You’ve had your unsightly foot condition for so long, you’ve gotten used to the limitations it has put on you. You never take off your shoes or socks in front of others, and you dread going to the pool or beach. You have painted your toenails with every possible fungal polish, but they still just crumble away—and the bottoms of your feet might be cracked and discolored for the rest of your life.
At Coastal Podiatry Associates, our treatments allow patients to take pride in their feet for the first time in years. We take an aggressive approach to stubborn foot, skin, and toenail problems, helping patients go barefoot without risking further damage.
Our South Carolina Foot Doctors Can Help You Kick Chronic Conditions for Good
Many people who come to us for treatment of a foot or nail problem have been suffering through their conditions for years, using over-the-counter treatments to fight off symptoms for the short term. Our podiatry team examines the condition carefully to determine why it keeps coming back and creates a care plan to reduce risk factors and make lasting changes to prevent the condition from coming back.
We can help you get immediate and long-lasting relief for a variety of skin and nail problems, including:
Ingrown toenails
Ingrown toenails may start out as a small annoyance, but they can become a real problem if left untreated. A tiny segment of the toenail can become embedded in the skin around the nail, causing pain, swelling, and redness—and if the skin breaks, bacteria can enter the wound and cause an infection. The earlier the condition is treated, the less invasive the procedure will be. Our doctors can help loosen the troublesome part of the nail and allow it to grow out naturally, prescribe antibiotics to manage the infection or perform outpatient surgery to remove severely ingrown nails.
Toenail Fungus
Onychomycosis, or toenail fungus infection of the toenails, causes nails to thicken, discolor, crumble, and disfigure. In addition to being unpleasant to look at, onychomycosis can cause physical injury if the thickened nails force the toes to press against the inside of the shoes. We provide many different types of treatments for yellowed, thickening, or split toenails, including anti-fungal medications and lifestyle changes to allow healthy nails to regrow.
Athlete's foot
Fungus can also grow on the skin of the foot, thriving in the warm, moist areas between the toes. This condition is known as athlete’s foot and causes an itchy rash, skin sensitivity, and discolored, peeling skin. The longer athlete’s foot is allowed to progress, the more likely it is that patients will suffer bacterial infections due to large cracks in the skin. A serious case of athlete’s foot can develop into a rash known as “moccasin foot,” which covers the soles in extremely scaly, thick, and rough skin. Early treatment is most effective for this condition, but our podiatrists can alleviate the painful symptoms of even the most stubborn athlete’s foot.
Plantar warts
Viruses can invade the body through the skin breaks on the bottom of the feet, causing benign growths called plantar warts. The virus is often contracted on wet public floors, such as locker rooms and swimming pool areas. These growths can appear on the sole, heel, or ball of the foot, and most are gray, brown, or yellow with dark pinpoints. If they are left untreated, plantar warts can grow up to an inch in circumference, causing a change in walking gait or posture that results in leg or back pain. We get to the root of the problem to stop warts from growing and correct any ill effects the warts have caused.
Skin deformities
Skin deformities like corns, calluses, and blisters can all develop due to friction from ill-fitting shoes, and all can potentially cause body-wide problems. Corns that develop on the top, sides, or ends of the toes can cause pain and swelling that makes it difficult for patients to walk normally. A blister can break and lead to infection that spreads throughout the body, while calluses can build toughened skin over an existing foot injury, making it more difficult to treat. Our podiatrists can trim calluses, remove corns, and treat skin infections and can also recommend orthotics and proper footwear to prevent further foot deformities.
The doctors at Coastal Podiatry Associates take great pride in providing long-lasting results for even the most stubborn conditions. If you are tired of treating a painful or unsightly foot condition, we can help you find the cure once and for all. Simply fill out our online contact form to make an appointment at the South Carolina podiatry office nearest you!