There are two or three different ways to give your feet a little love, care and attention. The first is to visit a nail bar and get a nice pedicure. The second is to have a professional chiropodist or podiatrist take a look at them.

Beauchamp Foot Care is one of the few places where you can get everything together in one place, including our fabulous and comprehensive medical pedicures. Our chiropody treatments will not only make sure your feet look superb but that they’re in tip top condition as well.

Or, of course, you can do it all yourself – a quick soak and some soothing foot balm can work wonders at the end of the day. Most of us can spot a problem with our feet, fewer of us know what to do if we think we have one. That’s why a visit to a qualified podiatrist makes sense.

Nail bars are generally good for cosmetic purposes. If you want a relaxing foot massage, a pedicure or a nice new nail colour then they are often perfectly adequate and many people use them regularly. When you go to a podiatrist, however, you are looking at a much higher level of foot care, delivered by a medically qualified practitioner who has spent years training and has been involved in clinical practice. Podiatrists and chiropodists provide a full range of services that can also include everything a nail bar provides but much more.

Podiatrists and chiropodists have a professional duty of care to provide high hygiene standards, especially important when they are dealing with conditions such as athlete’s foot and other fungal infections. They also use specialist medical equipment that they have been trained to handle which is not normally available to nail technicians and beauty therapists. And when suitably qualified, as in the case of Beauchamp Foot Care, can even prescribe certain medications such as antibiotics.

While nail bars offer a purely cosmetic procedure, you’ll be able to get a proper health check and advice about your feet when you visit a podiatrist. This not only includes tips for best maintaining your feet but can also highlight potential problems that need to be addressed. Fungal nail infections, verrucae and calluses are all conditions that need proper medical attention. Because these professionals are used to dealing with conditions like this, you can be sure that all the medical equipment is properly sterilised and fit to be used for the purpose.

If you have a condition such as diabetes it is important that you seek specialist advice from a medical practitioner such as your doctor or a podiatrist. Even if you are considering getting a simple pedicure you might like to consider someone medically qualified to do it for you. The reason for this is that diabetes is a condition that requires careful management and can, in particular, affect the feet.

Podiatrists have far more strings to their foot care bow than nail bar technicians as you might expect. They can advise on suitable footwear, not only for everyday situations but also for sports men and women. If you are undertaking a particular sporting event such as a marathon, regular check-ups to maintain your foot health are just as important as the training. In the short term, a visit to a nail technician is perfectly okay but there is a limit to what they can do. If you want a more intensive level of foot care, it is always much wiser to seek out the skills of a qualified chiropodist or podiatrist.

For more information or to book an appointment call us on 020 7225 0794 or use our contact form.