Why foot embarrassment shouldn’t stop you seeing a podiatrist

Are you embarrassed by your feet?

If so, you’re not alone. In a survey by Scholl, around a third of people in the UK admitted to being embarrassed about their feet.

As foot care specialists, we often have patients apologising for the state of their feet.

Common reasons include:

• Fungal infections
• Sweaty or smelly feet
• Hard, cracked or scaly skin
• Deformed or misshapen feet
• Thick, brittle or ingrown toenails.

But there’s never any need to apologise. We see and treat these conditions all the time. It’s our job, it’s what we’re trained for, and we genuinely only want to help.

Foot conditions are common

In the UK, 87% of people have experienced at least one foot condition in their lifetime.

Some conditions make it painful to stand on your feet and walk around. And many conditions will only get worse if you don’t get them treated.

We asked our social networks if they’d ever been embarrassed to see a podiatrist and what happened when they finally did. Here’s what they told us.

Embarrassed by hard skin

“Many moons ago, I used a podiatrist to remove hard skin. I’d done the usual and tried to do it myself, but I knew I was wasting my time. To have it done properly and for my feet to feel better, I reluctantly booked an appointment.

The podiatrist was fab and had seen many a foot with hard skin on it. He took the time to explain what he was going to do — and why — and what aftercare I could do myself.”

 

Corns and hard skin are incredibly common and our foot care specialists see them regularly.

It’s important to get these issues dealt with properly. If they’re left untreated they can crack, creating an open sore that’s painful to walk on and could become infected. Similarly, untreated cracks in your heels can deepen over time and may even start to bleed.

Being proactive and visiting the podiatry clinic will keep hard skin under control, so your feet stay soft and healthy.

Self-inflicted toenail pain

“I have a tendency to cut, pick and rip my toenails extremely short, which often leads to problems. I finally decided to see a podiatrist when the pain got too much.

The podiatrist wasn’t fazed at all by my toenails and provided the treatment I needed.

If you’re suffering with a foot problem, don’t be embarrassed to see a podiatrist. They are there to help you and will have seen much worse.”

 

Cutting your own toenails can be awkward and difficult. It’s easy to cut them too short, even if you don’t mean to. But this can result in pain and may leave nails open to infection.

Our foot care specialists see all kinds of toenails. But we always look at them without judgement and with a view to making them better.

Ashamed of worsening fungal infections

“I’d had athlete’s foot for ages, but didn’t do anything about it. I hoped it would just go away, but it got worse and spread to my toenails, causing a fungal nail infection.

My feet looked ugly and smelled disgusting. I was too ashamed to see a doctor, so I tried all the home remedies and over-the-counter treatments, but nothing worked.

Eventually a friend convinced me to see a podiatrist. The podiatrist told me she saw fungal infections like mine all the time and there was no need to feel embarrassed.

Since I got the professional treatment I needed, my infections have cleared up and haven’t come back. I just wish I’d seen the podiatrist sooner.”

 

Fungal infections, like athlete’s foot, can be itchy, sore and smelly. But podiatrists understand that, and it really doesn’t bother us. We’d much rather you come to us and let us treat them for you.

The problem is, these issues don’t clear up on their own. Without treatment, they can spread to other areas of your foot — and to other people, through contact with infected surfaces.

If you have a fungal infection, seeing a podiatrist is one of the most sensible things you can do. We can help you get the infection under control and prevent it from spreading further.

Disabled by bunion pain

“I have bunions on both feet that were causing sharp pain when I walked.

I’d always hated my wide feet and would try to hide them by squeezing them into fashionable shoes that were too tight. I thought this had probably caused my bunions and was scared a podiatrist would blame me.

When the pain got so bad, I couldn’t walk, I realised I had to make an appointment.

Turns out I needn’t have worried. The podiatrist didn’t blame me, he just wanted to make me more comfortable. He recommended better footwear, prescribed custom shoe inserts for the pain and will refer me for surgery if needed.”

 

It’s estimated that around 14 million people in the UK suffer with bunions and 10 million are women.

In a survey, 76% of UK women with bunions said they were embarrassed by their feet.

If you’re suffering with a bunion, please don’t let fear or embarrassment stop you from getting the help you need.

A podiatrist isn’t interested in judging feet or placing blame. We only want to help relieve your pain and, if it’s appropriate, recommend options for treatment.

Persistent ingrowing toenail

“I had an ingrowing toenail for 30 years and always took care of it myself by digging out the ingrown portion. I knew this wasn’t sensible, but it always seemed preferable to showing my horrible feet to a stranger.

The last time the nail started to grow into my skin, I couldn’t reach my foot to pull it out and it started to get painful. That’s when I had to go to a podiatrist.

At the appointment, I was more relieved than embarrassed. The podiatrist removed the ingrown part of my toenail and treated it so it wouldn’t grow back. I didn’t even know that was possible! If I had, I would definitely have had it done sooner.”

 

If your toenail starts growing into your skin, there’s a risk it could break the skin and cause an infection. Trying to dig the nail out yourself could also cause an infection, by introducing bacteria.

Podiatrists deal with ingrowing toenails all the time and have seen them at every stage. From the point where they’re starting to cause pain, to the point where they’ve become red, swollen and infected. We also see a lot of DIY removals that haven’t gone to plan.

If you’re suffering with an ingrowing toenail, we can deal with it safely and may even be able to stop the ingrowing part of the nail from growing back.

Book a podiatry appointment at Hatt Clinic

If you have a foot issue or would like to learn more about the benefits of professional foot care, our expert foot care specialists can help.

We offer podiatry at all three of our clinics, in Devizes, Frome and Marlborough.

To book an appointment online, visit our online booking page and select initial chiropody/podiatry from the menu.

Alternatively, you can email us at: enquiries@hattclinic.co.uk

Or call your nearest clinic:

Devizes: 01380 730473

Frome: 01672 516580

Marlborough: 01373 452604