Podiatry: when you need a podiatrist rather than a pedicure technician, and what they do

A pedicure technician is responsible for appearance: nail shape, cuticles, smooth skin and polish. Their work is designed for a healthy foot. If a technician sees an ingrown nail, a suspicious patch or a painful corn, there is only one right decision: leave it alone and refer you to a specialist.

A podiatrist works with a foot that has a problem. They assess the nails and skin, look for the cause (footwear, gait, injury, infection), correct the shape of the nail, remove hard corns and warts, treat nails affected by fungus and, when needed, take a sample for a lab test.

Ingrown toenail

The most common reason for a visit. The edge of the nail cuts into the side fold, and the toe turns red and hurts when walking. Typical triggers are cutting the nail wrongly (too short or with rounded corners), tight shoes and an inherited nail shape.

The podiatrist frees the ingrowing edge and takes the pressure off the soft tissue. One way to do this is tamponade: a special material is placed under the edge of the nail to lift it and protect the fold. For nails that keep growing in, titanium thread correction is used: a thin elastic wire is fixed under the edges of the nail and gradually straightens its curve as the nail grows. The method avoids removing part of the nail, but takes several months with follow-up visits. Whether it suits your case is decided by the podiatrist after an examination.

If the toe is swollen, there is pus under the fold or you have a fever, see a doctor first: an active infection may need treatment that only a doctor can prescribe.

Nail fungus and nails after fungus

The nail turns yellow, thickens and crumbles. Injury, pressure from shoes and psoriasis can look similar, so a podiatrist does not diagnose "fungus" by eye. If it is suspected, a scraping of the nail or skin is taken for a lab test: Calcofluor-stained microscopy, a culture with sensitivity testing or a complex podiatric test.

Antifungal medicines are prescribed by a doctor; the podiatrist's role is mechanical. They carefully remove the affected layers of the nail plate with a device. A thinner nail looks neater, presses less in shoes and lets topical products reach it more easily. SOLAR has a dedicated care programme for nails after fungus combined with a pedicure. Patience is needed: according to dermatologists, a big toenail renews completely in about a year, sometimes longer.

Onycholysis

The nail lifts away from the nail bed, leaving a white or yellowish area underneath. The causes vary: injury from running and tight shoes, long exposure to water, fungus, psoriasis, a reaction to medication or cosmetic coatings, thyroid problems. The detached part will not reattach, so the aim of treatment is for the new nail to grow attached to the bed. The podiatrist shortens and cleans the detached part, runs a fungal test if needed, protects the nail and, if a systemic cause is suspected, advises you to see a doctor. At the clinic, onycholysis treatment is planned for each toe separately.

Calluses and hard corns

A callus is a broad area of hardened skin on the sole; a dry corn is a dense spot where friction is constant. A hard corn is trickier: it has a dense core that goes deep, and walking feels like having a pebble in your shoe. Cutting it out at home is risky: the core stays and a cut easily becomes infected. The podiatrist removes the hardened layers and the core itself, then explains how to offload the area with footwear and soft pads so the corn does not come back.

Plantar warts

Plantar warts are caused by a virus, and the easiest way to pick it up is barefoot: at the pool, in a gym shower, on a wet spa floor. They are easy to confuse with a corn; the tell-tale sign is tiny dark dots under the hardened skin. The podiatrist removes warts, and the method is chosen after an examination. If a growth bleeds, grows quickly or changes colour, see a dermatologist first.

Cracked heels

Dry skin, open-back shoes, sand and hard water create ideal conditions for cracks. Deep cracks hurt, bleed and become an entry point for infection. The podiatrist removes the hardened edges so the crack can close and recommends home care, usually with urea-based creams.

Diabetic foot

With diabetes, sensation in the foot can decrease and small wounds heal slowly. That is why any foot treatment is carried out only with your doctor's approval. If you have diabetes, mention it when booking. If there are wounds, ulcers, numbness or a change in skin colour, the podiatrist will not treat the foot and will refer you to a doctor.

1. Consultation. A podiatrist consultation at SOLAR is 50 AED and is included in the price if you have a treatment in the same visit. The specialist examines your feet and nails and asks about footwear, sport, chronic conditions and medication.
2. Diagnostics. If fungus is suspected, a sample is taken for a lab test so that the plan is based on a result, not a guess.
3. Device treatment. No soaking in a foot bath: this way the podiatrist sees the real condition of the skin and nail. The attachments gently and precisely remove hardened skin and affected nail layers.
4. Correction and protection. Tamponade and titanium thread for ingrown nails, taping to offload the nail fold, a medical dressing where needed.
5. Plan. The podiatrist explains how many visits you will need and what to do at home between them.

Podiatry at SOLAR includes podiatric pedicure, care for nails after fungus with a pedicure, onycholysis treatment, removal of corns and warts, titanium thread correction, tamponade, taping, medical dressings and lab tests of nails and skin. The exact plan and pricing are confirmed at consultation.

The clinic works in a 4-8 hands format, so a podiatry visit can be combined with a manicure or a facial treatment.

Podiatric or regular pedicure: a comparison

If your nails and skin are healthy, a regular pedicure in our nail service is all you need. If you have even one of the problems listed above, start with a podiatrist and return to cosmetic care once your feet are in good shape.

Men see a podiatrist just as often as women: closed shoes all working day, training, long hours on their feet. A men's pedicure is available in our nail service, and the clinic's other men's treatments are gathered in the men's menu.

• Open shoes all year round. Sandals and flip-flops give the foot little support, heel skin dries and cracks, and nails get knocked against the edges of shoes.
• Sand. Works like an abrasive and dries the skin, especially on the heels.
• Pools, beach clubs, spas and gym showers. Wet floors are the main route for fungus and the wart virus.
• Closed shoes at the office. Hot outside, eight hours in shoes under air conditioning inside: feet sweat, shoes never dry out, and fungus loves exactly that environment.
• Heat and sweating. A warm, humid environment inside shoes supports fungal growth.
• Hard water. Dries the skin and makes it harden faster.

October starts the season of walks, beaches and pools, and many people remember their feet right now, when the summer polish comes off and reveals problems that have been building up for months.

Prevention at home

• Cut nails straight across, not too short and without rounding the corners.
• Wash and dry your feet thoroughly, especially between the toes.
• Wear flip-flops at the pool, spa and gym showers.
• Change socks every day and choose cotton or moisture-wicking fibres for the office.
• Alternate pairs of shoes so each one has time to dry out.
• Do not share towels, shoes, files or nippers.
• Moisturise your heels at night, but not the skin between the toes.
• Do not cut corns or ingrown nail corners yourself.
• Take breaks from polish on your toenails so you can see the condition of the nail.

• A toe or foot is red, swollen or hot to the touch.
• There is pus.
• You have a fever or chills.
• You have diabetes and notice any wound, crack or change in skin colour.
• Pain suddenly gets worse or you feel numbness.

In these situations, do not wait for a routine podiatry appointment and do not treat the foot yourself: see a doctor.