Toe nail fungus and pedicure

[mrsstats]

I have been dealing with toe nail fungus on my big toe all summer. It is clearing up but I miss having a pedicure. Podiatrist says not to get them anymore but what have you done after is has cleared.

 

[Christine]

I caught one from a pedicure and I never got another one again.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Can you just do one at home?

This did get my curiosity from a medical perspective what the recommendations are. Here you go:

 

[lorimay]

Bring your own pedicure tools and polish.
My salon has a plastic lining they put into the tub, to keep it sanitary. find a salon with the liners or bring your own, I believe they sell them on Amazon.

 

[Christine]

One thing I wanted to add: my friend's daughter recently got a horrible fungal(?) infection on her shins from a pedicure. He kept calling in "meka" but I know I don't have that right. She got it from the exfoliation of the lower legs. She ended up having to go to an infectious disease specialist and she's not quite gotten rid of it yet. It's been pretty horrible for her.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

One thing I wanted to add: my friend's daughter recently got a horrible fungal(?) infection on her shins from a pedicure. He kept calling in "meka" but I know I don't have that right. She got it from the exfoliation of the lower legs. She ended up having to go to an infectious disease specialist and she's not quite gotten rid of it yet. It's been pretty horrible for her.

Do you mean MRSA?

 

[Christine]

Do you mean MRSA?

Nope, not MRSA, I've got that name down! I'm going to ask him tomorrow. We were just discussing it last week and he kept saying "mee-ka" so I know it's short for something. It's apparently pretty rare and hard to get rid of.

 

[Christine]

Do you mean MRSA?

Ok, did a little googling and I think this is it: Mycobacterium Fortuitum
The doctor has been calling it Myco for short and he must have said Myca to me.

 

[VandVsmama]

My MIL used to go for pedicures and she's had toenail fungus that entire time. It's really gross. I won't ever go for a pedicure ever. Not worth it! I just do it at home myself.

 

[smokeyblue]

Never had a pedicure. I think this thread has ensured I never will!

 

[mrsstats]

When I do my own it looks like a 3 year old painted them. Just not good at it.

 

[adelaster]

Never had a pedicure. I think this thread has ensured I never will!

Same!

 

[minnie56]

I've been having pedicures for over 30 years and never had any kind of infection.
I'm very diligent about where I go ...paying close attention to cleanlines and that tools are removed from packaging having been sterilized. I can't imagine not being able to have my pedis ...

 

[nkereina]

When I do my own it looks like a 3 year old painted them. Just not good at it.

You can buy your own pedicure supplies (even a foot tub) at a place like Sally or Ulta and do your own pedicure. I will do this in between pedicures to get the skin off my heals and keep them soft. Sometimes it comes out better because I'm more diligent at it! You can also go to almost any nail salon and just get your toenails polished without a pedicure. Its cheaper too. Bring your own base coat, polish, and top coat and you won't have to use any of the nail salon's supplies.

 

[DLgal]

Pedicures are overrated. Feet are gross no matter what. I wear flip flops year round and never get pedicures. Don't like my unpainted toes and dry heels? Don't look at my feet.

 

[Leesha.Monster]

Ive never gotten a pedicure from a salon but I like to paint my toenails. I had fungus on my big pinky toe for years that finally went away, but now my big toe has it. I think because the nail got damaged, the fungus was able to get in there. Ugh.

Anyway, I found that regular polish on the fungus toe made it A LOT worse. I found some polish on amazon called Dr. Remedy that’s treated with tea tree oil and other stuff I can’t recall. Apparently it lets your nails breathe, and it’s made it a little better. I would definitely check it out if you Can’t go without polish, which I definitely can’t!!

 

[Christine]

I also do my own toenails in the summer but I'm not as good as a nail salon.

When I got my toenail fungus I was in a very reputable place that did a low volume of pedicures and had one or two nail techs that were spectacular. In my case, I think when she trimmed and worked around the big toe she clipped the nail on the side too far down and created an opening to the nail bed. After that, anything can get in anywhere. 3 weeks after that pedicure I had a full blown fungus on the big toe. I never had one before and never had one since. The only way I got it cured was to have the nail removed. Lamisil didn't even work.

 

[DVC96]

Oh my Christine - I think that may be how I got it too. How painful was the nail removal (it sounds horrible!)

I would love to hear how you all have treated it and what seems to work.

 

[Christine]

Oh my Christine - I think that may be how I got it too. How painful was the nail removal (it sounds horrible!)

I would love to hear how you all have treated it and what seems to work.

Well, the nail was already getting weak and separating from the nail bed. I went to the podiatrist to see what could be done and faster than I could blink, he whipped out a syringe and numbed my toe. He then said he was just removing it; that he had to do this with his brother and it really works because the nail bed gets exposed to air and the fungus immediately dies. The removal did not hurt at all. The worst part was after he bandaged it, a few days later I had to remove the bandage and redress it. The gauze had ended up adhering to the raw nail bed and it was awful to remove. Once that was done, I never had another issue. After the first week, the nail bed toughened up, it never hurt and the nail grew back fine. I made sure to do white vinegar soaks the while it was healing.

Now my mother had a fungus on her big toe. She dropped a can of fruit punch on it. It broke the "seal" between the nail and the nail bed and the fungus set in. She lived with it for 20 years. Finally took Lamisil two times which did not work fully. She gave up but then read about using white vinegar on the nail. She applied it on the nail (on top, around the cuticle, and underneath) twice a day. Did that for 6 months and cleared the fungus. You have to be very diligent with that method.