Pedicure Procedures

Pedicure Procedures
Whether performing your own pedicure or receiving a Salon pedicure, these steps are sure to result in 'happy' feet.
In all my years in the salon, I don't remember one single client who was not embarrassed about some little thing to do with their feet. Whether it was calluses, corns, bunions, a 'weird' toenail or a funny toe -- they all had some reason to hide their feet. Basic Pedicure Procedures NOTE: Photographs of the procedures will be added as they become available. To perform a pedicure you will need all of the same files, implements and tools required to perform a manicure except you will want to replace the finger bowl with the foot bath. If you are performing this procedure on yourself, place a large folded terry towel on the floor in front of you upon which you will set the foot bath after it has been filled part-way with water. Add a few drops of liquid soap or nail scrub, essential oils or your favorite foot bath/salts to the water and allow it to disperse. Place all your implements, files and supplies on a terry towel within easy reach. You will be following the same type of procedures as with a manicure, although the files you will use will be a different grit as the toenails are generally thicker than the fingernails and require a grit of about 180 to remove length. You will also need to use your toenail nippers. You may also wish to spray or wipe your feet with an antiseptic spray prior to starting your pedicure, and be sure to thoroughly wash your hands. You may also choose to use some of the same 'optional' products with your pedicure that you used with your manicure. Remove old polish from the nails of both feet. File toenails straight across, rounding them slightly at the corners to conform to the shape of the toe. Use the toenail nippers to remove the underside of the corners so they will not 'dig' into your flesh. Use a 240-grit file to smooth the underside of the corners and to bevel the free edge. Place one or both feet into the foot bath, and flip on the massage button if your machine is equipped with the massage feature. Allow your feet to soak for a full 5 minutes. Apply cuticle remover if you wish and massage it into the cuticle. Use your orangewood stick or the metal cuticle pusher to push back the transparent cuticle and to clean under the free edge. Never 'dig' into the flesh as breaking the seal between the nail plate and the nail bed will allow bacterial organisms to enter and an infection could occur. Do not use excessive pressure to push back the cuticles as this action could damage the matrix. If loose cuticle skin is apparent, you may remove it by nipping with the cuticle nippers, being careful not to cut live tissue. Repeat steps 2 - 6 on the other foot. Scrub your feet and toenails with the nail brush being sure to cleanse the lateral nail fold and underneath the free edge. If you have a build up of calloused skin, it can be filed with an 80-grit foot file paddle. Never attempt to use a credo blade to cut or remove calloused skin as it is much too easy to remove healthy skin along with the callous. Do not attempt to remove all of the calloused skin in one session. Depending on the depth of the callous, it can take several months or more for the healthy skin to show. Massage both feet by applying lotion, cream or oil to the palms of your hands and then to your feet. Massage your feet, lower legs and toes, then put both feet back into the foot bath and scrub the toes to remove all traces of oil or lotion. To remove the suds or bath salts, use a spray bottle filled with warm water to rinse the toes, then dry your feet, legs and toes and between the toes with a soft towel. Wipe each toenail with a cotton or gauze pad saturated with remover or alcohol to be sure the nail plate is free of oils. Apply basecoat, two coats of color and a thin topcoat. Be sure to allow a minimum of 1 minute between coatings for each coat of enamel to dry. If you are afraid of smudging the polish, you may wish to use toe separators between your toes. Leave them in place until the enamel has completely dried. Empty the foot bath, clean it with a disinfecting solution and dry the tub. Clean all your implements with the same solution, allowing them to soak in the solution for a full 10 minutes. Remove from the solution, rinse, dry and place in a sealed container for the next use.