PODOLOGY.
The care of the foot as a specialty - not a service on a salon menu
I'm the only trained podologist practicing in Columbus, Ohio. My clients don't come to me for a pedicure. They come because something about their feet has been wrong for a long time, and no one has known what to do about it.
By Appointment Only | Columbus, Ohio
What Podology Is
Podology is practiced worldwide. It is barely known in the United States.
In most countries, podology is a recognized specialty - the preventative and restorative care of the feet, sitting between a cosmetic pedicure and podiatric medicine. In the U.S. there is no licensing category for it, so the training does not exist here. I got it anyway.
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14 years licensed in manicuring (California trained; California requires double the education Ohio does)
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Certified Master Pedicurist - the prerequisite course to podology
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Full podology curriculum through a Canadian school of podology: infection control, comprehensive foot and leg evaluation, skin and nail pathology, gait analysis, foot massage indications and contraindications
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Medical Assisting program
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Extended clinical observation inside a podiatrist's office - in-office surgeries, ultrasound-guided injections, diagnostic protocols, and treatment decision making
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LCN certified in toenail reconstruction
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B/S Spange certified to reshape ingrown and involuted nails - not the acrylic imitation currently being sold in salons
Legally, in the state of Ohio, I hold a manicurist license and operate a nail salon. That is the only license category that exists for what I do. Everything above that floor is training I chose to get so that my clients don't have to wonder whether they're in expert hands.
Who This is For
You probably found me because a regular pedicure isn't working for you anymore.
Most of my clients arrive one of three ways
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They had a bad experience at a nail salon - pain, injury, a nail that never grew back right, an infection nobody warned them about - and they stopped going. Then, eventually, they went looking for someone different.
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They Googled medical pedicure after hearing the term somewhere
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They have a specific problem no salon has been able to fix, a corn that salons don't reach, calluses that keep coming back, cracked skin, a discolored or crumbling nail, peeling skin, ingrown nail pain, or foot problems you are embarrased to show anyone.
If any of that sound like you, you are exactly who I built this practice for.
Most clients book The Full Podology Appointment. If you're coming specifically for skin - no nail concerns, just relaxation and results for the skin - The Podology Skin Treatment is built for you.
What Makes This Different
The things nobody else is doing
This is not a longer, fancier pedicure. It is a different category of appointment. Every item below is standard in my practice.
Documentation and follow-through
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HIPPA-compliant charting on every client -notes, product history, treatment plan
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Measured photographic progress tracking, so we can see whether you are benefiting from treatments and improving over time
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Before and after collages texted to you after every appointment so you can see exactly what changed
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Follow-up phone calls. Not to sell you anything - to ask you how your feet are doing and whether anything about the service could be better
Health Screening and Referral Partnerships
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Full foot and health history review at every visit
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Direct partnerships with therapeutic shoe stores and local podiatrist for the cases I identify as needing medical intervention
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When I refer you out, we will discuss possible treatment options. You will leave with a written script of what to say when you make the appointment so yo get the right treatment, not a general work-up
Home care that is actually part of the treatment
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Every client leaves with a home care protocol customized to what I found during the appointment
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Products are demonstrated on you during the appointment
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Reminder texts are programmed into an automated system to send messages each day to remind you of what product to use and when
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Your progress in monitored at each visit. If it isn't working, we adjust - or I send you to the doctor with notes on what we tried and why.
The treatment room itself
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No soaking bowls. Foot baths have been traced to roughly 80% of salon acquired infections, and they are a genuine injury risk for anyone with diabetes or circulation issues
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Every product used in this practice is diabetic safe - the gold standard of safety, meaning it is also safe for cancer patients, autoimmune patients, allergy sufferers, and pregnancy
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Fragrance-free by policy, not by marketing. I have clients who cannot tolerate anything else. (I have a couple of products I have not been able to find fragrance free alternatives for so please tell me if you have concerns so I can adjust)
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Every polish here is hypoallergenic and air dries in 5 minutes. No UV lamp, no gel, no soak-off removal. More chip-resistant than regular polish, and fully dry by the time you put your shoes on. If you come in with gel on your toes, I'll remove it once and switch you over.
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Your shoes are sprayed with disinfectant and warmed on a shoe dryer during your service. You leave in clean, warm shoes.
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Chair position, lighting, music, and optional blanket are all yours to adjust. You can nap. You can bring one person. Nobody else is in the room.
Sterilization and Disinfection
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Every tool goes through enzyme soak, ultrasonic cleaning, manual scrub, measured disinfectant immersion, rinse, sterilization pouch with indicator, and steam sterilization
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Autoclave function is laboratory tested every month
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Every drill is disassembled, disinfected inside and out, and reassembled between clients.
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Room, chair, bolsters, product bottles, and floors are disinfected between every appointment. The air is purified for an hour after each service.
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All this is done by a dedicated employee whose only job is sterilization, disinfection, and room turnover - over an hour of prep for every appointment
What I Refuse To Do
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I do not cut the sides of anyone's toenails.That is surgery. It requires a medical license, it makes the problem worse, and it is why so many "ingrown" nails come back.
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I do not aggressively trim live cuticle. Cutting live skin causes pain, infection, and worsening callus at the cuticle line - clients wince in silence and nail techs never learn. I reduce overgrown cuticle gently and conservatively.
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I do not put gel polish on toes
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I do not travel. Practicing manicuring outside a licensed, inspected facility is illegal in Ohio, and I don't cut corners on your feet.
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I do not offer tiered services or discount versions of my work. Every appointment is the full service, customized to you.
What I Specialize In
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Toenail Reconstruction - rebuilding damaged, broken, or fungal nails using a flexible product that moves with you foot.
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Ingrown Nail Pain - there are many causes of ingrown nail pain, most of which do not require surgery. I figure out what is causing your pain and treat it accordingly, including nail bracing to reshape the nail
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Corns and Calluses - Properly reduced and treated so they do not come back as quickly or dramatically. Most nail technicians cannot tell the difference between a corn, a callus, a skin infection, or a health condition. And they do not have the tools or techniques to address them.
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Diabetic and Sensitive Skin Care - every product I use is diabetic safe, cancer safe, autoimmune safe, low allergen, and safe for pregnancy
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Nail and Skin Conditions - discoloration, thickening, peeling, crumbling. I identify possible causes and solutions, track progress with photos, and refer to a podiatrist with notes if needed. Every service includes nail thinning if necessary
The Appointment
Two hours, One client. One practitioner.
You will almost never sit in my waiting room, because my calendar is buffered so I can be prepared and on time for every appointment.
On your first visit, I'll walk you past the sterilization laboratory and explain the three phase process before we go into the treatment room. Once you're in the chair, you decide the lighting, the music, whether the chair reclines, and whether you want a blanket. There is room for you to bring one guest with you.
We start with your health history and your feet. I walk you through what I see, what I recommend, and what our plan for the appointment is going to be. You'll hear me say this once and I mean it: if anything I do is uncomfortable, tell me. We don't do pain here. It's on me to adjust, not you to tolerate it.
You leave with clean, treated, polished feet, a home protocol, your reminder texts programmed, disinfected warm shoes, and your next appointment on the calendar if you want it.
Investment
The Podology Appointment - $350 - about 2 hours
The full appointment. Consultation, nail work, skin work, treatment of anything I find, polish if you want it, home protocol, next visit planning. This is what most clients book, and it's the appointment I'm known for.
The Podology Skin Treatment - $250 - about 1.25 hours.
A skin only appointment built around your skin type, not around your toenails. If your feet are dry, expect facial steam, oxygen infused serums, red light therapy and more. Your skin will have measurably more elasticity when I'm done. If your feet sweat, expect the opposite. Clay masks that draw out moisture, Epsom salt scrub, foam massage without oils. This is as close as your feet get to having a facial.
I don't offer basic or discounted versions of either service. Every appointment is the full appointment, customized to you.
If either number surprises you, I understand - and I may not be the right practitioner for you. That's okay. If they don't and this lines up with what you've been looking for, I'd like to meet you.
Our Clients Say
"My medical pedicure was the best pedicure I've ever had in my life. She was very gentle with my feet and she addressed all the problems that I had. She also gave me suggestions and advice on how to maintain my feet until my next appointment."
Angela McGriff, Columbus Podology Client