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Foot Fitness for Life
Practice Good Foot Hygiene and Toenail Care
Having your nails done used to mean paying a visit to your local
manicurist. Today, as often as not, it means seeing a pedicurist.
Salons now do one pedicure for every three manicures. As little
as 15 years ago, manicures outsold pedicures 10 to one.
Concerns about feeling good probably contribute as much to this
trend as concerns about looking good. With the return of women
to the workforce, tired and sore feet have become more commonplace
and so has the concern with healthy feet. That's why, in addition
to traditional enamels, pedicures now include reflexology massages
to relieve tension throughout the body, warm paraffin wax to moisturize,
and exfoliation (or scaling) techniques to smooth skin. Salons
and cosmetic companies even offer masks to smooth, moisturize
and refresh the foot.
As with any other treatment, you should take proper precautions.
Not all pedicures are safe, nor do they all give good results.
To ensure a safe and effective pedicure, the American Orthopaedic
Foot and Ankle Society suggests the following:
1. Soak your feet in warm soapy water for approximately
10 minutes. This helps soften and clean skin and nails.
2. After the foot soaking, gently remove calluses
with a pumice stone, Hindu stone or emery board. This gets rid
of dead skin cells as well as calluses. Some body scrub products
can help exfoliate dead skin between pedicures. Many pedicurists
will cut or shave calluses with razors. However, it is not legal
or safe for an unlicensed practitioner to cut the skin and definitely
not recommended.
3. Push back the cuticles with an orange stick
or a Hindu stone. A normal part of the nail, cuticles offer protection
from bacteria and infection. Cuticles clearly overhanging the
nail margins should be trimmed carefully. Any trimming which goes
further than the nail margin or draws blood is unsafe.
4. Trim toenails straight across rather than
in a curved pattern. This helps prevent ingrown toenails, allowing
the straight edge of the nail to advance as one unit. Cutting
the toenails in a curved pattern allows the recessed edges to
grow into the skin. The pedicurist should take care not to trim
the nails too short since this also can promote ingrown toenails.
The toenails should be trimmed just enough so that you can see
a few millimeters of skin just beyond the nail margin. Nails should
not overhang the edge of the toe.
5. Refine the nail edge with an emery board,
maintaining the straight edge.
6. Apply cream and moisturizing lotion to the
skin and nail margins. You can find several creams and foot masks
on the market specially formulated for the feet.
7. Massage the cream or lotion into the feet.
A foot message can help relieve tension and tired, aching feet.
You can get a good massage at home by rolling your feet back and
forth over a rolling pin. Reflexologists believe that points on
the foot correspond to other body parts and ailments can be relieved
through reflexology. They believe the ball of the foot has a connection
to the lungs, the heel to the lower back, and the great toe to
the head. Although no scientific research exists to back up these
claims, reflexology does seem to produce positive results in some
people. People with significant medical problems should consult
with a medical doctor.
8. Apply nail polish remover to the nails to
gently remove excess lotion. This allows nail polish to adhere
better to the nail. A pedicurist usually will apply polish as
a base coat, then one or two coats of color, and finally a clear
topcoat.
9. Space your pedicures apart by approximately
eight weeks.
After applying the finishing touches, relax and put your feet
up. They look good. And if, you've followed these guidelines,
your feet will feel good, too.
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Last updated:
November 25, 2003
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