Have Happy Feet--Get A Pedicure

Feeling Good—The Perfect Pink Pedicure

**Although, to be truthful, it does not really matter the color, as long as what you choose makes you feel good and gives you deeper satisfaction when you look at your toes!**

It is not often I get to pamper myself with a pedicure, but I decided to the other day because my feet were in some pretty rough shape. So I called my nail tech, Melissa, and she fit me in for noon.

Now, how good of a pedicure you receive depends on where you go. And you need to be careful because the horror stories of those ladies who did not choose wisely and wound up with fungal infections on their feet (or even their hands!) from improper sterilizing techniques seems to grow each year! (And now when we throw COVID-19 into the mix, you have to be even more careful!) I don’t know about you, but the thought that I may be putting my feet in a foot bath immediately after someone else and that their foot issues may still be floating around in the tub—well, it's just plain disturbing. Ugh!!

So, when choosing a salon or spa to go to for your pedicure, it is probably wise to take a personal look around the area where you live—or where you work, if you planned to go from the office—because if you can see the spa in action, you will generally get a feel for their hygiene practices. From that point, of course, price is important but should not be your only deciding factor. How are you greeted when you enter the facility? Do you get a smile and a warm welcome? (I know, hard to tell with everyone wearing masks at this stage) or are you met with a heavy sigh and saggy-shouldered boredom? Believe me I have seen both and the former is much better than the latter!

When you arrive for your appointment, you will likely take a seat for a moment or two so your technician can get the foot bath set up for you. The foot tub, which has jets in it, is normally ½ to ¾ full, with some kind of suds to aid in the cleaning of your feet while they soak. The average foot soak time is 20-30 minutes. Then, you will normally get your toenails cut and trimmed, along with the cuticles, and then filed and buffed. Next, your technician will grab a big, wide file—made for use on the body and the feet—and begin filing your heels, arches, and the balls of your feet—wherever there is dry, rough skin on your feet and toes. All this time, the jets in the foot bath are still going. As each foot gets filed and finished, you will put that foot back in to soak.

Next you will receive a foot scrub. Each foot will come out of the tub, one at a time, for the application of the foot scrub. The scrub encompasses the feet, ankles, shins, and about halfway up the calves. The scrubbing is an all over thing, with heavier concentration where the skin may still need to be exfoliated a bit more. Then they'll rinse your feet in the tub for a minute or two. At that time, both feet will come out of the tub—they may have some stray suds on them—but she will dry them off for you.

Now is the time for the foot and ankle massage. This is one of the nicest parts of the pedicure, and the one that makes the feet feel so soft. This process should usually take 5-10 minutes and encompass the entire foot and ankle area, although the softening lotion is usually applied halfway up the shin and calf area, just like the scrub was.

Once the technician completes the foot lotion application and the massage, it will be time for the hot towel application. That part feels soooooo nice! It is a short step, like 5 minutes or less, but still wonderful.

And finally, it is the time for the application of whatever nail color you choose. The nail tech will put a couple of toe separators on your feet, although not all people need them. I am one of those that do. Some women choose a color, others choose a French manicure—which looks really elegant if you have some function to go to and you want your toes to look nice—but the choice is ultimately yours. For my pedicure, I chose pink this time. I normally am not a pink person and I do not own any pink clothing, but I do like the color pink itself—just not how it looks against my skin. But it seems to work on my feet, so there you go.

Once your base coat, polish and top coat have been applied, she will likely put a pair of disposable flip-flops on your feet to allow you to walk across the salon and wait for your toenails to dry before you drive home.

People, believe me when I say that a pedicure, that I once swore I would never get because the thought of anyone touching my feet really grossed me out, is one of the nicest and most soothing things you can do for your body. When your feet feel good, you feel good. It’s that simple.