What is a medical pedicure, and why is TikTok so obsessed?: ‘Never knew this existed’
Footage of a medical pedicure is going viral on TikTok — and now, millions of viewers are wondering what exactly it is and how they can get one.
Cat Quinn (@catquinn) gained over 4.6 million views, 391,000 likes, 47,000 saves and 2,600 comments after she uploaded the footage of her medical pedicure to her account.
While we’ve seen medical and cosmetic procedures go viral on the app before — like the Botox injections that completely transformed a bride’s smile right before her wedding day — this special “Barbie” pedicure has TikTokers searching for podiatrists near them who offer medical pedicures.
“I got a medical pedicure in nyc by a professional podiatrist and it was so satisfying,” Quinn’s caption reads.
According to Quinn, the medical pedicure was performed by @medipedinyc. As Quinn explained in a comment, the owner of Medi Pedi NYC, Marcela Correa, hails from Uruguay, where medical pedicures allegedly are a common practice.
“If you want perfect Barbie feet, you have to try a medical pedicure,” Quinn says at the beginning of the video (which she discloses was a paid partnership post). She then asserts that “what you wish they did in the nail salon, they do here.”
As she explains, a medical pedicure combines a pedicure with podiatry, allowing medical pedicurists to provide services that nail salons cannot.
She then records as the medical pedicurist files her nails, cuts out ingrown nails, scrapes away her calluses, then buffs and oils her nails.
‘This is exactly what I been looking for’
TikTokers were excited to learn about the procedure and took to the comments to share their reactions.
“Never knew this existed this is exactly what I been looking for. Just want special attention to detail,” commented @jinseer18.
“Game changer. The beauty I need without the fear of infection from salons, and the corn/callus care too!” wrote @juliadrachenberg.
“I work at a podiatry clinic it’s honestly the best to get a medical pedicure highly recommend!” wrote @carinadanis.
“Yup all things that nail techs cannot do. Wish more ppl understood that,” commented @cityescapespa_.
“Yes! As a nail tech we are literally not allowed to do this. So if you want wanna take care of your feet and think we can, we cant. Go to these guys!” wrote @p00rb0ii.
What is a medical pedicure?
To learn more about medical pedicures, In The Know by Yahoo spoke to Dr. Nelya Lobkova of Step Up Footcare.
“A medical pedicure, essentially, is a toenail trimming and skin treatment done by a licensed medical professional,” Lobkova explained.
“It includes trimming the toenails, removing any thickened and diseased nail (if there are any), and cutting out and removing corns and calluses on the bottom of the feet. Medical pedicures can be performed by a podiatrist (licensed doctor) or a licensed nail technician.”
How do medical pedicures differ from those performed at salons?
According to Lobkova, a medical pedicure is typically performed dry, meaning without soaking the feet as they commonly do in nail salons, which helps prevent and avoid bacterial infections.
Unlike in salons, during a medical pedicure, podiatrists avoid excessive cutting and removing of cuticles, as well as pushing back the cuticle at the base of the toenails.
“The cuticle is a layer of skin that connects the toe to the nail plate (hard part of the nail) and it is vital to the nail complex,” Lobkova explained. “When that cuticle layer is removed, there is a higher chance of traumatizing the nail and developing fungal nail disease. Podiatrists and nail technicians in medical practices will cut the toenails in a way to avoid developing ingrown toenails.”
For those already suffering from ingrown toenails, Lobkova advises that they see a podiatrist instead of having someone at a nail salon provide relief.
She continued, “In addition, podiatrists are able to effectively use a blade to remove deep corns and calluses, whereas nail salons are only permitted to use pumice stones or foot files to remove excess dead skin.”
What kind of feet qualify for a medical pedicure?
“I think everyone qualifies for a medical pedicure by a podiatrist. … There is a lot of information I can tell about someone’s health based on the condition of the toenails, and distribution of corns and calluses on the bottom of the feet — even if nothing hurts!”
Lobkova added, “We should pamper [our feet] properly and like our face and other parts of our bodies.”
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