Pedicure Information, Tools and at Home Tips

Did you know that people take on average 10,000 steps in a day, adding up to 115,000 miles in a lifetime, enough to circle the planet four times? How are your feet feeling? With the average woman walking 10 miles per day and average man treading 7, a pedicure is the perfect thank you to your feet their continuous support.

A pedicure is a way to improve the appearance of the feet, and their nails. It basically is a manicure for the feet. The word pedicure comes form the Latin words pes, which means foot, and cura, which means care. It also means the care of the feet and toenails. A pedicure can be helpful because it can prevent nail diseases and nail disorders.

Whether you opt for a spa pedicure or would like to try one at home, a pedicure will leave your feet looking beautiful and feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

Materials and Tips for a home pedicure:

Pumice stone or foot file , Toe separators or cotton balls/roll, Emery board, Cuticle remover, Cuticle oil, Orangewood stick, Color nail polish, Base coat, Top coat, Nail polish remover, Quick dry spray, Nail clippers, Dish pan, Cotton balls, Towels, Cuticle nippers, Lotion , Nail buffer, Thongs, if desired.

1. Thoroughly saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and use it to remove any old polish you may have on your toenails from you last pedicure.
   
2. Fill the dishpan with enough warm soapy water to cover your feet. Soak for at least five minutes.
   i. Note: Whenever you are working on one foot, the other foot should be soaking in the warm water.
   
3. Dry your foot and apply the cuticle remover at the base of each nail. Wait one minute for the remover to soften the cuticle. Use the wedged end of the orangewood stick to push the cuticle back. If desired, carefully snip off the excess cuticle. Repeat this procedure on the other foot.
   
4. Using the nail clippers, cut off any nails that are too long. Length is a personal preference, but make sure the nail is shorter than the toe. Be careful not to cut the nails too short as this can cause ingrown toenails and can be quite painful. With the emery board, file the nail into a square shape.
   
5. Use the nail buffer to smooth any roughness or ridges on the surface of the nails.
   
6. Wet the pumice stone or foot file in the dishpan. Rub any areas of dry or flaking skin gently. Rinse the foot and dry.
   i. Note: Do not ever use a filing tool with a blade that cuts your skin or allow one to be used on your feet. Not only is it unsanitary, but you may cut too deeply, causing pain or even drawing blood. It is important to have a bit of callus on the bottom of the foot as well, to prevent splitting.
   
7. Apply a generous amount of lotion to the foot, massaging it in and taking care to cover all the foot, especially the dry and flaky parts. Massage the lotion up your legs to your knees. Close your eyes and relax for 10 minutes, allowing your skin to soak in the soothing lotion. You could also wrap your feet with saran wrap after slathering on your lotion, and put on a pair of warm socks out of the dryer for intensive moisturization.
   
8. Rinse feet in warm water and dry off with towel.
   
9. Saturate a cotton ball with nail polish remover and go back over your toenails, making sure that all lotion residues are removed. This is important, since the polish will not stick to any surface that still has lotion residue on it.
   
10. Press the toe separators or cotton between the toes, so that each toe is not rubbing on the next.
    i. Note: If doing a group pedicure, make sure that each person has their own pair of toe separators, for the sake of hygiene. If toe separators are not available, use cotton balls or a roll of cotton. Be very careful to keep the cotton away from the nails themselves, as cotton fibers will ruin the look of the polish.
    
11. Brush 1 coat of the base coat over each nail. Allow it to dry for one minute.
    
12. Apply 2 coats of the nail color. Allow it to dry for 5 minutes.
    
13. Apply the top coat. Allow it to dry for 1 minute, and then spray your nails with the quick dry spray.
    

Your pedicure should be completely dry after 30-45 minutes. Be sure and wear open toed shoes to allow for additional drying time. Your pedicure should last about two weeks.

If you would like to obtain additional information on any beauty techniques or spa services, visit www.lepetitspa.caor www.spaboutique.ca.

You can also e-mail me with your questions and watch for my reply in a future blog.