General Nail Care
Maintain comfort and nail health with General Nail Care, ideal for those with thickened or difficult-to-manage nails caused by long-standing fungal infections. While not a treatment for fungal infection itself, this service helps keep your nails comfortable, neat, and easier to manage through professional trimming, thinning, and debridement.
What Does General Nail Care Involve?
Our podiatrists start by meticulously thinning down affected nails with specialised drills, addressing pathologies such as involuted nails. We then carefully remove segments of nails that may cause pain or discomfort. Finally, we round off the free nail edge to enhance both appearance and comfort.
Who Can Benefit from General Nail Care?
General nail care is recommended for individuals struggling to self-manage their nails, providing relief for walking and wearing shoes. Our flexible approach allows for ongoing care tailored to your specific needs.
How do I get diagnosed?
Your diagnosis takes place during a consultation with our Foot Foundation clinician. They will take a thorough medical history, consider your risk factors, complete a comprehensive physical examination and use a Diafactory fungal nail test to correctly diagnose your fungal infection. Diafactory fungal nail tests involve taking a clipping of your toenail, taking photos of your infected nails and measuring the line of fungal growth from the base of the nail so we can monitor your treatment over time.
Once a correct diagnosis has been made, your Foot Foundation clinician will discuss the most appropriate treatment protocol with you and answer any questions that you may have.
How often do I need to have my feet attended to?
If you are undertaking one of our other treatments, we recommend attending our clinic every 8-10 weeks over the course of 12 months to get the best outcome.
If you wish to choose to attend our clinic for general nail care only, you can attend as little or as often as you like. For thickened fungal nails that are difficult to cut, we recommend that you attend every 8-10 weeks. However, other clients may wish to attend less frequently or only attend when they are unable to self-manage their nails; this maybe once every 6 months or yearly.
Your clinician will recommend how often you should attend a general nail appointment during your initial consultation.
What are the disadvantages of only having general nail care aka not undergoing formal treatment?
Over time, an ignored infection will progress (slowly) but will become more difficult to treat as the infection progresses throughout the nail and nail bed.
More commonly, a progressed infection may lead to the nails becoming thicker making them difficult to cut, being painful to walk on or wear shoes.
Serious complications are rare and unlikely, however in certain high risk population groups (such as diabetes and immunocompromised clients), if an infection causes a break in the surrounding skin, this can lead to an entry point for bacteria, potentially leading to foot ulcers, osteomyelitis, cellulitis and gangrene.
General Nail Care – FAQs
Our podiatrists begin by carefully thinning down thickened or damaged nails using professional podiatry drills. If parts of your nails are curling inward or causing pressure, these sections are precisely trimmed or removed. Finally, we smooth and round the edges to restore a natural, comfortable finish and prevent future discomfort.
No — treatments are performed gently and with clinical precision. Most patients experience immediate relief, especially if they’ve had discomfort from thickened or involuted nails. If sensitivity is a concern, your podiatrist can adjust the treatment approach to ensure your comfort.
General nail care is ideal for anyone who finds it difficult or uncomfortable to trim their own toenails — including older adults, people with thick or curved nails, or those with limited mobility. It’s also suitable for maintaining nail health between more specific treatments like ingrown toenail procedures.
For best results, we recommend visiting every 8–10 weeks to keep your nails healthy and prevent issues from recurring. However, your podiatrist will tailor a schedule to suit your needs — some patients come more frequently, others less often.
Absolutely. Many patients combine general nail care with other podiatry treatments such as fungal nail therapy or ingrown toenail correction. Your clinician will assess your feet and suggest the most effective treatment plan.
Yes. Beyond comfort, our general nail care service also enhances the appearance of your nails. After thinning, reshaping, and smoothing, your nails will look cleaner, healthier, and more natural.
No referral is required. You can book directly with our team at any of our clinics for your convenience.
General Nail Care is available at all Ingrown Toenail Solutions and Foot Foundation clinics across:
- Botany
- Remuera
- Smales Farm
- Rosedale
- Hamilton
- Tauranga
Book Your General Nail Care Appointment Today
Our clinicians are experienced in managing advanced fungal nails that have become thick, discoloured, or painful to self-treat. Using specialist tools, we carefully thin, trim, and smooth the nails to relieve pressure, improve comfort in shoes, and enhance their appearance.
General Nail Care can be provided alongside topical, oral, or laser treatments for fungal infections—or as a standalone maintenance option for those who prefer regular professional care.
We recommend visits every 8–10 weeks, depending on your nail condition and comfort level. For ongoing management, your clinician will suggest the most suitable schedule during your consultation.
Available at Pinehill, Smales Farm, Remuera, Botany, Hamilton, and Tauranga.
