Is getting a pedicure bad for diabetics?
Pampering, after a long week of job-related stress and health-related worries, is a perfect way to start the weekend. The only worry you can think of, though, is the fact that you’re diabetic and pampering, while something you sorely need, is fraught with danger for diabetics like yourself. Which is a shame since pampering can also be a great way to spend the day with your best friends and loved ones.
But we digress. Your diabetes shouldn’t be a problem when you just want to have a good time. If there’s one thing that we’ve been repeatedly saying to our diabetic subscribers is that diabetes is not the end of the world or that you can still have fun and be active despite this complication. That covers pedicures as well. You’ll be fine, if you follow to a tee the tips below that we prepared for you.
- Postpone if you have wounds on your feet
We get it that sometimes it’s hard to set up an appointment due to the number of people who book a weekend slot. However, if you have open wounds, sores, or infections on your legs, feet, or toenails, it would be prudent to postpone your appointment until you are fully healed. Your open wound might be further infected accidentally by your pedicurist and this might very well lead to gangrenous extremities.
- Get your own nail kit
While it is unlikely that you’ll be infected with something from shared nail polish, it is still better to play safe. You will also be more at ease with the knowledge that the tools your trusted pedicurist is using are your own and you’re not sharing with their other clientele. Just be sure to regularly clean and disinfect your nail kit, you might not get any infection from other clients, but you’ll surely get something unpleasant from dirty equipment.
- Shaving should be avoided before a pedicure
Even if you can’t see them, shaving leaves very tiny cuts on your skin. If you shave your legs before a pedicure session, these tiny cuts can get infected and turn into serious wounds. What you should do is avoid shaving before pedicures and then just shave afterwards. We’re sure your pedicurist wouldn’t mind.
- Go to a salon that’s hygienic and clean
This should be a no-brainer even if you don’t have diabetes. As much as possible, only have your nails treated at a salon that has an impeccable record when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness. You might pick up several diseases and infections when your nails are treated by dirty and infected tools. And you know what happens to diabetics with large, gaping, and infected wounds…
- Try to be the first customer
If you’re not keen on buying your own nail kit, you can at least strive to get the first slot of the day so that the pedicurist will service you first. The nail tools are freshly sanitized, and the pedicurist is still feeling energized. Avoid being the last client, at all costs. Your pedicurist is tired and might try to hasten the job rather than doing it properly.
Pampering is for Everyone
Diabetes is not the end of the world. That line is one of the sentences that we use often to show people with diabetes that they can still enjoy life and do the activities they want even if their blood sugar is 125 and up. This is somehow, most evident with pampering. You’re entitled to have fun, feel good about yourself, and be treated to an exquisite pedicure session.
True, you need certain precautions before proceeding, but then isn’t that the same for everyone, diabetic or not, when it comes to activities that involve sharp objects poking your skin?
