A pedicure is so much more than getting some color polished onto your toenails – or at least it should be! Sure, it’s fun colors of the season, but picking out your favorite shade of Pool Blue, Petal Pink, or Fiery Red doesn’t even have to be part of the picture at all.
A pedicure – men, we’re definitely talking to you, too – is a chance to focus on pampering the part of your body that literally holds you up every day!
A pedicure is all this
It doesn’t matter if you go to a salon or perform an at-home pedicure. Wherever you choose to focus on your feet, podiatrists Heidi M. Christie, DPM and Chanda L. Day-Houts, DPM think that the best pedicures will involve these three essential elements:
- A full foot inspection. Before you even wield a file or pumice stone, make sure your feet are healthy and prepared for pampering by doing a quick self-exam. Cracked skin in between your toes could be a sign of athlete’s foot. Toes that are bent at an angle or overlapping toes might be causing corns or calluses. Moles that have changed their appearance could be cause for concern.
- A clean environment is especially important when you’re at a nail salon. Metal instruments and foot baths must be sterilized between clients – you don’t want to catch the nail fungus that the previous client might have. For extra protection, look for a salon that uses disposable liners in their foot baths. A reputable, licensed salon is your safest bet, so always check to see that the salon has posted their certified business license. You can even check to see that a particular salon is properly licensed before you go by searching for it at the Alabama Board of Cosmetology website.
- Nothing but straight lines.Always trim toenails straight across, and ask your pedicurist to do the same. Curved nails can grow downward into the skin. You really want to avoid getting ingrown toenails because they hurt like heck and can become infected.
Feet that have been well-cared for are a dream to behold, especially from a podiatrist’s point of view. If you have any questions about how to have a safe pedicure or any other questions about foot health, call Montgomery Foot Care Specialists at (334) 396-3668 or contact us online.