SKIN & NAIL CARE
Nail & skin treatments
Routine Chiropody
Verruca Treatment
Fungal Nail and Athlete’s Foot
Ingrown Toenail / Nail Surgery
Nail Reconstruction
01. ROUTINE CHIROPODY
Routine chiropody for corns and callusus
We provide professional nail care and treatment for corns, calluses and hard skin while identifying the underlying causes of recurring problems. We will also give you practical advice to help keep your feet comfortable and healthy between appointments.
02. VERRUCA TREATMENTS
Understanding and treating Verrucas
Verrucas, which are basically warts that occur on the sole or toes of the feet, are caused by human papilloma virus (HPV). The virus causes your skin cells to multiply much faster than normal, which can lead to the formation of a rough-to-touch bump in the skin and entrapments of small nerve fibres and capillaries. Therefore, you might see black dots due to rupture of capillaries, or feel pain and discomfort caused by pressure on the nerves and surrounding tissues.
HPV is a weak and harmless virus and not everyone who comes in contact with the virus acquires infection. However, those who have a weakened immune system are at higher risk of developing a verruca.
At Achilles Foot Clinic, we offer a range of treatments for verrucas which will be discussed with you during the initial consultation. These include:
Verruca Needling
Verruca needling is a minor surgical method which is carried out under local anaesthetic. During the procedure, a fine needle is used to puncture the verruca lesion and implant infected cells into the dermis where an immune response is encouraged that leads to destruction of the virus.
This method has many advantages:
it has a much higher success rate (approximately 69%) compared to other methods
usually only one session of treatment is required
if the patient has multiple warts, only the main lesion needs treating as the initiated systemic immune response will clear the other lesions.
Verrutop
Verrutop uses a unique Nitrizinc Complex (nitric acid, organic acids, zinc, and copper salts) to destroy viral tissue, with a great success rate within 1 to 6 sessions. This method can safely be used for young children.
Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy involves freezing of the wart tissue which contains the infected cells. This leads to the formation of a blister which will fall off after few days. Similar to acid treatment, you may need a few freezing sessions to clear the wart fully.
Salicylic Acid Treatment
Salicylic acid which is a corrosive, acid-based solution softens the wart and causes the infected surface skin cells to become disintegrated and peel off, while encouraging an inflammatory response from your immune system that could lead to recognition and destruction of the virus which otherwise hides away from the immune cells. You may need a course of treatment with salicylic acid to achieve the desired result.
03. FUNGAL TREATMENTS
Fungal Nail and Athlete's Foot
Fungal nail infection is a common condition caused by fungi that infect the nail. As the infection progresses, the nail may become discoloured (white, yellow, brown or green), thickened, brittle or crumbly, and may eventually begin to lift away from the nail bed. If left untreated, it can spread to other nails or the surrounding skin, increasing the risk of athlete's foot, bacterial infection and ingrown toenails. Fungal infections thrive in warm, moist environments and some people are naturally more susceptible than others.
Fungal nails before treatment
After treatment
Many patients come to us after months or even years of unsuccessful treatment. Following a thorough assessment, we will discuss the treatment options best suited to your particular infection, which may include topical medication, PACT photodynamic therapy or other treatment approaches depending on the severity of the infection.
Oral treatment
Your GP may decide to prescribe antifungal tablets if most of your nails are affected by fungal infection. However, oral treatment might have serious side effects and tablets are only prescribed after a thorough assessment.
Photodynamic Antimicrobial Therapy (PACT)
At Achilles Foot Clinic, we are pleased to be able to offer PACT treatment which is one of the most effective methods for treatment of fungal nail infection and kills off bacteria, fungi and viruses when applied to the nails. The treatment includes application of a dye to the nail, which makes fungal cells sensitive to light whilst having no effect on human cells. The sensitive fungal cells are then killed off when exposed to a special LED light which is completely harmless to human cells.
Athlete’s Foot (tinea pedis)
This is caused by fungal infection of the skin which may become red, itchy, scaly, dry, discoloured, cracked or blistered. Very often the infection occurs in the moist and warm areas such as in between the toes. Although, athlete’s foot is usually not serious, if left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body or other people. Cracks caused by athlete’s foot could also act as portal of entry for bacteria which could cause bacterial infection.
If this is an issue for you, we will explain the treatment regime that you need to follow which often involves the use of creams, sprays or liquids, as well as following good foot hygiene.
Topical treatment
Special paint or spray containing antifungal agents such as terbinafine is applied to the nails. Your podiatrist will also provide you with footwear and foot care advice that you need to follow in order to achieve the desired outcome. A few weeks after topical treatment begins, you will notice a band of pink and healthy nail behind the outgrowing infected nail.
Topical treatment is more effective for mild infections. For moderate to severe cases we recommend PACT.
04. INGROWN NAILS
Ingrown toenail and nail surgery
An ingrown toenail occurs when a sharp splinter of the toenail digs into the flesh at the side of the toe, and can be really painful. This can also lead to inflammation, infection, pus formation and bleeding.
Many factors can result in ingrowing toenails. Excessive pronation (in-rolling) of the foot, tight fitting or high heeled shoes, foot deformities such as bunions and improper trimming of toenails are some of these factors.
Conservative treatment
f your ingrown toenail is not too severe, we can trim back the piercing spike and clear the skin around it, and will advise you on preventative factors and further care. Occasionally you may need a course of antibiotics to beat the infection. We can supply the antibiotics at out clinics.
Nail surgery
If you experience recurring ingrown toenails with extreme pain, swelling and infection, then you may need total or partial nail avulsion to remove the whole nail or the section that continues to cause problem and then a chemical is applied that stops the removed section of the nail from growing back.
Nail surgery is performed under local anaesthetic. Your podiatrist will provide you with post-operative information. Please note that there is always a small chance of regrowth.
Note: It is important that you weigh yourself prior to your appointment, bring sandals to accommodate the large dressing around your toe, and arrange your transport back home, as you will not be able to drive after the procedure. You will also need to continue re-dressing the wound until full healing is achieved.
05. MEDICAL NAIL RECONSTRUCTION
Restore the appearance of damaged nails
If you are unhappy with the appearance of a damaged or deformed nail, we can help.
Using advanced medical nail reconstruction systems, including Wilde-Pedique and PediSafe, we can restore the appearance of damaged nails by carefully applying a specialised medical gel to create a natural-looking nail. This treatment is suitable for many nails damaged by trauma, fungal infection or nail surgery, helping you feel more confident in open-toed shoes and everyday life.
