Two weeks ago I had a young lady present to the office concerned that her nail had suddenly detached 

following a visit to a nail salon.

Upon examination, yes clearly the nail was detached however, upon removal it was evident there was a brand new nail covering 3/4 of the nail bed beneath. This would suggest that possibly 9-10 months prior to seeing me, was when the trauma to the nail likely occurred.

This trauma would have caused swelling and an interruption in growth, stimulating a new nail to begin growing forward under the old, now dead nail plate.

In all likelihood this would have been detected earlier by the colour change in the nail plate had it not been painted. In this case the pedicurist likely loosened the remaining anchors of the old nail plate during trimming of the cuticle and nail itself.

Very often I get asked how I feel about folks visiting nail salons and pedicurists. In truth they are able to provide an service for many of their clients who are in good health and present with non pathological, or ‘normal’ nails, but just cannot physically get down to or see their feet. Most concerns arise regarding the hygiene of the service and risk of infection. To this my answer is simple, clear and non judgemental. If your systemic health is challenged or your foot problem is beyond normal maintenance then you should be seeking a podiatry/chiropody practitioner. Most salon owners are as concerned about cross infection as you are.

If you are seeking a new salon don’t be afraid to ask to see their instrument sterilizer, let them impress you with their response. The good ones will be delighted with your interest, our patients would get the full tour if we were asked!

Lastly if you have that little voice in your head raising concerns about the cleanliness or level of service your receiving dont be afraid to question or ask that the service be stopped immediately. Their feelings won’t be hurt as much as your foot health may be.

If you have questions don’t hesitate to ask us!.

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