Medical Pedicures

The remedies mentioned here only address the issue of rough heels. Whatever you do, don't let a nail tech use a razor or a scalpel to scrape them down; that just triggers a cycle where the skin grows back thicker and eventually cracks.
In most high-end salons, they've already moved away from that practice anyway.

Honestly, you can just deal with the rough patches at home using a foot file. I prefer doing mine dry because it gives me better tactile feedback on when the skin is smooth enough. I use one of those black oval files with a handle—one coarse side and one fine side—and you’re done in five minutes.
The real key is staying on top of hydration. I'd recommend grabbing any decent foot cream containing urea. Just apply a thin layer to your feet and toes before bed at least twice a week.

Give it a shot. :-)

Does anyone happen to have any leads on a reliable medical pedicure service in NYC, and I mean actually trustworthy information because I feel like I've scoured every corner of the internet already? I'm looking for someone for my mom since she's dealing with some pretty nasty foot issues and her current specialist is finally retiring.

Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue. I’m not sure how high-end you need to go, but my mom went there about 8 months ago for a medical pedicure. She was actually really happy with the results...

Melissa Sanchez8 said:Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue. I’m not sure how high-end you need to go, but my mom went there about 8 months ago for a medical pedicure. She was actually really happy with the results...

I actually thanked her because I had mentioned him to her based on these posts, but she told me she's never going back there because she ended up getting a really nasty fungal infection from them. :/

I don't know, everything I've read about them sounds great, but honestly, I feel like you can't ever be 100% sure when it comes to infections...
Maybe it would be worth looking for a mobile manicurist who can just come straight to her house? That way she’d have much better control over the environment.
Does her current nail tech not have any recommendations for someone else?

They

http://foothealth.com/

are pretty decent 🙂

they actually fixed my nails using those little clips 🙂

and they pull all their tools straight out of the sterilizer every single time

There’s this veteran nail technician who is actually one of the most legendary old-school pedicurists around, though she works right out of her house now because she's slowing down with age, and honestly, you won't find anyone giving her a recommendation because she belongs to that old guard that refuses to look beyond her own circle, which is just how she carries herself both personally and professionally.

Thanks a million, brisknomad6, I'll be sure to pass that along to her!

Maybe this might help someone out...

I’ve had the misfortune of needing medical pedicures over the last year, and I ended up trying three different places:
Medi Ped - They were okay; everything felt very professional, quite clean and sterile, and well-organized, with clients cycling through like they were on an assembly line. However, I can't say much about the actual quality of the medical pedicure itself because, when I visited them, they decided my situation was such that they simply advised me to wait until my nails fell out on their own before coming back...
My rating: 4 - 'sanitary/hygiene' standards, N/A for the med-pedicure

Washington Team - I am never setting foot in there again. It was due entirely to the incompetence of one of their technicians, who managed to create a massive problem out of thin air. The salon itself is quite posh and well-kept, the lady at the front desk is exceptionally lovely, and the conditions seem fairly sterile. But, personally, I think that particular technician should just quit the profession altogether. She is unskilled, rude, provides misinformation, and is completely disinterested and lacking any focus or dedication to her work. After her treatment, I developed an infection, and after an urgent checkup for that very infection, she failed to realize she had left a sharp shard of nail embedded in my toe, which caused inflammation and ultimately resulted in a painful ingrown nail. She just kept repeating like a parrot that everything was perfectly normal and expected. And it wasn't just that it wasn't normal, it was...
My rating: 5 - 'sanitary/hygiene' standards, 0 - med-pedicure

Foot Health - I went there based on a recommendation from this thread. Not specifically for the medical pedicure, but more for the sterility of the environment, as I was feeling a bit desperate after my experience with the Washington team. The technician there truly saved the day; she was actually shocked by what the previous woman had done to me and what she had left in my toe. As for expertise, client dedication, professionalism, and genuine care, I give her a straight five. As for the other details—like the decor of the space or the apparent sterility of the tools and disposables—I’d give those a 3. It isn't quite on par with Medi Ped or the Washington team. I didn't see her pull tools directly from a sterilizer, but I would still much rather return here, because the woman actually knows what she is doing. And she cares about her clients...
My rating: 3 - 'sanitary/hygiene' standards, 5 - med-pedicure

For years now, I’ve been heading over to see Winnie the Pooh at Mary Ann’s place—she really knows her stuff... I struggle with ingrown toenails, but she always manages to fix them up so perfectly that I can enjoy total peace and quiet for about three to four months before I even have to think about another appointment.

Sorry Angela Kelly11, but I honestly didn't notice anything messy over there. The pedicure area used to be in that other room—you know, the one that’s way nicer than this big space—but I always just head straight to the restroom and everything there is super clean. Plus, the sterilizer used to be right by the chair, so she'd pull the tools out of it every single time.

Anyway, I've been going there for a while now and I'm actually really happy with it 🙂

brisknomad6 said:Sorry Angela Kelly11, but I honestly didn't notice anything messy over there. The pedicure area used to be in that other room—you know, the one that’s way nicer than this big space—but I always just head straight to the restroom and everything there is super clean. Plus, the sterilizer used to be right by the chair, so she'd pull the tools out of it every single time.

Anyway, I've been going there for a while now and I'm actually really happy with it 🙂

I never actually said it was messy 😉.
And for what it's worth, I am satisfied too, because the woman is truly talented and highly skilled, just like I've mentioned before.
However, I did say that I have never once seen her pull equipment out of a sterilizer. Because I haven't. Not once. Maybe she pulled something sterile out just moments before I walked back in from the restroom... I really can't say for sure. But I haven't witnessed it.
Furthermore, I noticed that she doesn't even put a liner in the foot basin, which is something every other technician does. Even my "regular" nail tech at the salon on Fifth Avenue.
I honestly don't know how much weight these little details carry or if they even matter...
It certainly isn't stopping me from continuing to go there.
But if someone else considers these things vital, I figured I'd share the observation...