Having your nails and the skin on your feet taken care of feels great. What feels even better is walking away feeling confident that your foot care has performed safely, under strict hygiene and sterilisation protocols, and by registered podiatrists that have dedicated their careers to learning everything there is to know about your feet and how to best care for their health. This is exactly what medical pedicures offer here at Perform Podiatry, and why they are the #1 choice.

Salon hygiene in New Zealand: It’s a problem

It was previously found that 88% of nail salons here in Aotearoa failed to meet adequate disinfection and sterilisation standards. These standards aren’t complicated, outrageous or challenging, either. They simply dictate that appropriate measures should be taken to clean and sterilise both the premises of the salons and the tools they use so they don’t just get moved from person to person with a glass of water in between, which now tends to be the norm from what we’ve observed. The goal of taking the right measures is very simple and effective, it minimises your risk of picking up an infection, Infections can take hold via your toenails or from getting a cut in your skin (among others), thereby sterilisation and disinfection are critical tools for helping reduce the likelihood of negative health outcomes as a result of the service. While we personally haven’t spoken to any salon owners about the reasons they don’t meet these standards, there is one obvious reason we know from our own experience. Maintaining excellent – and even good – hygiene and sterility protocols is time-consuming and expensive.  Here at Perform Podiatry, every single tool we use to care for your feet must be steam sterilised in a controlled cycle for approximately two hours – a cycle that reaches over 200 degrees celsius, and is proven to effectively sterilise each instrument and that is carefully documented on all our records. Prior to the sterilisation, the tools are also cleaned and managed – and that’s just the instruments, we haven’t even started on the clinic room and chair. All of our standards are heavily regulated and audited by a professional board, so you can be sure that they’re up to scratch.

What does a medical pedicure service include?

Our medical pedicures start with trimming your toenails using our German-made and individually steam-sterilised nail clippers, reducing any hard areas of dry, dead callused skin, removing any corns from the feet and toes, treating and reducing any cracks in the heels, and managing similar problems using a surgical-grade scalpel. We make sure to remove any skin, dirt and anything else trapped beneath or down the sides of the nail with a sterilised file. When this build-up is allowed to remain, you can experience discomfort, pressure, and you may be more vulnerable to infection. Part of your treatment uses a precision burr to reduce the thickness of the nails where needed, while smoothing the ridges of the nails and removing overgrown cuticles and jagged nail ends. All our burrs are steam-sterilised and we have a large variety of different sizes, shapes and materials for each purpose – whether it be reducing a very thick, crumbly nail or polishing a delicate, thin nail. Your dry, flaky skin and uneven skin will be smoothed and reduced and a disposable nail file is used to smooth out any final edges that may catch on your socks or stockings. The nails are then cleaned with a clear antiseptic spray, followed by tea tree oil – a natural anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Finally, we apply the appropriate moisturiser to your feet to have you feeling great on your feet!

Diabetes & other medical conditions can put you at risk

If you’ve been told that you’re at high-risk when it comes to your foot health then having your feet taken care of professionally and in a sterile environment is particularly important. This is because with diabetes, neurological or neurovascular problems, you’re at a higher risk of injuring your feet and not being able to recover well – making you vulnerable to a series of problems and complications. 

Ready to feel great on your feet?

We’re Auckland’s trusted podiatry team, and part of the team at the One Health Building on Remuera Road. To book your appointment, call us on 09 523 2333 or book your appointment online.