I've had the pleasure of meeting a couple that are 8 months pregnant and provided ingrown toenail care for her. They were driving around on a Saturday and seen on Google that I was open, they knocked on my door and I was open that Saturday. I welcomed them in and started my assessment and a treatment plan. The toenail was thick and needed to be cleaned. She was told a month ago to have epsom salt soaks from her maternity doctor although there was much more needed. The nail was growing into the side of her nail instead of laterally. The more the nail grows into the side of the skin, the more swelling, redness, warmth, discharge, pain, and discomfort we will see. If these symptoms above are all present at the time of an assessment, we want a physician follow up appointment ASAP, especially if this has been ongoing for a month. Their is a high chance of infection and we do not want to wait any longer, as an infection that has been in your system can turn into sepsis (the infection is now in our blood and is life threatening). What does a foot care nurse do? Assess, reduce any pain as best as we can (we can care for the nail although we are not able to remove any nail that is deep into the tissue). Cleanse, trim, file, reduce thickness, nail correction band for pain relief, physician follow up appointment. 
This was an appointment that really stuck out to me last weekend and I am happy I was able to provide care for this growing family.

Thank you for reading,

-nurse nicki

When a client texts me and says "I think I have an ingrown toenail. my toe is sore, red, swollen, and painful." I try my best to fit clients into a service the next day to help relieve the pain, assess what is currently going on, as having ingrown toenails is never fun.
What I want to do is decrease the amount of pressure that is currently applied to the skin from the nail. As well as assess to see if there is any nail that is currently still present if they or someone else attempted to remove it themselves. Remember, when we are dealing with ingrown toenails we want to not use tools that have not been autoclaved as there is a high risk for infection.
A non surgical treatment I can provide is Onyfix, this is a composite that we harden onto the nail with a blue light. It relieves the pressure immediately and guides the nail to grow properly up and not into the skin. It's a great solution and with it not being invasive, bonus and another bonus!

 Happy Friday!

Talk soon,

Nicki Gigolyk

Well everyone, it's that time of year where we are finally able to find our sandals, slip them on, and enjoy the heat of the sun outside. The thing is, once we find our sandals, we get excited, then we look at our feet and think "awe man, I need to get my toenails done". The longer we put off an appointment for our feet and nails, the longer we feel uncomfortable about the fact that we haven't taken the time to provide ourselves with the foot care we deserve. The nice thing about KC Medical is clients have the freedom to book foot care appointments online. It's a phone call away, a text away, an email away, or a do it myself booking an appointment now online kind of way. With the CompanyOn App, you have the flexibility to book an appointment that fits for your schedule. Here is the link: https://kcmedical.companyon.app/dashboard

If you have any questions, feel free to direct message me on instagram @nurse.nicki.kcmedical or whichever way you choose!

Take care and enjoy the sun!

Nurse Nicki
KC Medical
+778-871-5880
[email protected]
​www.kcmedicalskincare.com

Having fungus in one toe nail can spread to other toe nails, which can spread into the skin on your feet. This is called athletes foot. The best thing to do is to treat nail fungus as soon as you notice a change in the nails. Look out for nails that are: Discoloured. Thickened. Brittle/crumbly/ragged, misshapen, and/or smelly.

Dry and fragile skin is at a higher risk for sores and injury. Wearing protective socks, shoes, and/or slippers can help prevent injury to the skin and add a preventative measure, protecting our feet. If you are diabetic, check your feet daily and assess for any new open cuts or sores.

Thick nails are difficult to cut, can catch on socks, leave raged edges, are uncomfortable, and may lead to others wanting to hide their nails. Its common for many people to have difficulty trimming their own nails. This can be due to the inability to bend down and reach, not taking the time for self care, or having loved ones rescheduling nail trimming day due to life and all its chaos. Having the nails filed down, trimmed, and cared for helps the appearance & overall health of the nails. 

Thats all for now, talk soon!

KC Medical

As we age, we want to maintain our independence with living a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to foot care, the numbers show three out of four people develop serious foot problems, that is a large number of people. By maintaining our foot health we are taking care of our bodies overall health. When you think about our feet, what do they do for us? The first thing that comes to my mind, is our feet help us balance. If we have pain, abnormal growth, overlapping toes, fallen arches, long toe nails, ingrown toe nails, these are some factors that can cause discomfort and affect our balance. With balance, we are helping our body from having unnecessary falls. Foot Care Nurses are here to use their knowledge and create a care plan for those in their care, for preventative measures and continuation of care. We want clients to be active for as long as they possibly can. Walking is a form of exercise that keeps our body strong and maintains our heart health. Having regular foot care appointments every 6-8 weeks allows nurses to assess for diabetic foot complications, arthritis concerns, any nerve damage or poor blood circulation. Having healthy feet and healthy nails gives us the confidence and independence to continue to enjoy our daily activities. There are many foot problems that we can avoid.
• Check your feet daily or have a care provider or loved one do so. Take the time to look for cuts, blisters, bruises, sores, infected toenails or swelling. 
• A lot of people do not know that nurses do not soak feet during foot care appointments as there is a potential risk for a cut or injury to the skin, as we use rotary tools, trimmers, and files. With skin that is pruned there is a higher risk for injury.
• Clean feet daily and dry your feet and between your toes.
• The best feeling after a foot care services is how soft and smooth they feel. Maintain this at home by using unscented cream on the tops and bottoms of your feet. Be sure to wipe off any extra cream and try your best to not apply in between the toes.
• Lastly, spend some money on a nice pair of comfortable shoes that work for your feet. Costco has comfortable Adidas they sell for $50.00, buying a few pairs and rotating pairs each day allows your other shoes to dry and air out. Many people have foot problems due to improper sizing, support or grip. Be sure to wear a clean set of socks daily, avoid socks with tight elastics, and find a pair that are breathable to your feet.

We look forward to your appointment with us!