Can I Get a Pedicure While on Chemo?

Chemo Pedicure

For many people, having a professional manicure and pedicure is simply a nice, relaxing way to treat yourself. But if you're a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, choosing where to get your nails done can be a serious matter. Because chemo patients have a compromised immune system, they have to be extra cautious about preventing germs and infection. This is one very important reason that I opened the Foot & Hand Spa here inside The Foot & Ankle Center, on the campus of Johnston-Willis Hospital. This gives everyone — including cancer patients — a beautiful, comfortable place to have their nails done. And, it's absolutely clean; in fact our spa follows the same cleanliness standards as a hospital.

As a medical-grade nail spa, we emphasize overall foot health as well as aesthetics. We have only licensed nail technicians who understand the anatomy of the foot, diseases of the skin and nails, and the potential side effects of cancer treatments. Clients can rest easy, knowing that one of our board certified podiatrists is also available, if needed.

So, what's a pedicure like in our medical-grade spa, for a cancer patient? Our Chemotherapy Pedicures may vary slightly depending on the type of chemotherapy agent the patient is receiving, and how long ago the last treatment was. But a typical Chemotherapy Pedicure might go something like this: We'll start with a relaxing soak in a warm whirlpool bath with Tea Tree oil (which has natural antifungal properties) to soften and hydrate your skin. Then, we'll very gently push back the cuticles with an orangewood stick to decrease the chance of breaking the skin, and file and remove any dry, dead skin. We'll gently exfoliate your legs and feet, apply a mask to help hold in moisture, and then provide a relaxing, hydrating gentle massage to increase circulation and lock in moisture and nutrients. We'll finish with a buff or polish from our extensive selection of colors.

With our hospital-clean medical-grade nail spa, even cancer patients going through chemo can relax and treat themselves to a pampering pedicure. We also offer specialty pedicures for diabetics, for people with arthritis -- and for anyone who is concerned about cleanliness!

See all our Manicure & Pedicure Options, or click the button below to make an appointment:

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