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Health

How to make a pedicure

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 21.10.2023
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As well as the nails on the hands, the nails on the legs also need to be taken care of. Pedicure comes from the Latin word "pedis" and "cura". The word pedis means "legs", and "cura" means help, care, that is, "helping the feet" or caring for the legs. A pedicure can be defined as a process that improves the appearance of the legs and nails. How to make a pedicure at home and how to protect yourself from infections in the spa?

What is the essence of pedicure?

"Pedicure" and "manicure - similar services, the only difference between them is that the manicure is the process of caring for the hands, and the pedicure is designed for the feet. A pedicure helps to protect the toenails of the feet from fungal diseases and makes them beautiful and attractive. It also helps to remove dead cells from the skin with the help of pumice stone (in translation - a rough stone), with which the foot rubs. Pedicure also includes visits to institutions that provide these services.

The pedicure includes such additional services as hair removal or waxing or by shaving the legs, it can also include peeling, foot massage and moisturizing. Any person suffering from blood clots on their feet, except for a pedicure, for the beauty of the feet can also get their massage.

As you take care of the hands and nails on them, so you have to look after your feet and toenails.

Pedicure at home

You can make a pedicure yourself at home. Follow these steps to do a pedicure at home.

What will it take for a pedicure at home?

  • Pumice
  • Nail file
  • Nail clippers
  • Moisturizing cream
  • Base varnish
  • Cuticle pusher (special small tool)
  • Container, basin or bucket, large enough for a pedicure

What do we have to do?

Remove the old nail polish completely. Using cotton swabs, make gaps between the toes by inserting these tampons into them.

Remove the old varnish from the nails, making room for a new one. If the varnish does not come off, apply tampons with a nail polish remover and let it lie down for a while so that the varnish layer is behind.

How to cut nails with pedicure?

First of all, you need to use high quality scissors to cut nails on the legs. To cut nails it is necessary directly across, leaving a stock approximately 1/8 from their length. Do not let the tips of your toenails go over the ends of your finger. For a soft square nail shape, cut them in corners in one direction.

Use a glass, not a metal nail file, as a metal nail file spoils nails. The smoother the surface for smoothing the edge of the nails, the better, the rough surface of the nail is much more difficult to handle.

Take a water tank with a large comfortable flat bottom. Add bath salts, aromatherapy oils or English salt to it and let your feet stay there for a few minutes. The more calluses on the legs, the longer they must become wet in the water. Add in warm water about a quarter of a glass of milk with warm water.

Lactic acid in milk will make it possible to get rid of dead skin.

Move the cuticle at the base of each nail on the toes. Wait a minute, and then use the special pusher to move the remaining cuticle.

Use a nail scissors to trim the sagging skin of the cuticle. Do not cut it - this will slow down the growth of the nail.

Use a peeling or foot scrub, then remove the dead cells with pumice stone. The idea is to make the heels smooth, and not to wipe them to the blood. If the heel is bright red, stop. This means that you are working too hard pumice stone.

Wipe the feet thoroughly, including between the fingers, and apply a nourishing foot cream.

Moisturize the cuticle with special cuticle oil.

Use a special tool to get rid of excess oil on the nails.

Apply a thin coat of varnish, using three strokes, one in the middle and one on each side. Do not paint the lacquer cuticles. In the correct pedicure, apply three of its layers, and then apply a thin base layer. Use a safe cleaner to remove varnish to remove excess varnish from the nails.

Let your nails dry completely before you put on your shoes.

Useful tips for pedicure

Useful tips for pedicure

  1. If you want to give the varnish completely dry, do not wear shoes for at least two and a half hours.
  2. Never cut dead skin cells from your fingers using tweezers or scissors, this can injure the delicate skin of your legs. Instead, use pumice or a hard wool.
  3. Let your feet always be clean, this will avoid fungal infections.
  4. Always try to keep your feet dry, even in the spaces between your toes.
  5. Remove the cuticles regularly. On average, twice a week.

Safe pedicure in the spa salon

You were on your feet all day, and you start to dream of a good pedicure. How wonderful it would be to get away from the hustle and bustle and pamper your feet. But it can cost you unpleasant health consequences. Do you know that you, perhaps, together with a pedicure get a fungal infection! An open wound can penetrate an infection that lives in public locker rooms, saunas or a jacuzzi.

Before choosing a good salon for a pedicure, think again. You are at risk of getting an infection for the feet in almost any salon. Here are some useful tips to keep your nails healthy.

Ask the pedicure master the questions you are interested in. Have you ever asked pedicure masters how they disinfect their instruments?

Look at the spa tools. Are they made of stainless steel? Are they disinfected in the intervals of time when customers change? Never hesitate to ask these questions. In some salons, you may not like them at all.

Disinfection of instruments in the SPA-salon is the most important pedicure point.

The only way to be sure that the instruments no longer exist bacteria or fungi - use them for disinfection in an autoclave. In an autoclave, the instrument is properly disinfected at a sufficiently high temperature and with sufficient time.

A simple way to avoid infection in the spa is to use your own set of tools. This ensures that your toenails do not pick up your neighbor's fungus with public pedicure tools.

Many tools in the spa are made of fiberglass, which is very difficult to clean properly without damage. This leads to permanent contamination.

Before you sit in a chair, you need to make sure that the tools look perfect and that they have been disinfected. For a perfect pedicure, the tools should be made of stainless steel, which is much easier to clean than fiberglass.

Avoid false nails, which are a refuge for bacteria and fungi.

The fact that the skin under the fingernails turns green and turns yellow may be the tricks of bacteria leading to infection.

Your cuticles should be guaranteed for a natural system of protection against infections. Make sure that the master does not cut your cuticles too much to prevent bacteria from entering the open wound.

Nail polish can be a trap for bacteria, but, more importantly, you are not able to notice the changes under your fingernails due to poor-quality lacquer.

Changes in the natural color of the nail or the nail bed are signs of infections that must be rectified immediately. If you can not resist fungi, try antibacterial nail polish. Many salon specialists offer such a nail polish coating.

Medical doctors (specialists in the health of nails) can advise you on the correct pedicure. They are very knowledgeable about the risks associated with pedicure, and can recommend spa and methods that will ensure your safety.

How not to catch a fungus during a pedicure

If you do a regular pedicure, bring your own tools or go to a spa that sterilizes instruments in an autoclave

Clean your nails with scissors, treated with alcohol, before using them, if you cut your nails, and make sure that the tools are disinfected regularly.

We also recommend that you regularly clean your shoes, either with an antibacterial spray, or better, with an antibacterial and antifungal spray, and at least once a month, dry them from moisture with a hairdryer.

Keep your feet dry and clean. Change socks regularly (even several times a day, if you often sweat your feet).

Sports shoes should be dry, change it regularly. If you regularly exercise, buy sports shoes one and a half times larger than your casual shoes.

Useful facts from the history of pedicure

People trusted the pedicure their nails more than 4000 years ago. In the southern part of Babylonia, noblemen used tools of pure gold to provide themselves with a manicure and pedicure. The history of using nail polish can be traced even further in time. In China in 3000 BC. The color of the nails indicated the social status, according to the Ming Dynasty manuscripts. The nails of the Egyptians were painted black and red. Ancient Egyptians used a manicure and pedicure for 2300 BC.

The image of the manicure and pedicure procedures was found on the carving of the pharaoh's tomb, and scientists have long known that the Egyptians paid special attention to their hands and feet. The Egyptians also colored their nails, using red color to show a high social status. The manuscript says that the nails of Cleopatra were painted dark red, and the nails of the Queen Nefertiti were painted in a bright ruby shade. In ancient Egypt and Rome, military commanders also painted their nails in red to match the color of their lips before they went into battle.

Although the modern design of nails on the legs appeared only at the end of the 19th century, the nail file as a means of nail care appeared in history much earlier. Maria Antoinette was known for the obsession to get a nail file made from pumice. Her ideal nail shape made her the most fashionable and beautiful woman in French Versailles. On its pumice was cut out the shape, which is used for finishing and the shape of the edge of the nail. This tool was not destroyed after use, it was washed and disinfected by the maids, placing them in the bathroom. So that the pylon can be used again.

Pedicure in winter

Even if your legs are not visible in another winter, you should continue to do the pedicure on a regular basis. A pedicure will not only help you show your beautiful toes, they can also help maintain the health of your skin and joints. If you love a regular pedicure during the summer months, then you probably already know about the benefits.

Each pedicure begins with a spa procedure that is designed to soften the skin and facilitate manipulation. The foot spa bath is a stimulation of blood circulation through the shins and ankles, it can reduce any pain and swelling that you can get as a result of standing or sitting during the day. Softening the skin of the legs can also reduce the formation of calluses and corns, which can be very painful, especially when wearing heavy winter shoes.

Your nails should receive regular attention during the winter months. You may not realize this, but cold weather can act as a drying agent for the skin and nails. Dry, brittle nails are prone to cleavage and disturbances, which can be painful, but can also cause infection. Regular pedicure from the best manicure salons can ensure that your nails will be healthy, and reduce the chances of ingrown nails or their painful cleavage.

And, finally, the manicure salon offers a massage with each pedicure, which can further improve blood circulation in the legs and feet. This can weaken the strained muscles and strengthen them, which is especially active in cold weather to eliminate joint and muscle pain.

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