Filipina Nails | Christopher Bennetts

Expat Living In The Philippines

Welcome to my Living in the Philippines blog. I have been visiting the Philippines for more than twenty years and have spent almost five years living in different locations around the Philippines. I meet a lot of fellow expats and tourist many of whom seem to have a much distorted view on the Philippines and Filipinos as do many Filipinos have a distorted view of foreigners.

The one thing I have come to know is that people are fundamentally the same everywhere in the world. The problem is too many people focus on the small superficial differences blinding them to how much more we all have in common. I hope this blog of mine can help build bridges of understanding between Filipinos and non-Filipinos as well as providing an insight into what it’s really like to live here as an expat.

Christopher Bennetts

Posts Tagged ‘filipina nails’

Getting a Pedicure in the Philippines

Getting a pedicure in the Philippines is inexpensive compared to most western countries. The cost is typically between $1 to $2 and back home I have seen parlors wanting to charge up to $100. There are many very good pedicurists in the Philippines but there are also some that are not.

A word of caution about pedicure and manicure services in the Philippines

Many of the attendants working in these places only receive on the job training and some have a tendency to try to cut too deeply into the nail resulting in ongoing problems with ingrown nails. I suffered from this problem for a couple of years after a visit to such an overzealous pedicurist.

My advice is if you do NOT have a problem with an ingrown nail then make sure you do not let the attendant cut in too deeply. Find one that understands or will follow your instructions and do not be shy to insist. Watch what they do and don’t assume they have fully understood your request even if they clearly said they do. If the parlor caters for Koreans then there is a good chance they will know as Koreans generally demand that pedicurists do not cut into the nail.

Treatment for infected Grown Toe Nail

If you do get an infection as a result of a pedicure then the first line of defense is to apply an anti-biotic powder. I was able to buy this solution over the counter in the past but it seems to have been withdrawn from the market.

What the local parlor attendants do if during a pedicure they happen to cut inside the nail causing it to bleed is use a general antibiotic from a capsule. They simply open the capsule and then push the powder into the problem area. This normally prevents infection. Of course an attendant that causes your nail to bleed is one to be avoided in the future. If the nail starts to get infected later then you can do the same thing purchasing a generic antibiotic from a pharmacy and compact the power into the inflamed nail.

Treatment for Serious Ingrown Toenail Infection

If the infection has progressed to the stage where it is an infested weeping wound then you need to treat that with a Betadine and hydrogen peroxide mix. This will bring it under control very fast but you have to be careful applying this combination. A drop or two of the Betadine solution into the woud then a drop or two of the hydrogen peroxide. The two substances will react together causing a slight bubbling or foaming. Be careful to try to contain the application to the infection as all uninfected areas exposed to the solution will also dry out and die. When the infection has cleared you will be left with a lot of dead skin and it’s time to go back for a pedicure but this time find someone that will be extremely careful and be prepared to have “fixed” over a few weekly visits.