Clover Podiatry in Vancouver Has Your Solution for Unsightly Skin or Nails
At Clover Podiatry, we understand how embarrassing and uncomfortable nail and skin conditions on your feet can be. But there's no need to suffer in silence or keep your feet hidden when our experienced Vancouver podiatrists and medical team provide high-quality, personalized treatment plans to help you achieve healthy, beautiful feet once again.
Types of Nail and Skin Conditions We Can Treat
Our feet work hard every day, carrying our full body weight as we walk, run, and participate in other activities. It's no surprise that many people experience problems with their foot skin and nails at some point. But instead of hiding an unsightly or irritating condition, make an appointment with our foot doctors to address it now. Taking care of your toenails and skin is more than just cosmetic enhancement. Numerous foot conditions present lingering health problems if left untreated.
Here are some of the most common issues Clover Podiatry can help you resolve with innovative treatment options.
Athlete's Foot
Also known as tinea pedis, this fungal infection is easily spread because it thrives in warm, damp areas like showers and pools, sweaty socks, and shoes worn for long periods. Typical symptoms of athlete’s foot include itching, redness, flaky skin, and blisters. If over-the-counter products don’t provide healing results, our foot doctors have other solutions for relief.
After conducting a specific exam to confirm the type of infection, treatment for athlete’s foot typically consists of topical and oral antifungal medications along with essential hygiene tips to prevent recurrence. Let our professional care help you achieve healthy, fungus-free feet within a few weeks.
Corns and Calluses
Wearing ill-fitting shoes is the primary reason you might develop painful, thick buildups of hardened skin. Our podiatrists safely remove hardened skin through careful trimming of corns and calluses. This is something you should never attempt to do at home, since you could cut yourself, which may cause infections and further complications. Trust our qualified team to ensure your feet stay healthy and pain-free.
Dry, Cracked Skin
This condition is not only uncomfortable but also creates deep fissures that bleed or become infected if left untreated. Why might you struggle with dry, cracked skin? One reason is the soles of your feet don’t have sebaceous glands to produce sebum, a protective skin coating. So when your feet are irritated by a medical condition, a product such as soap, or exposed to harsh weather, the skin becomes more dry, flaky, and itchy.
If home remedies don’t provide relief, we’ll perform a complete health examination to determine the cause of your dry skin. Then, we'll recommend solutions such as medicated bandages, special lotions, and other treatment and preventative approaches.
Ingrown Toenails
An ingrown toenail occurs when the edge of your nail grows into the surrounding skin, leading to redness, tenderness, pain, and, in some cases, infection. You might also notice “proud flesh”, which is excessive skin tissue covering the nail that’s often sensitive to touch. Common risk factors include wearing narrow-toed shoes or rounding your toenails instead of cutting them straight across.
Our treatment not only alleviates ingrown toenails but also helps prevent them from recurring. In most cases, we’ll remove the embedded nail and prescribe topical or oral medication to treat infection. In rare circumstances, we might have to remove the nail completely. People who have diabetes or other underlying health conditions should always seek treatment right away for an ingrown toenail to avoid further complications.
Fungal Nail Infections
Another highly contagious and chronic infection is onychomycosis, which affects the nail matrix and causes discolored, thick, brittle, or crumbly toenails. Not only are they unsightly and embarrassing, but they can also be painful. Because this fungal problem lurks beneath the surface of your nails, it’s notoriously hard to cure with retail topical products, despite their claims.
Nail fungus spreads to other toes if not treated promptly by a foot doctor. Some therapies we use at Clover Podiatry include oral antifungal medication and laser treatments, which help prompt new cellular development within the nail matrix. While this takes several months to achieve, you’ll have healthy, attractive nails once again.
Plantar Warts
Plantar warts are caused by a strain of the human papillomavirus, specifically types 1, 2, 4, 60, and 63. They form in the skin's outer layer, resulting in hard, grainy, or fleshy growths. These warts often appear on children’s feet but can affect people of all ages and are especially painful when they develop on weight-bearing areas of the feet. Without professional treatment, plantar warts can persist for years.
At Clover Podiatry, we often rely on Swift therapy to treat a plantar wart. This treatment aligns with your body’s natural immune cycle to destroy the wart and stop the virus. It’s what we call a “sock off–sock on” treatment: limited debridement, no breaking of the skin, no bandages.
Wounds
Ulcers are open sores that typically occur after injury or infection. However, individuals managing symptoms of diabetes might suffer foot wounds more frequently due to problems with circulation, nerve damage or neuropathy, or unregulated blood sugar levels. If left untreated, ulcers can cause severe health issues.
Our skilled team at Clover Podiatry is experienced in wound care services to help you avoid amputation and other wound-related complications. We provide the comprehensive care necessary for your long-term health and well-being, including innovative treatment options such as UltraMIST wound therapy.