FOOT FILES - ALL ABOUT PEDICURES!

A lot of girls, even boys, love their feet. They may not be the most popular part of the body unlike our eyes or arms, but they do play an important part in enhancing our appearance. Nobody likes to see hairy feet, with nails outgrown and full of dirt and sweat, or cracked heels. Just like clipped and shaped nails of our hands create a smart and neat impression, so do our feet, and it is very important to pamper them every once in a while with what we call pedicures.

Pedicures are like feet spa, of different types, each tailored for specific nail care needs. From French pedicure or Shanghai style – there are various types of pedicures and you can indulge into whatever suits you best.

But, there are many people out there like me, who do not have time or interest in investing money on pocket-ripping salons. So this is for us guys, I am going to share methods and tips on how to give your feet the time of their life, sitting at home, in a very little span. Here we go!

Supplies you’ll need:

A tub of warm water
Nail polish remover
Nail clipper
Nail filer
Cuticle oil
Cuticle stick
Cotton pads
Moisturizer
Pumice stone/scrubbing brush
Nail polishes, essential oil/bath salts (optional)

Procedure:

First things first, wet your feet in warm water for 2-5 minutes and then proceed with removing your old nail polish (if you have any) with your nail polish remover. It’s going to be hard to apply a new coat of polish on the old one so remove it and let your nails breathe until you’re done with your pedicure.

Place your feet in the tub of warm water and let them relax for a while. For a more effective treatment, you can add bath salts or essential oils to the water to give your feet more relaxation and freshness. You can even add smooth pebbles to give our feet a gentle massage. Now sit back and relax for about 10-15 minutes. The hot/warm water will soften tough calluses and remove the dirt and grime that might have built up. It will also help soften your nails and cuticles, which is important when you’re prepping to paint your toes.

All soaked up, pat your feet dry and start clipping your nails. Use nail clippers to cut your toe nails to be just short enough to see a bit of white at the tips. The shape of your nails should be a bit squared, following along the top-line of your nails. Avoid shaping them round edges as this might promote ingrown nails. Use your nail file to buff down any sharp edges left by your clippers.

Now, use your cuticle stick to gently push back the cuticle around each nail. If you have cuticle trimmers, gently cut away the excess cuticle skin that builds up over time. Rub on a little cuticle oil when you’re finished to supplement the sensitive skin with a bit of added moisture.

Smooth out the top of your nails using the buff pad to file down the ridges and rough edges. Use your pumice stone/brush to scrub down the calluses on the heel and ball of your foot. Don’t put too much pressure; just gentle buffing on the surface with little pressure. When you’ve removed any dried skin or calluses, you can use a scrubbing brush to clean up your entire foot. Use the brush between your toes and all over the bridge of your foot.

Your feet now all ready and prepped, wash them one last time and pat them dry. Massage a layer of lotion on them if you’d like; it’ll keep the nail polish from sticking. For your polish, apply a clear base coat to protect your nails from turning yellow under the effect of color polish and to make your polish stay longer and not chip away. Let it dry, and apply the color polish of your choice in long strokes. Preferably, apply two coats of color polish to get an opaque layer. Let this dry and apply a final coat of clear polish over the opaque layer to set it in place. Protect your feet until the polish dries completely and rock your new look!