Pedicures - pamper your feet!

What is a pedicure good for?
Good foot care treats and prevents skin problems such as callouses, as well as in-growing toe nails and related infections. A pedicure can help your posture by enabling you to walk more comfortably. Combined with massage, hot stones, a herbal or aromatic rub or a soak in scented oils, a pedicure can also soothe and relax you generally.

Before Your Pedicure Treatment
Whilst there are many salons that do not require bookings in advance, it is suggested that it is better to make an appointment in advance with a recommended salon or beauty professional to avoid a long wait and to ensure that you get the beauty practitioner you want.

If you have any infections, open wounds, rashes or fungal infections then it is probably better delaying your appointment until the medical conditions have been treated.

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Whilst a pedicure will normally include a footbath to begin with it is still good to make sure that your feet are clean before your session. Also choose your footwear carefully, even if your are not having nail polish applied, it still makes sense to have comfortable shoes to wear after your pedicure.

One trap for pedicure first timers is wearing short skirts. You may be sitting in open areas with your feet up in the air! Also tight leggings/stockings are also not ideal for your pedicure.

Pedicure Treatment
A typical pedicure will last between 30-60 minutes and the length of time will dictate what is included in the treatment. Normally a pedicure will begin with a foot soak to soften skin and ensure basic feet hygiene.

You may be given a foot massage to revitalise your feet and soften your skin. Some pedicures are know to use a healing or antiseptic oil or cream on your feet. A nice touch is to have an exfoliation massage with salts to remove dead skin.

Your cuticles will be removed, and your toenails cut and shaped.

Your pedicure will typically finish with another massage of your feet (and possibly lower legs/calves) and possibly another soak prior to a quality polish being applied to your nails.

Health and Hygiene
There are strict guidelines for beauty professionals and salon for carrying out both pedicures and manicures. Make sure that you are comfortable with the standards of the salon/nail technician you choose and if in doubt ask them about their procedures to ensure that their pedicures conform to safety standards.

Different types of pedicure
There are many types of pedicures available now at salons and spas. Quite often the difference between them is merely the products used and the sequence in which they are applied.

A French pedicure is the classic pedicure which involves the use of long-lasting nail varnish with whitened toenail tips with the nails squared off.

Intensive paraffin wax: this pedicure includes hot wax being massaged into your feet, nails and calves to soften and moisturise in addition to the normal components of a pedicure.

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