Pedicure on hard toenails!

[Diana-Jane]

Hi, looking for a bit of advice please!
I did a pedicure today on a lady in her 60's with type II diabetes. Her big toenails were really thick and starting to curl inwards and although they weren't coming loose from the nail bed they were slightly raised which she said was damage from wearing steel toecapped shoes in a factory for years. I could only trim the free edge very slightly with my clippers as they were so hard and thick, i honestly think she was needing to see a chiropodist.
Anyway, underneath both big toenails was what i can only describe as gunk, and plenty of it! I couldn't bring myself to start clearing it out and explained to her that as she has diabetes i didn't want to risk damage to the skin but the truth was that i felt sick and think i might have gagged if i had to clear the debris from under her nails!
I'd hate to be unprofessional but is it really part of a beauty therapist's requirements to clean this kind of thing away? After a footsoak i dont mind cleaning the odd bit of dirt from under the free edge but this was something else!
I've done loads of pedicures before and never had a problem and i like to think i always do a good job but was i justified in my explanation that i didn't want to dig around behind the nails due to her diabetes?
Feeling queasy just thinking about it, hope it's not going to make me dread every pedicure client! :sad:

 

[Yadagi]

My mum is diabetic , and she goes regularly to a chiropodist to have her nails cut and her feet checked.

I think you did the right thing by not doing anything more than you did, and advised her correctly , but she really should be going to a chiropodist.

 

[marshmalotoast]

That could also have been a fungal infection - so a chiropodist is the person to deal with it, not a beauty therapist

 

[Diana-Jane]

Thanks for the replies!
Yeah, i did wonder if it was a fungal infection. Hopefully if she takes my advice and goes to a chiropodist to get her nails cut, they will advise her.

Just disappointed with myself for feeling queasy because i know i'll have to deal with plenty more icky nail and skin conditions!

 

[Annemarie]

Hi, looking for a bit of advice please!
I did a pedicure today on a lady in her 60's with type II diabetes. Her big toenails were really thick and starting to curl inwards and although they weren't coming loose from the nail bed they were slightly raised which she said was damage from wearing steel toecapped shoes in a factory for years. I could only trim the free edge very slightly with my clippers as they were so hard and thick, i honestly think she was needing to see a chiropodist.
Anyway, underneath both big toenails was what i can only describe as gunk, and plenty of it! I couldn't bring myself to start clearing it out and explained to her that as she has diabetes i didn't want to risk damage to the skin but the truth was that i felt sick and think i might have gagged if i had to clear the debris from under her nails!
I'd hate to be unprofessional but is it really part of a beauty therapist's requirements to clean this kind of thing away? After a footsoak i dont mind cleaning the odd bit of dirt from under the free edge but this was something else!
I've done loads of pedicures before and never had a problem and i like to think i always do a good job but was i justified in my explanation that i didn't want to dig around behind the nails due to her diabetes?
Feeling queasy just thinking about it, hope it's not going to make me dread every pedicure client! :sad:

You were right refusing to clean under her nails. It sounds to me like your clients had a fungal infection. Was there any smell from her nails as this is normally a sign of an infection. Of course we are not trained to diagnose, but if it was me I would have recommended she visit Chiropodist.

 

[Diana-Jane]

No there wasn't any smell, just white/grey gunk. She said she clears it out herself from time to time but can't get to her nails very well and hoped i would do it for her! I just apologised and said perhaps a chiropodist could help and they would have better tools for trimming her thick toenails. So I definitely did the right thing? Was worried about sending her away with half the job done.

 

[jacquelineanna]

I guess you do what you want to do, and you gave her a valid reason why without making her feel bad so don't worry my lovely.

I always remove this kind of stuff! Yuk.

Jacqui xx

 

[Diana-Jane]

Thanks Jacqui. You must have a strong stomach, thought i had but obviously not! x

 

[purpleivy]

I have one lady client who has a pedicure. She has 'gunk' under her toenails, but it just seems to be a build up of skin. When she's had her feet in the footspa, it softens to 'gunk'. Her nails seem otherwise healthy.

 

[Jo's Nails]

Hi deebaneenee,
I am glad you posted this. I have been asked to perform a pedicure on a lady and I didn't know what to say to her without hurting her feelings.
She doesn't have diabetes but I have seen her feet without nail polish and they are not clean. I know this might sound soo nasty but her toe nails turn over, her nail plate is stained and I have seen the build up of dirt under her nails and on her feet. She was recently in hospital with MRSA and had a nasty lump on her stomach which is an infection and is the size of a rugby ball. The nails on her hands are in the same condition there is a build up of black under her finger nails. She also has a build up of hard skin on her feet and asked me to use her knife slicing thing to take it off. I told her I am not qualified to use one off those I wouldn't want to cause any more infection if I cut her.

She has asked me to do her hands and feet but I told her that I didn't have any pedicure equipment and I am waiting to re-train before I do anybody's nails. I feel terrible lying and would love to give a service and see a different result in her hands and feet but I am really worried about cross contamination and passing any thing horrible on to other clients. Even though I would charge accordingly as there would be allot more work> I would probably want to throw my tools out after treating her. I would have to wear gloves to treat her.I feel terrible saying that.:sad:

Am I being a total snob?

 

[Diana-Jane]

Hi Jo

My concern was really more about whether or not i was being unprofessional by not cleaning under this client's toenails. I'm annoyed with myself for wimping out of a fairly straightforward procedure but i knew i was close to gagging and that would have been awful for the lady. I'm a perfectionist, annoyingly so at times and it bothers me that i didn't do this lady's nails to the best of my ability. I know i had her diabetes to use as an excuse to get out of it but what about if the same thing happens again with a client with no medical issues?
I don't think you're being a snob, i think sometimes we're just presented with things that are outwith our comfort zone and we don't always know how to react. I've noticed a few people on here saying they use gloves for pedicures so i'm sure you could do that.

I suppose my real question was - is it sometimes ok to modify a treatment if doing it would make you uncomfortable?

 

[jacquelineanna]

I always wear gloves for manicure and pedicure up to the point of massage and paint.

Unless she herself seems to be personally unclean I would do this lady's feet.

But if you don't want to then don't.

People with really realy horrid feet tend to go to a chiropodist .. now that is a job I seriously could not do.

Jacqui xx

 

[Jo's Nails]

deebaneenee.
Yeh I think that would be fine after all you are the one doing all the work. In some cases you have to tailor a service to suit yourself every client is different. If the lady had visited a chiropodist and had her nails cut would you then treat her? I don't think you are being unprofessional at all. :biggrin:
hi jacquelineanna
Thinking about it, I don't think I will teat her.xx