Do not try cutting toenails by yourself if you have thick skin or corns; recommend using a podiatrist to help cut toenails. Patients should cut their toenails every 6-8 weeks. If there are wounds at the toenails, patients should receive treatment as soon as possible.
It is advisable to have a podiatrist regularly perform the toenail care for diabetics since a small cut from trimming their own nails could quickly escalate into a larger issue. You can help minimize further issues by having a podiatrist regularly perform your nail care.
Home Care Nurses
An LPN/LVN that is trained in foot care can legally perform routine foot care, such as nail trimming in this setting. This is important care for their patients.
Absolutely. Especially when it comes to diabetics. In fact, because of the special care diabetics need when it comes to foot care, it's often best to skip the salon pedicure and clip your toenails right at home.
Your podiatrist will safely cut and shape the nail to ease the problem and even remove it altogether if necessary.
Medicare will cover the treatment of corns, calluses, and toenails once every 61 days in persons having certain systemic conditions. Examples of such conditions include: Diabetes with peripheral arterial disease, peripheral arterial disease, peripheral neuropathy, and chronic phlebitis.
Avoid soaking your feet, as this can lead to dry skin. Dry your feet gently, especially between the toes. Moisturize your feet and ankles with lotion or petroleum jelly. Do not put oils or creams between your toes — the extra moisture can lead to infection.
Taking excellent care of your feet is crucial. Diabetes Forecast says you can get a pedicure at a nail salon as long as you don't have an infection cut ulcer or neuropathy — but urges you to use caution and good judgment. The most important thing they advise is to make sure the salon you choose is extremely clean.
Cut toenails after bathing, when they are soft. Trim them straight across, then smooth with a nail file. Avoid cutting into the corners of toes. Don't let the corners of your toenails grow into the skin.
Keeping toenails trimmed—and polished if that's what the person likes—also helps the person feel well-groomed. If the person you care for has diabetes or has foot problems, such as bad bunions and corns, think about taking them to see a podiatrist. This is a doctor who specializes in the care of the feet.
Generally, pedicurists are trained to trim your toenails and file a bit of dry hard skin off, with varying results. For some people, this may be all they require, but there are also other reasons why you might want to consider a podiatry treatment over a pedicure.
Skip any services that can injure the skin. Never allow the technician to cut your cuticles or use any sharp instruments on your skin or under your toenails.
Podiatrists play a key role in the early detection and treatment of foot problems in people with diabetes. Neuropathy (nerve damage), arthropathy (joint damage), vasculopathy (blood vessel damage), and other complications can be avoided or delayed with annual comprehensive foot exams and treatment if needed.
In most cases, yes; they regularly assist patients with toenail care. While cutting toenails may seem like a simple matter of grooming, there are actually many patients who have problems with their toenails or feet that prevent them from cutting them without professional help.
Everyone with diabetes should have an annual foot check.
Your foot check is part of your annual review, which means you should have it as part of your diabetes care and it's free on the NHS. This is because you're more likely to have serious foot problems and these can lead to amputations.
Diabetes can make pedicures dangerous: Reduced circulation can make injuries and infections more likely, and take longer to heal. Peripheral neuropathy can reduce feeling in your feet, making you unable to tell if the technician is hurting you, or if a hot footbath is scalding you.
It is generally safer to avoid trimming the cuticles. Some providers may advise diabetic patients to trim their own nails after proper instruction. Some providers encourage their patients to have nail care performed by a medical professional, such as a podiatrist.
Diabetic pedicures can prevent any kind of infections or fungal growth in the nails. An infection may raise blood sugar levels and can interfere with proper healing. It also increases the risk of serious complications like ulcers or even amputation.
It can be an early sign of so-called "diabetic belly," a build-up of visceral fat in your abdomen which may be a symptom of type 2 diabetes and can increase your chances of developing other serious medical conditions.
A change in the color and temperature of your feet. Thickened, yellow toenails. Fungus infections such as athlete's foot between your toes. A blister, sore, ulcer, infected corn, or ingrown toenail.
Wear socks or stockings with shoes. Wear socks without seams. Avoid tight-fitting socks and garters. Wear socks in bed if your feet are cold at night.
According to this Eastern superstition, trimming your nails after dark could invite evil spirits into your home.
It's important to make sure that you cut your toenails straight across, leaving them long enough so that the corners lie loosely against the skin at the sides. In other words, don't trim your toenails too short, don't round the edges, and also don't try to cut the toenails into a pointy V-shape.
Poorly trimmed toenails can cause painful broken nails and ingrown toenails. And if you have diabetes, poorly trimmed toenails could put your overall health at serious risk.