Getting a Pedicure:

Women have always enjoyed getting a nice manicure, but pedicures are a slighly different experience. Many women (and men for that matter) are not so proud of their feet and toes and feel strange having anyone else work on them. There is certainly some weekly care you can do at home to keep your feet in good shape and home pedicures are becoming more and more common. We found several sources online for "giving a pedicure" and how to do it in about 30 minutes at home. The first thing you want to do is clean your toenails and get rid of any remnants of previous nail polish on them. Use a nailpolish remover or conditioner. Take a pair of nail clippers and trim your toenails. Using an emery board, file your nails down and shape them a bit. With cuticle cream or oil, give your nails a massage. Have a warm tub or bowl of water ready so you can put both your feet into it. Let your toes and feet soak for about 5-10 minutes and add bath salts to enhance the experience. See below for more details on giving a manicure.

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Use a towel to dry your feet and then put just a bit of cuticle remover on the contours of your toenails. At this time use exfoliating cream on the soles of your feet to work out any calluses or tough spots. You can "roll" back the cuticles with a manicure stick and then rinse your feet first in warm water and then in cold water. Dry your feet thoroughly again and clean your toenails off with cotton pads that have been soaked in nail polish remover. You are finally ready to put on a base coat. Two coats of nail polish is generally enough followed by another top coat. Most people use special pedicure slippers or shoes to help separate their toes making the process much easier. If you don't have pedicure slippers, then consider using cotton wool between your toes. Getting or giving a pedicure for the first time can be a fun experience. Lots of women say having someone else handle their feet can actually be ticklish. If you are prone to dry skin on your feet, moisturize and scrub them often. Maintaining your cuticles is probably the toughest job since they tend to need to the most work. A french pedicure is slightly different in that after applying the basecoat, you need to put white polish near the tip of the nail. For those of you planning on wearing sandals in the spring and summer months, having nice looking feet and toes is a must. Take care of your feet on a regular basis and periodically pay the price to have a professional give you a manicure. Beyond painting your nails, a good pedicurist will give you a foot massage and give you tips on how to maintain your nail. We go into the best home pedicure kits down below so you can make sure you have the proper tools and supplies to give yourself a pedicure.

Best Pedicure Kit:

There are plenty of pedicure kits you can buy online at Folica.com or Amazon.com. Which one is the best? We read reviews by consumers and experts to pick the 2 best kits on the market. The Tweezerman Professional Pedicure Solution Kit ($45) is a top rated product that will supply you with all the pedicure tools you'll need. The kit contains power toenail clippers, stainless steel cuticle nipper, stainless steel pushy/cleaner, callus stone, 2 pedicure files, a wooden pedicure stick and a nice red roll-up case. Tweezerman has a reputable name in both manicure and pedicure products and this professional line replaces a previous best seller. The Gena Home Foot Care Kit ($20) will provide you with a salon pedicure. Pedicures can be both soothing and therapeutic while keeping your feet well taken care of. The Gena pedicure kit contains everything you need for a home pedicure. You get Pedi Soak (2 fl oz) - tea tree oil for skin softening, Pedi Septic (2 fl oz) - antiseptic spray that stops bacteria and "refreshes" your feet, Pedi Care (2 fl oz) - a lotion with Peppermint oil that will help remove dry skin, Pedi Soft (2 fl oz) - excellent moisturizing lotion, Pedi Ice (2 fl oz) - a menthol and eucalyptus mixture that works on sore muscles, and a Pedi Sander for your calluses. There is also a step by step pedicure instruction manual.

Pedicure Slippers/Shoes:

One common mistake made by those giving themselves their first pedicure is that they don't have the proper pedicure slippers or shoes. These specially designed footwear help separate your toes and allow you to put toenail polish on each individual toe without worrying about smudging or smeering. Vpfootwear.com sells disposable pedicure slippers and toe spacers in bulk. Amazon carries pedicure sandals and white mens pedicure slippers. The majority of at home pedicures are done using toe spacers which are cheap and easy to use.

Pedicures at a Spa:

Part of any spa experience these days is sure to include things like massages, manicures, and pedicures. Treat yourself to a pedicure at least once a year to have your feet thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned. Some people have ingrown toenails and fungus that are chronic issues unless treated. A pedicure at a spa will usually cost about $30 to $40 while pedicures at less formal salons will often be cheaper than $25. We read some recent articles on bacterial infections that people contracted at spas while getting pedicures or manicures because the equipment used wasn't completely sterile. Definitely make it a point to ask your pedicurist if all the tools have been sterilized before all treatments.

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