This is definitely the era where matters of beauty are taken very seriously and anything that boosts your self-confidence is a must get including good manicures and pedicures.Did you know that the swelling in your toes or oozing of pus or the nail discoloration after such a procedure could be Paronychia?
Paronychia is the infection of the skin around a toe/fingernail after it has been injured. Even a slight scrape to the skin creates a port of entry for bacteria and fungi that cause this infection.
Chronic cases spread over several digits at once within a period of six weeks while acute cases spread quickly but do not penetrate deep into the skin. thus, acute paronychia is easier to treat than chronic paronychia.
Causes of paronychia
- Clipping nails too short
- Biting nails
- Ingrown nails
- Prolonged exposure of nails to water and mani-pedis.
Signs of an active infection
- Redness or swelling round the nail
- Change in nail pigmentation
- Pus filled abscesses
- Separation of nail from nail bed among others
Consulting a podiatrist is vital for treatment options both for antifungal and antibacterial medication depending on the cases.
Prevention needs joint effort from both the clients and the employees. Using single-use mani-pedi kits for each customer is one way to achieve this. Thorough rinsing, sterilization and disinfection of materials in between customer use especially foot bath dishes is necessary. even better you can go for that mani-pedi with your own set of tools.
As a client be strict in ensuring that these measures are taken before undertaking any of these procedures be it nail polishing, trimming, cuticle clipping, foot soaking or any foot care is done.
Doing this not only makes walking in those shoes possible but also helps us avoid unnecessary discomfort.
