At Landmark Foot and Ankle Center in Alexandria, Virginia, nail care means much more than trimming your toenails. The dedicated podiatry care specialists, Philip Garrett, DPM, and Dong Kim, DPM, diagnose and resolve all sorts of nail issues, including potentially serious problems like ingrown toenails and nail fungus. Reach out by phone or through online booking to get help now.

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When do I need professional nail care?

If your nails grow unhealthy in any way, it’s time to seek out professional nail care at Landmark Foot and Ankle Center. Unhealthy nails typically have obvious characteristics, such as:

  • Splitting
  • Cracking
  • Thickening
  • Thinning
  • Discoloration
  • Flaking
  • Growing into bordering skin (ingrown toenail)

In many cases, an unhealthy nail also causes symptoms in the skin beneath and around it. For example, toenail fungus can spread to your skin, where it’s called athlete’s foot. With an ingrown toenail, you typically have significantly red and swollen skin on one side of your toe.

Do podiatrists do routine nail care?

The podiatrists at Landmark Foot and Ankle Center can perform routine nail care, such as nail filing and trimming, for patients with chronic medical issues or disabilities. For example, many people living with diabetes have chronic foot problems but cannot maintain good foot health without some help.

If you have very thick toenails that you can’t trim yourself, if you can’t reach your toenails to file and trim them, or if you need routine nail care for any other reason, reach out to Landmark Foot and Ankle Center for help.

What kind of nail care is available for toenail fungus?

Traditional toenail fungus treatments usually include oral or topical antifungal drugs. You need to take oral medication daily for at least six weeks, and these drugs can cause serious side effects. Also, you can’t take oral antifungals if you have liver disease or other chronic illnesses. Topical antifungals require up to 12 months of daily use, and they’re not always effective.

There’s no doubt that toenail fungus is a difficult challenge, but Landmark Foot and Ankle Center is up to the task. The podiatrists offer a new state-of-the-art laser treatment, Genesis Plus. This treatment delivers light to the pigment within the fungi to destroy it.

Laser toenail fungus treatment won’t harm your nail in any way. You typically need just one or two treatment sessions. Treatment lasts only about 40 minutes for up to 10 nails.

How does nail care for an ingrown toenail work?

Your podiatrist can splint the nail, lifting it with a small section of cotton gauze. Or, if you have a recurring ingrown nail, your doctor may recommend removing a small section of the nail. That is an in-house procedure that can quickly relieve your pain. For more severe ingrown toenails, you could need full nail plate removal.

Get the best in nail care from Landmark Foot and Ankle Center; call or click the provided booking link now.