Now that your tootsies are coming out of hiding, there are a few things to consider before you book your next pedicure. Podiatrist Richard Berliner, in practice with his wife, Jill Berkowitz-Berliner, in Mount Kisco (www.mtkiscofootdocs.com), offers the following tips:
• “Sure, everyone loves the whirlpool foot bath you get at most nail salons, but it is really hard to disinfect it completely in between clients, so you are basically soaking in other people’s fungus and germs. It’s just not a good idea.”
•“Take note of how the instruments are sterilized. It isn’t enough to put them under a UV light. Autoclave, the system used in medical offices, is the only way to guarantee sterility. That, or bring your own set of tools along.”
•“Cuticles are a barrier to prevent bacteria and fungus from getting behind the nail. Some nail technicians want to push them back and trim them. Just say no—all cuticles need is some moisturizer and to be left alone to do their job.”
And if you’re not a germaphobe by now, Dr. Berliner notes that it is possible that fungi can live in nail polish. In addition to bringing your own pedicure tools, you might want to consider bringing your own polish as well.