become popular. From a Podiatrist’s perspective this can pose many foot health problems. Many of the bones in our legs and feet are still forming.  This process called ossification, can take up the age 20 + years. An elevated heel in a child can put abnormal strain on the bones, not to mention the ligaments and tendons that holds the bones together and helps us walk. But wearing heels may cause problems during development and this may lead to health concerns later on in life.

As a  parent of 3 little girls, all under the age of 9, I will invoke my own personal opinion.  We should be teaching our little girls less about how important fashion is and more about being leaders. As women have held over 50% of the college degrees for the last several years according to Sheryl Sandberg the CEO of Facebook.  We should be teaching little girls to Lean In, not tilt up in a pair of shoes! 

If you are concerned about a certain type of shoe for your children or have questions on how to select the right shoe, you can contact us at Center for Ankle and Foot Care.

44 Cascade Orthaheel Sandal Review, podiatrist approved shoe gear:)

So we have introduced a whole new way to help augment people’s foot health in our practice, the Orthaeel Shoe and Sandal Line. If you know Dr. Henne and myself, Dr. McGowan, we are very skeptical individuals. Not only do we want to know something works before we pass it on to our patients, we would rather try it for ourselves before making a tried and true recommendation for something.

The Orthaheel shoe line was developed by an Australian Podiatrist with already built in orthotic support. The whole line has the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Approval, which not many products have. The Vionic 44 Cascade Flip Flop I am reviewing was my first choice when I first saw the line of Orthaheel shoes. This is a sporty but very delicate looking active sandal.

I will tell you that the moment I put this flip flop on, I wanted to take back every bad thing I have ever said about flip flops! I immediately felt support that I think my feet have been lacking, even in my good athletic sneakers. Because I felt so much support I was nervous to wear them for a full day, echoing the sentiment we give when fitting an individual with custom and over the counter orthotics or inserts in their shoes. We tell them to slowly break them in a couple hours at a time, increasing it slightly each day. I don't know if this was overkill, but I think that I would recommend this before going all day in them, mainly because that is what I did and it worked great.

So I have worn these sandals for last 3 weeks. I have had no problems and my feet feel great. These shoes are touted and praised for a perfect after sports recovery sandal.

Here's what the manufacturer says:

§  Vionic by Orthaheel-women's performance toe post sandal is the ideal motion control footwear for after-sport recovery. Learn more about Vionic

§  Durable VIBRAM outsole for excellent traction on various surfaces.

§  Biomechanically contoured, motion control footbed made from triple-density EVA for stability in the rear foot and cushioning in the heel and forefoot.

§  Flexible leather uppers with soft padded jersey liner with bungee strap overlay and a soft nylon webbing toe post..

§  Materials: Leather/nylon uppers, EVA midsole and VIBRAM outsole

§  Care: Wipe off with damp cloth and air dry.

§  Received APMA Seal of Acceptance

I agree with all of the above and these shoes get my seal of approval:) They retail at $99, this is money well spent especially for all of my patients who refuse to wear anything other than flip flops but come in complaining of foot pain. I finally have an alternative for these patients that I feel good about.

The Orthaheel shoes in our office have a 30 day Money Back Guarantee. There are many shoes to choose from and you are more than welcome to come to the office and try on the size and look throught the catalogs.

Dr. Henne believes that my reviews are a sneaky way for me to buy all new shoes but this is science here, I want to make sure these work for our patients:)

http://centeranklefootcare.com/id71.html

We wash our bodies and our clothes, but what about washing our shoes? Except for sneakers, most shoes cannot be put into the wash. So what is a conscientious, clean person like you to do?

The average person sweats from each foot eight ounces each day! That is a lot of sweat going into your shoes. The SteriShoe shoe sanitizer is a safe and effective way to clean the inside of your shoes.

 

If you have nail fungus, athlete's foot, diabetes, bad shoe odor, or simply want to take better care of your feet and shoes, then the SteriShoe shoe sanitizer is for you. SteriShoe uses germicidal ultraviolet light inside your shoe to kill microorganisms, including those that cause athlete's foot, nail fungus, and shoe odor. Fungus can last in your shoes for months, even when you are not wearing them. As soon as you put that shoe on again and the perspiration and heat from your foot will cause the fungus spore to grow. Yuck! SteriShoe destroys the fungus spores in your shoes, giving your feet a healthier environment.

 

Sprays or powders in your shoes do not have the same effect that the SteriShoe has. After the UVC light rays have killed the microorganisms in your shoes, the only thing that remains are the dead microorganisms. When you put sprays or powders in your shoes, the end product is the microorganisms AND the chemicals.

 

To use the SteriShoe, simply put the product in your shoe, plug it into an electrical outlet, and wait 45 minutes. The timer will automatically turn the SteriShoe off. The SteriShoe should be used after each use of your shoes and will last for 2000-3000 hours, or once a day for seven years.

 

If you would like more information about the SteriShoe see the videos below. If you are interested in purchasing a Sterishoe Copy this code FL13357TH and then Click the link below and Paste into the special code section of your order for free shipping and handling! The SteriShoe is $129.95 plus tax, well worth it to save all of your shoes!

 

 If you are not sure if a SteriShoe would be right for you you can come see us at the Center for Ankle and Foot Care for an evaluation. You can request an appointment online at centeranklefootcare.com or call us at 352-242-2502.

 

We have offices in Clermont, Tavares and The Villages.

 

Heel Pain! Make It Stop!!!!!

Have you been experiencing heel pain every morning when you get out of bed? Do you feel like you are 110 years old every morning  when you wake up? You might have Plantar Fasciitis, or more commonly called Heel Pain! In our office we see several patients a week who suffer from this ailment.

Sometimes Plantar Fasciitis can be easily treated and other times other intervention is necessary. When I see a patient for heel pain, it is not uncommon to get an X-ray. I do the X-ray to rule out the stress fracture of the heel. Once this is excluded from my differential, I evaluate the posterior muscle group of the calf and Achilles' tendon.  Many patients get confused on why I evaluate their calf when the bottom of their foot hurts. I explain to all of my heel pain patients that the calf muscle becomes the Achilles' tendon, the largest tendon in your body, that crosses your ankle joint and inserts on the middle third of your heel bone. The plantar fascia attaches to the bottom part of that same bone. When your Achilles' tendon is tight and calf muscles are tight your plantar fascia will be tight!



The reason I go to great lengths to explain to my patients the correlation between the the tight calf and Achilles with tight plantar fascia, is because if I can get them to understand the muscle biomechanics I can get them to understand why stretching is vital part of getting their plantar fasciitis better. I give every patient with plantar fasciitis homework, STRETCHING! It isn't always the complete fix, but a big part of how these patients get better!There are many simple wall stretches and basic runners stretches for the calf, that works great.

Sometimes supporting the arch with a good over the counter orthotic can be helpful, using a doctor prescribed night splint and Rx anti-inflammatory can all be extremely helpful for even some of the worst cases of plantar fasciitis.

If you have been suffering from plantar fasciitis and you are not getting better on your own, you should see your local board certified podiatrist. Podiatrists are the experts on the foot and ankle, with four years of Post Graduate Training and completion of a two or three year surgical training program focused on the lower limb and additional rotations in fields such as vascular surgery, plastic surgery and other medical focuses that enhance their ability to best provide your foot or ankle with the highest quality care!

Thank you for taking the time to read our Blog! If you have any problems with your feet, Dr. Henne or myself, Dr. McGowan would be more than happy to help you get back on your feet again:)
We have offices located in Clermont, Tavares and The Villages, Florida. Or if you want to learn more about other foot and ankle conditions visit us at http://centeranklefootcare.com/id6.html
You can also call for an appointment at 352-242-2502.

Easter Egg Guessing Contest at Center For Ankle and Foot Care

Very simple to enter this one:

 

 

Then Give us your best guess!

 

 

 

or if you are not on FACEBOOK, go to our blog  and leave a comment, your guess on how many eggs you think are in the Jar. Pretty simple:)

Good Luck Guessing!!!!

Treating nail fungus is a team effort!

Many patients are interested in having the State of the Art PinPointe Laser Treatment for their discolored, thickened fungal toenails.  Before anyone jumps into having this procedure done, we sit down and explain to them why, what they do at home, is just as important as the Laser treatment itself. Yes the PinPointe Laser for toenail fungus is an amazing procedure, but patients have to be active in their roll to prevent any reinfection!

How the PinPointe Laser works is simple. This patented laser is specially designed to shine through your toenail and destroy the specific pathogens embedded in and under your nail causing the infection.  Unlike other lasers that are used for skin or pain treatments, the PinPointe™ laser is designed and used for only one purpose; to safely destroy molds and bacteria that cause fungus nail infections (Onychomycosis). If the nails is extremely thick it can take up to three treatments and quite a bit of patience, as it truly takes 9 months to a years for a whole new nail to grow out.

Before the patient has the PinPointe Laser performed a thorough evaluation of the skin and nails is performed. If the patient has a bad case of athlete's foot, they will be given a prescription for a topical anti fungal for the skin. I would see them back after a couple of weeks before I would perform the laser treatment. I explain that success is dependent on the foot being in an environment that is free of fungus. If a patient has the PinPointe Laser procedure performed, what they do from that moment on can play a role in their success rate. Once we have performed this procedure, patients are given instructions on preventive care for the toes.

 

What to Avoid After Having the PinPointe Laser Treatment :

• Any shoes that you have worn before the Laser (especially shoes you have worn without socks)
• Nylons or panty hose
• Going barefoot in environments that could expose you to fungus again
• Pedicures in places that do not AUTOCLAVE instruments and take all precautions to protect you
• Wet moist environmental exposure to feet(ie. constantly having wet shoes) usually occupational hazard

Why it is Important to Avoid these things After The Laser:

• Any shoes that you have worn before the Laser was Performed are basically little incubators for the fungus, putting these shoes back on puts you at risk for reinfection!
• Nylons do not breath, again causing an environment that will be moist and possibly be a red flag for your toes!
• Taking precautions in environments that you are not familiar with is important, if Joe Schmo has fungus and you walk in his house barefoot, you are increasing your chance of reinfection!
• Do not get a Pedicure unless you know: that all instruments are autoclaved, they use liners between each client, that the pedicure chairs are pipeless and tubeless, that they do not reuse any files on anyone and that they do not reuse nail polish from client to client!
• If you are a landscaper, chef or someone whose feet are constantly getting wet at work, you need to change your shoes during the day and even consider spraying your feet with an anti fungal spray during the day while at work!
• 
  There is a shoe sterilizer that we recommend called SteriShoe that you can purchase to sterilize your shoes daily!

If you are interested in learning more about the PinPointe Laser for toenail fungus, feel free to check out our website: http://toenailfungusorlando.com 

Our webpage has all the information you need to make an educated decision if this procedure is right for you. We have an office in Clermont, Tavares and The Villages in Florida. We would love to help you take a step in the right direction to healthy more beautiful toes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pedicure Pointers

Pedicure Pointers

The Dos and Don'ts for Fabulous Feet

Whether you like to get a pedicure in the nail salon or at home, follow these easy Dos and Don'ts to keep your feet looking and feeling their best.

Dos

• If you have diabetes or poor circulation in your feet, consult a podiatrist so he or she can recommend a customized pedicure that both you and your salon can follow for optimal foot health.
• Schedule your pedicure first thing in the morning. Salon foot baths are typically cleanest earlier in the day. If you're not a morning person, make sure that the salon filters and cleans the foot bath between clients.
• Bring your own pedicure utensils to the salon. Bacteria and fungus can move easily from one person to the next if the salon doesn't use proper sterilization techniques.
• When eliminating thick, dead skin build-up, also known as calluses, on the heel, ball and sides of the feet, use a pumice stone, foot file or exfoliating scrub. Soak feet in warm water for at least five minutes, then use the stone, scrub, or foot file to gently smooth calluses and other rough patches.
• When trimming nails, use a toenail clipper with a straight edge to ensure your toenail is cut straight across. Other tools like manicure scissors or fingernail clippers increase the risk of ingrown toenails because of their small, curved shape. See a podiatrist if you have a tendency to develop ingrown toenails.
• To smooth nail edges, use an emery board. File lightly in one direction without using too much pressure, being sure not to scrape the nail's surface.
• Gently run a wooden or rubber manicure stick under your nails to keep them clean. This helps remove the dirt and build-up you may or may not be able to see.
• Maintain the proper moisture balance of the skin on your feet by applying emollient-enriched moisturizer to keep soles soft.
• Use a rubber cuticle pusher or manicure stick to gently push back cuticles. If toenails are healthy, you can use nail polish to paint toenails. Make sure to remove polish regularly using non-acetone nail polish remover.

Don'ts

• Resist the urge to shave your legs before receiving a pedicure. Freshly shaven legs or small cuts on your legs may allow bacteria to enter.
• If you are receiving a pedicure and manicure, don't use the same tools for both services as bacteria and fungus can transfer between fingers and toes.
• Although certain salons offer this technique, don't allow technicians to use a foot razor to remove dead skin. Using a razor can result in permanent damage if used incorrectly and caneasily cause infection if too much skin is removed.
• Don't round the edges of your toenails. This type of shape increases the chances that painful ingrown toenails will develop.
• Emery boards are extremely porous and can trap germs that spread. Since they can't be sterilized, don't share nail files with friends and be sure to bring your own to the salon, unless you are sure that the salon replaces them with each customer.
• Don't use any sharp tools to clean under nails. Using anything sharp makes it easy to puncture the skin, leaving it vulnerable to infection.
• Be sure that you don't leave any moisture between toes. Anything left behind can promote the development of athlete's foot or a fungal infection.
• Because cuticles serve as a protective barrier against bacteria, don't ever cut them. Cutting cuticles increases the risk of infection. Also, avoid incessantly pushing back cuticles, as doing so can make them thicker.
• If you suffer from thick and discolored toenails, which could be a sign of a fungal infection, don't apply nail polish to cover up the problem. Nail polish locks out moisture and doesn't allow the nail bed to "breathe." Once you fix the underlying issue, then it is safe to paint nails. If the problem persists, be sure to visit your podiatrist.