question about pedicures.
 

Okay before everyone starts in on me (guys and ladies included) let me first say that... I'm not one of those guys that wears pink b/c "I'm secure with myself", I'm secure enough to know that I DON'T have to wear pink to pretend. I also don't buy $6 lattes at Starbucks, hell I don't even drink coffee. I am confident in my 'man hood' but maybe not confident enough to get a pedicure.

Here's the deal, I have a spot on my left foot, on the bottom towards the outside by my pinky toe (the ball of my foot). I think I somehow got a splinter in it, don't ask me how b/c I always have on shoes. Anyway, I can't seem to get it out and now I it's kinda deep. I now have this hard lump of callused skin over it (which sucks b/c I have soft... but manly feet;) j/k). It's starting to bother me, not so much the callus, but the feeling of something poking me. The problem is that I have my half marathon in less than a month and the more I walk, the more it bothers me. Should I get a pedicure so they can soak my feet and shave down the callus in hopes of removing it, or getting the splinter close enough so I can dig it out, or just suck it up and be a man and do the 1/2 marathon with it still in me?

Cliff Notes: I have a spliter should I get a pedicure to try to remove it or no?

oh this was post 1111 for me.

Ok my gut feeling and I could be wrong is that you might not have a splinter. You might have a plantar's wart. And while pedicures can be very pleasant, nail shops or beauty salons are probably not the places you want to go to get even a splinter removed. Standards of cleanliness vary wildly and I can tell you from experience that even in the cleanest of them, fungal and other infections are very common in these places (please take it from me.) And believe me, you don't need a foot infection on top of anything else.

My advice? Go to a podiatrist, my friend. Ask around, find someone's who's good and go. No mattter what it is, they are the ones to treat it.

Planter's wart was my first thought as well. If you have Chiropodists down there one should be able to help. It can take some time to get rid of it.

As much as I hate going to the doctor, a podiatrist might be the answer.

Though, if it were me, I'd probably throw some salicylic acid at it and cover it with a bandaid for a few days to a week, then dig out whatever foreign object is in there with a sharp knife, be it splinter or the core of a plantar's wart (and those things to suck big time).

Just MHO.

Regards,
Michael

I just thought that it was a splinter b/c before it got too deep I could see it and it looked like one. I have a good podiatrist that I've used in the past for plantar fasciitis, but I didn't think this was serious enough to go to a doctor for.

on edit: I just looked up pics of planter warts and they look nothing like what I have.

Honestly I cannot diagnose properly
a) not having having seen your soft but manly foot
b) not being medical personnel

but I have defitinitely had plantar's warts that looked like they have a dark thing in the center. But even a deep splinter can be tough and since you are running a half marathon and have a good podiatrist to boot (pardon the bad pun) I say go to that person and have him/her check it out.

Keep us posted on how it turns out and what you do.

Soak your foot in some epsom salts and see if you can dig that lil bugger out-you really don't want some dang splinter messing up your training & race

Plantar wart or splinter, I'd agree the podiatrist is a better choice. Would you take your dog to a groomer for a medical issue? An epsom salt soak at home followed by a callous stone might get you a better look at the thing, and you can pick both up at the drugstore.

You might want to try one of those "disc" products that have the acid in them. They work really well to kill the top layer of skin painlessly. It might actually be a corn, either way the discs really work, and for me they are faster than the paint-on stinky stuff.

hell no, that's my dogs, I treat them better than I do myself. I have a callous stone. I'll probably check to see which podiatrists are on my insurance now (damn insurance companies ;)), and try to schedule an appointment tomorrow... if I can remember.

I called my PCP, I'm waiting on the referral... so I called the podiatrist and scheduled for Monday morning.

Good. Glad you did this. Let us know.

Good posts Lizzy and Almeeker.

You too honey. I still think maybe Mike should get a pedicure, red maybe?

red is not my color!:p

Actually a pedicure isn't a bad idea anyway
 

Ya gotta treat the feet when you are a runner

PS you can skip the paint, although a nice French polish might work on the Manly-man!

Pam,

rofl... I'm no runner, I wish I could run a 1/2 mile, but I am a damn good walker. :D

I will say this, if I don't finish the 1/2 marathon, I'll paint my toes and post a pic. Don't count on seeing my face in the pic though, but you'll see the hairy legs and know it's me.:eek:

Everyone walks before they can run!
 

but I betting we won't be seeing any hairy legs with painted toes :D

Oh good grief, don't tell me you're one of those "frosty pink" men :rolleyes:!

pffft whatever... more like mauve.

Our neighbor man is a very nice but somewhat odd duck. He paints his silver, with a hint of blue. How manly is that?

manly, no... odd, indeed!:D

update:
 

I went to the doctor, he said it's not a splinter and it's not a wart. He said it's a clogged sweat gland due to the pressure I'm putting on that toe.

Michael was right, even though it's not a wart, they gave (*cough*cough* SOLD) me a wart stick, which looks like chap stick but cost $15. BTW it's just Salicylic acid.

He said this will probably be reoccuring. grrr I go back next week for a $follow up$.

It's good that you know what it is. I'm sure that stick is less messy than the liquid and a bandaid (those cord removers w/pad work well, too w/o quite so much mess but more expensive). That should burn the skin off so you can excise it in a few day.

Regards,
Michael

more expensive? Today cost me $75 plus I have to go back next week. :(

The stinky paint on stuff is like $3-5 depending on what brand you get, but you can paint it on everyday for a year. The package of sticky pads is like $5-7 and there are maybe 12 applications in it. Have you considered getting some different running shoes, for just a little more than $75 you can get a half way decent pair.

I thought about shoes but I'm not going to change shoes this close to the race. After I finish the race I'll get some shoes. Thanks for the tips.

If you're not familiar with a product called mole skin, I highly recommend that. It's in with the Dr Sholl's stuff, and it's a fabric-like sticky backed thing you can cut to fit and put over blisters and such. It was my dear friend back when I was a crazy teenager wearing combat boots and braving survival schools with miles and miles of hiking involved.

thanks Lizzy. :)

My friend Greg is a professional travel writer. He gets paid to go on adventure trips and write about it. How sweet is it? Sometimes his jobs are a bit different than the usual trek through Nepal. He got comped to go to Canyon Ranch spa in California and they offered him a free pedicure including polish. Greg got the Mets symbol painted on his big toe. So how about a team logo? Manly enough?

Hope,

If the Saints were in the Superbowl that would be VERY manly.

Okay, today I had my one week follow up and it looks good. I hope the problem doesn't return. The doctor did suggest a light pink for my nails. j/k;)