Tough toenails.

You have my sympathies! Mine are lethal weapons as they ping round the room if I try to cut them at home! I have a pedicure now once a month-same end result as chiropodist with added bonus of nicely painted toenails. As long as I don't have any problems with my feet I'll continue with this.

Is that at a Beauty Salon? My hairdresser offers chiropody. My mum really put me off by saying that a Chiropodist made her toe bleed! Could just be my mum though, she was full of scary stories about mostly everything.

Yes, it's local beauty salon I go to so I get a cuppa and good chat/laugh with the girls as well. Your mother sounds like mine-harbinger of doom about anything/everything!

Falconbird is it truly chiropody that your hairdresser offers, or is it a pedicure where feet are soaked, hard skin is smoothed with a foot file and tootsies are pampered and toenails painted.

A chiropodist will treat corns, ingrowing tonails, take away lots of hard skin using a scalpel.

I go to the chiropodist about every 6 months and have hard skin, corns and callouses dealt with. Then go to the beauty salon before a holiday and have a treat of pampered feet and beautifully painted toenails.
I do my own pedicure and painted toenails at other times but it's not up to the standard of the professionals Though it is free !!

Have never had a bad experience at the chiropodist, and that includes having 2 x half nails removed.
This is the only time I saw 'blood' which was inevitable as it was minor surgery.

Often the treatment of ingrowing toenails and the like can cause a little blood but not normal day to day maintenance.

It's just bliss following a chiropody visit - dainty fairy feet.

Chiropody - only way to go

Have you an AGE UK centre nearby. They offer chiropody services at a reduced rate. Tell the chiropodist about your fears. I'm sure you're not alone with this fear. My grandma had a wealth of tales too. Even today I'm terrified if gypsies come to the door and have to hide until they go away because grandma said they steal children and curse adults.

If you have a particular foot/toe issue your GP may refer you to the podiatry unit.
My chiropodist was going to charge £200 per toe to do a side evulsion on each big toe. GP referred me to podiatrist/chiropodist services and I got it done for free. Had to wait 6 weeks but that was ok.

Love my chiropodist- I see her every two to three months- arthritis in my feet means that my knobbly bits get corns and she can cut my hardening toenails better than anyone else although I have to say the few pedicures I have had have been quite good at this. Choose a state registered Chiropodist rather than a nail cutter and you shouldn't go wrong.

I don't have pedicures now for two reasons and the first is the most important. If the beauty salon uses those foot spas with jets and nozzles I am not sure how they can clean them sufficiently of the fungi which cause nail infections. They only seem to rinse them out. Fungi are particularly hard to kill and I am certain I did pick up a fungal nail infection one time and it took me ages to clear it (Curanail). The only spa I really liked used a plain bowl to soak the feet which was thoroughly washed afterwards as they too had identified the problem (sadly I don't live near them anymore). The second less important reasons is that my feet aren't pretty due to arthritis and the operation so I only wear open sandals around the house and prefer summer light shoe for public appearances!!

I find soaking your feet in hot soapy water for 10 mins then cut your nails while their soft...

go onto amazon and put in toenail softener. My DH uses the cream and also goes to the chiropodist it really works and chiropodist is pleased with the result

I have fungal nail infection so nail is hard to cut but soak in fabric conditioner and it really does help. I am going to try white vinegar to cure it though, has anyone else tried this?

Thanks for all the tips. I will call in at my hairdresser and find out more about the person who provides a foot service there or I might ask at my docs. I don't have a car so my feet are important as I have to walk a lot.

Mum was a real prophet of doom I used to ignore it all when I was younger, but now I'm a Pensioner her words keep coming back to me. When I was a teenager I remember eating a peach in front of her to prove that I wouldn't choke to death on the skin.

I go to the chiropodist about every 6 weeks. It doesn't hurt and I always leave thinking I could dance down the road.

I soak me feet in hot water or the bath and then do the cutting. It's getting more difficult but at the moment I can still manage. Good to know you can buy nail softener - I might try it later

Who was the first known chiropodist in this country?
WILLIAM THE CORNCURER
boom boom.... !