Titanium Toenail Bracing and Unibrace
Our Titanium Toenail Bracing service and advanced Unibrace technology provide an effective alternative to surgery for treating ingrown and deformed toenails. This non-invasive treatment involves the application of a lightweight, durable titanium brace that gently lifts the edges of the nail, allowing it to grow in a more natural position.
The process begins with a thorough assessment of your toenail condition, followed by a precise fitting of the brace to ensure maximum comfort and effectiveness. The titanium material is biocompatible, reducing the risk of irritation and allowing for natural nail growth without the need for surgical intervention.
This treatment not only alleviates pain and discomfort associated with ingrown toenails but also helps prevent future occurrences.
Patients can enjoy improved foot health and mobility without the downtime typically associated with surgical options.
Ideal for anyone looking for a safe, effective, and long-lasting solution to toenail issues.
Cutting and Filing Toenails
Cutting and Filing Toenails
Trimming your toenails may seem simple enough, but it isn't something to be done carelessly.
Hard to cut nails are probably the biggest single service that I provide. They may be painful, ingrown, deformed, pressing into your shoe, thick, discoloured, brittle or may even have a corn underneath them which can cause further problems.
While most people don't need to visit a professional to take care of their toes - people with limited access to they feet, weak eyesight or diabetes are an exception - they need to be sure they're clipping their nails properly to reduce the risk of future foot problems.
Trimming Toenails - Technique Is Important
Before you break out the nail clippers, you should understand why it's so important that toenails be cut the right way.
The proper technique is necessary to avoid an ingrown toenail or infection.
Ingrown toenails, nails that become lodged in the skin instead of growing normally, are a primary reason for foot pain, and they can lead to serious infection.
Trimming Toenails yourself
- Cut straight across
- Use appropriate toenail clippers
- Leave nails a little long
- Cut nails when they're dry, not wet
- Make a few small cuts. Don't try to clip each toenail in one shot
- Try filing your toenails to smooth them out after you clip them
- Don't cut cuticles
Ingrowing Toe Nails
Ingrowing Toe Nails
An ingrown toenail - onychocryptosis is often caused by tight footwear, cutting the nails incorrectly or picking the nail.
Some people are more prone to ingrown toenails due to the natural shape of their nail.
Early treatment is highly recommended before the ingrown nail leads to infection and further complications. Often a nails hasn't started to grow into the skin but causes pain as a sharp nail edge presses into the skin at the side of the toe.
They often reoccur, regular treatment may be required. Cutting a 'v' in the middle of the nail does not correct an ingrown toenail.
Treatment is to reduce the the width of the nail by cutting or filing then shaping and training the nail to grow in a pain free direction.
If ingrown toenails become infected treat immediately with an antiseptic cream. Salt water baths are also beneficial.
Anti-biotics may be required. It is best to seek professional help.
Nail Bracing – a less painful alternative to surgery
Nail Bracing – a less painful alternative to surgery
The BS nail bracing system is a new technique for nail correction from Germany.
It is easy to apply, painless and inexpensive.
The BS-brace uses a flat spring made of plastic which is glued into place by the foot health practitioner.
This technique is avalibel in my practice and the results are very promising.
It reduces pressure around the nail and extends the length of time between treatments.
In just a few months, the shape of the nail can improve dramatically.
It takes approximately one year for the nail to grow back correctly.
The BS nail bracing system technique offers a real alternative to surgery, giving patients more choice.
Contact us for a consultation in our Luton Stopsley surgery for treatment of your ingrown toenails.
The Onyfix nail correction system
The Onyfix nail correction system
The Onyfix nail correction system is a versatile and innovative product that enables completely painless treatment of almost all forms of involuted and ingrown toenails.
Your foot health practitioner adapts the system individually and fixes it to your nail, which is then brought back into its natural shape as it grows.
" Onyfix " is a Health Canada “Medical Device, Class 1” designed to correct painful ingrown toenails. The device is a band or plate of methylacrylate resin that gradually lifts curved nails into correct alignment without pain or surgery.
Onyfix is applied to your nail at its widest part . As your nail grows, it will retrain your nail back into a natural position and shape.
The whole process takes several months to complete but is completely painless during application and while wearing the Onyfix band. Instant relief can be achieved with Onyfix without having to resort to nail surgery.
Does nail bracing hurt? It's painless to apply, but you may experience some discomfort from the tension of the brace after initial application and follow up adjustments.
Nail bracing is a safe, simple, and inexpensive treatment option that avoids surgery, requires no anesthetic, requires no recovery period, allows wearing the existing shoes, offers immediate relief from pain, and allows the practice of daily activities. Braces can be used for prolonged periods of times.
Onyfix is suitable for adults, children and diabetics.
Treating warts and verrucas
Warts usually clear up without treatment. However, it can sometimes take up to two years for the HPV virus to leave your system and for warts to disappear.
The length of time it takes for a wart to disappear will vary from person to person. They tend to last longer in older children and adults.
In adults and people with a weakened immune system, warts are less likely to clear up on their own or respond well to treatment.
Leaving the wart to get better by itself is one option. However, you may want to consider treatment if your wart is painful, in an awkward position, or is causing you distress or embarrassment.
Treatment options
There are a number of treatments available for warts. However, no single treatment is 100% effective, and sometimes the wart may return.
The aim of treatment is to remove the wart without it returning and without leaving any scarring.
I treat adult verruca using Silver Nitrate or Salicylic Acid which is the active ingredient in most of these treatments. In two-thirds of cases, research has shown that foot warts clear up within 12 weeks of treatment with salicylic acid or silver nitrate.
If you decide to take treatment with me and follow my recommendations, I will supply you with the therapeutic agent and needed dressings. In most cases I found it successful, if the patient cooperates with me.
Some treatments may cause side effects such as mild pain, blistering and skin irritation around the wart.
Childrens' Verruca
Childrens' Verruca
A verruca is the growth of a contagious virus (HPV, The Human Papilloma Virus) that invades the skin through small cuts or abrasions on its surface. There are over 60 different strains of HPV. Verrucae are slightly raised and circular in shape, with a thickened rim of surrounding skin. The surface may have black dots (pepper-pot appearance).
They are spread in warm, wet conditions such as swimming pools.
Verrucae are very difficult to treat successfully, in many cases they will eventually go of their own accord.
I treat childrens' verruca using marigold tincture which is a natural treatment so it is gentle on the skin. Or a deeply penetrating cream that contains Oil of Maleluc and urea to penetrate deeply and help fight HPV, the cause of verruca. I have found it to be very successful in most cases if the parent and child are consistent.
Verrutop Verruca and Wart New Treatment Avalible
Verrutop Verruca and Wart New Treatment Avalible
Verrutop verruca treatment is a new therapeutic treatment for verruca and warts. Verruca and warts are one of the most challenging dermatological skin conditions to treat.
Verrutop constitutes a formulation of nitric acid and organic acids, zinc and copper salts. This powerful mixture when applied to wart or verruca causes the infected tissue to mummify and desiccate. This helps trigger cell death.
This is a painless treatment with very few contraindications.
Verrutop verruca treatment requires no dressing changes and normal activities can continue. Once Verrutop is applied the verruca will gradually turn darker and dry out. This happens within a few days.
Clinical trials have reported a remission rate of 89% of patients after a maximum of 6 applications. These results are better than applying cryosurgery – freezing! Verrutop is less painful than freezing and far more suitable for children.
Verrutop provides visible results from the first application. I'm a paragraph. Click once to begin entering your own content. You can change my font, size, line height, color and more by highlighting part of me and selecting the options from the toolbar.
The benefits?
The benefits?
- It’s one of the fastest ways to remove a verruca.
- It’s one of the most pain-free ways of removing a verruca.
- It’s 90% effective on those who have between 3 and 6 treatments sessions.
- It is a treatment for both adults and children as young as 6 years old. I'm a paragraph. Click once to begin entering your own content. You can change my font, size, line height, color and more by highlighting part of me and selecting the options from the toolbar.
Shortly after the application you may notice a slight irritation around the verrucae. This usually passes within an hour.
A few days after treatment, the area may turn black or itch, this is temporary. In many cases the wart can detach from the skin, leaving normal skin underneath, without any scarring.
Callus
Callus
Callus can build up on many areas of the foot. It is caused by friction and is the body's natural attempt at cushioning and protecting itself. Callus can be a good thing for example a guitar players fingers will produce callus to protect themselves from the hard guitar strings. But when that callus is on the bottom of the foot it is painful to walk on and the body reacts to this pain by making even more callus.
I treat callus by carefully removing these layers and bringing the hard skin into line with the surrounding good, supple, flexible healthy skin then pain free walking is possible again.
Also part of the treatment can be prepared individual padding to reduces or eliminates abnormal friction stresses.
Corns
Corns come in a number of shapes and forms but without doubt they are all painful.There are various types of corn: hard corns, usually found on the soles of the feet or the tips and front of the toes ,soft corns, usually found between the toes and seed corns which are smaller and found on the soles.
They are caused by pressure on a particular point of the foot and this pressure causes a tiny piece of skin to die then dry and then harden leaving you feeling like there is a small piece of glass in there. To add to the pain, the body then tries to cushion the corn by developing callus around it but instead of cushioning and relieving pain it just leaves a larger mass under the skin which causes more pain.
Treatment consists of removing any overlying callus then removing the corn/s.
Relief is usually immediate.
Thick Cracked Heels
Thick Cracked Heels
Thick Cracked Heels not only don't look good but are more and more painful as the skin thickens. When there is enough callus on the heels to lose the skins natural suppleness and flexibility then they crack and further problems can develop. Again it is the body's natural defence against friction that is to blame for the build up of hard skin which only worsens over time.
Treatment is to simply remove the overlying callus and then use an electric file to smooth off the heel so that the surrounding soft, supple, flexible skin blends in with the previously callused area. A moisturising campaign is recommended after treatment to try and keep this callus build up as slow as possible.
Fungal infections
Fungal infections are very common due to shoes being dark, warm and moist which provide the perfect environment for fungus to breed. It can create itching, excessive sweating, redness, cracked skin which can bleed and provide entry into the body for bacteria and other invading micro organisms. If the fungal infection gets underneath the nail then it can be very hard to remove it but if left can create disfigured and discoloured nails.
Treatment is based on each individual case and good foot care routines. Wash and dry feet thoroughly, change shoes and socks regularly. Self-treat with over-the-counter anti-fungal creams. Foot baths containing an antiseptic such as tea tree oil will also help and may reduce itching and burning.
Nails may need professional intervention to reduce thickness. Your G.P. can prescribe tablets such as Terbinafine to help treat the nails but they are not always given readily as they have side-effects.
Living With Diabetes
Living With Diabetes
There is no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed. Balancing the food you eat with exercise and medicine (if prescribed) will help you control your weight and can keep your blood glucose in the healthy range.
This can help prevent or delay complications. Many people with diabetes live long and healthful lives.
Foot Care
Inspect your feet every day, and seek care early if you do get a foot injury. Make sure your Foot Health Practitioner checks your feet at least once a year - more often if you have foot problems. Your Foot Health Practitioner should also give you a list and explain the do's and don'ts of foot care.
Most people can prevent any serious foot problem by following some simple steps. So let's begin taking care of your feet today.
Prevention
Your Foot Health Practitioner should perform a complete foot exam at least annually - more often if you have foot problems.
Remember to take off your socks and shoes while you wait for your physical examination.
Call or see your Foot Health Practitioner if you have cuts or breaks in the skin, or have an ingrown nail. Also, tell your Foot Health Practitioner if your foot changes color, shape, or just feels different (for example, becomes less sensitive or hurts).
If you have corns or calluses, your Foot Health Practitioner can trim them for you. Your Foot Health Practitioner can also trim your toenails if you cannot do so safely.
Because people with diabetes are more prone to foot problems, a Foot Health Practitioner may be on your health care team.
Individual made orthotic - toe separators
There are a whole host of foot problems that can affect our daily lives. Above are just a selection of the most common
complaints that are dealt with on a daily basis. Call for a chat about your particular needs.