Pedicure Tips

A step-by-step guide to help to achieve a professional looking pedicure in your own home, saving time and money.

Giving yourself a professional looking pedicure at home is a snap if you follow some simple steps. Pedicures can be done alone of course, but they are so much more fun when you invite a group of girlfriends over for a pedicure party. Here are tips to help you achieve salon quality results without the expense.

You need the following materials, which you can find at beauty supply stores:

• Pumice stone or dry skin buffer
• Toe separators or cotton balls/roll
• Emory board
• Cuticle remover
• Orangewood stick
• Color nail polish
• Base coat
• Top coat
• Nail polish remover
• Quick dry spray
• Nail clippers
• Dish pan
• Cotton balls
• Towels
• Cuticle nippers, if desired
• Lotion
• Nail buffer, if desired
• Paper pedicure slippers, 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. Gently pressing the cotton ball on the nail for a moment before wiping the nail with a circular motion will make it easier to remove the polish.
2. Fill the dishpan with enough warm soapy water to cover your feet. Soak for at least five minutes.
   Note: Whenever you are working on one foot, the other foot should be soaking in the warm water.
3. 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.
   Note: If you like, you may trim your cuticles with cuticle nippers. I don't recommend this if you aren't experienced at it. Once you start trimming cuticles you have to keep doing it every time you give yourself a pedicure. You may nick yourself in the process and bleed. This will not make for a relaxing pedicure experience!
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 in the dishpan. Rub any areas of dry or flaking skin gently with the pumice stone. Rinse the foot and dry. You may also use skin-buffing sponge instead of the pumice stone.
   Note: Do not ever use a filing tool 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.
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.
8. 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.
9. Press the toe separators between the toes, so that each toe is not rubbing on the next.
   Note: If doing a group pedicure, make sure that each person has his or her 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.
10. Brush 1 coat of the base coat over each nail. Allow it to dry for one minute.
11. Apply 2 coats of the nail color. Allow it to dry for 5 minutes.
12. Apply the top coat. Allow it to dry for 1 minute, then spray your nails with the quick dry spray.

If possible, allow a half hour for the nails to dry completely. If you don't have that much time, carefully remove the toe separators and slip your feet into open toed shoes. Be very careful that the wet nails don't touch the shoes or other toes. You may want to use the paper "sandals" that are available at beauty supply stores to preserve your polish until it is dry.

This entire procedure should take about an hour. After your nails are dry, you can look down often and admire your handiwork. Your pedicure should last about 2 weeks or even longer if you apply more coats of the topcoat. Have fun!

Tips For Perfect Pedicure

A pedicure can be a wonderful form of pampering your feet, and at the same time it can lift your spirits and soothe your aching feet also.

Steps of the pedicure itself include….

• You will be seated with your feet resting on a small stool or in a large chair with a basin at the feet.
• Nail polish from your toenails will be removed.
• Some saloon cut and shape nails before being soaked others do it after being soaked. You can select the shape square or round.
• Your feet are soaked in a large basin, with some vibration to it. Feet are soaked for about five minutes.
• A foot is removed from the water and cuticle lotion is applied to the end of the toenails. An orange stick used to push the cuticles from the toenails.
• Dead skin around the toenail edge is cut with a cuticle trimmer.
• A dot of oil is rubbed into every toe and the foot is replaced in the basin.
• The same procedure is followed for the second foot and returned to the warm water.
• A pumice stone is used to remove callouses and dead skin from the base of the first foot and returned to the warm water.
• The dead skin and callouses is removed from the second foot as well.
• Feet are removed from water and patted dry with a clean, soft towel.
• A nail buffer is used to give the nail a nice smooth shine. The nails maybe trimmed now or in the end.
• Moisturizing lotion is applied to the leg and foot in a massaging motion.
• A cotton ball dipped in nail polish remover is used to remove oil and lotion from the toenails.
• Feet are dried thoroughly and cotton wedged between the toenails to keep the toes separate.
• Two coats of colored polish and one coat of topcoat are applied.
• Allow your toenails to dry completely. Sit in front of the fan if necessary.
• Make sure your toes are completely dry before removing the toe separators.
• Carefully ease your feet into your open sandals making sure that you do not damage your nail polish. Do not wear closed shoes or socks for another hour at least. It will take that long for the polish to dry completely.

Pacify Your Soles

• Soak your feet in the hot water for five minutes, and then rest them on the rim of the bucket.
• Dip a foot file, such as Dr. Scholl's Dual Action Swedish File, in the water, then use it to smooth your heels, the balls of your feet and the outsides of your little toes.
• Pat feet dry with a towel.
• Apply moisturizing lotion all over your feet.

Healthy Nails Look Best

Be aware of conditions and treatments to help prevent your nail problems… There are certain disorders or illness that can affect the nail. All of then have their own treatment as well. Given below are a few disorders and how to deal with them.

Nail disorders and procedure to handle them:

• Discolored Nails: In this condition the color of the nail changes. It may change to green, yellow, blue, red and/or purple. The change in color may be caused by a heart condition, poor blood circulation or medicines being used. You can cover up the discoloration by using nail polish or artificial nails.
• Eggshell Nails: Nails that are very thin and fragile are called Eggshell Nails. In this condition the nail curves over the tip of the finger. This maybe a result of nervous disorder, diet or medication. The treatment is to keep your nails trimmed at all times. If you realize that this condition is being caused by medication discontinue the medication.
• Furrows: These are long ridges that run up and down or across the nails. These may be caused by poor blood circulation, medication, lack of zinc in your diet or frostbite. Some may get deeper as time passes. Applying ridge filler of any kind or buffing can hide the ridges.
• Hangnails: Is medically known as agnails. In this condition the cuticle becomes dry and cracks. Hangnails are caused by dryness of cuticles or when cuticles have been cut too close. You can apply cuticle oil and trim the hanging skin.
• Onychauxis: In this condition your nails become abnormally thick. This normally happens with your toenails. This can be caused by an unbalanced diet; infection or it could be hereditary. Filing and buffing the nail can reduce its thickness.
• Ingrown Nail: Is medically known as onychocryptosis. The nail grows into the sides of the skin around the nail. Wearing ill-fitting shoes or using a file in an improper way can cause this. If the nail has grown deep into the skin then a only a doctor can remove it.
• Bitten Nails: Bitten nails or onychophagy can deform your nails it you bite them continuously or if they are bitten too far down. The only treatment is to stop biting them. Regular manicures and artificial nails can improve the way your nails look.
• Pterygium: Is when your cuticles grow over your nails. If they are not prevented they could grow right over your nails. Use cuticle oil to soften the skin, use a cuticle pusher to push back the cuticles to their place. Use cuticle clippers to trim away the loose skin.

Many of these conditions if not taken care of in the initial stage can become very painful and permanent. So remember to take care of nail disorders immediately.

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Next up: full-body fish treatments?

Next up: full-body fish treatments?
In addition to offering pedicures, Ho hopes to establish a network of Doctor Fish Massage franchises and is evaluating a full-body fish treatment that, among other things, could treat psoriasis and other skin ailments.

Ho spent a year and about $40,000 getting the pedicures up and running, with a few hiccups along the way.

State regulations make no provision for regulating fish pedicures. But the county health department — which does regulate pools — required the salon to switch from a shallow, tiled communal pool that served as many as eight people to individual tanks in which the water is changed for each customer.

The communal pool also presented its own problem: At times the fish would flock to the feet of an individual with a surplus of dead skin, leaving others with a dearth of fish.

"It would sometimes be embarrassing for them but it was also really hilarious," Ho said.

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia

— Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your feet in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away.

Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the Washington D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far.

"This is a good treatment for everyone who likes to have nice feet," Ho said.

He said he wanted to come up with something unique while finding a replacement for pedicures that use razors to scrape off dead skin. The razors have fallen out of favor with state regulators because of concerns about whether they're sanitary.

Ho was skeptical at first about the fish, which are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries.

But Ho doubted they would thrive in the warm water needed for a comfortable footbath. And he didn't know if customers would like the idea.

"I know people were a little intimidated at first," Ho said. "But I just said, 'Let's give it a shot.' "

Customers were quickly hooked.

Tracy Roberts, 33, heard about it on a local radio show. She said it was "the best pedicure I ever had" and has spread the word to friends and co-workers.

"I'd been an athlete all my life, so I've always had calluses on my feet. This was the first time somebody got rid of my calluses completely," she said.

'Feels like your foot's asleep'
First time customer KaNin Reese, 32, described the tingling sensation created by the toothless fish: "It kind of feels like your foot's asleep," she said.

The fish don't do the job alone. After 15 to 30 minutes in the tank, customers get a standard pedicure, made easier by the soft skin the doctor fish leave behind.

Ho believes his is the only salon in the country to offer the treatment, which costs $35 for 15 minutes and $50 for 30 minutes. The spa has more than 1,000 fish, with about 100 in each individual pedicure tank at any given time.

Dennis Arnold, a podiatrist who four years ago established the International Pedicure Association, said he had never heard of the treatment and doubts it will become widespread.

"I think most people would be afraid of it," he said.

Customer Patsy Fisher, 42, admitted she was nervous as she prepared for her first fish pedicure. But her apprehension dissolved into laughter after she put her feet in the tank and the fish swarmed to her toes.

"It's a little ticklish, actually," she said.

Ho said the hot water in which the fish thrive doesn't support much plant or aquatic life, so they learned to feed on whatever food sources were available — including dead, flaking skin. They leave live skin alone because, without teeth, they can't bite it off.