How to give yourself a pedicure at home
Save both time and money by learning how to do your own pedicure at home. Taking extra special care of your feet will mean you can walk comfortably and with an extra spring in your step.
Feet first
Our feet have been working hard for us for many years now and require regular servicing to keep them in good working order. Attend to your feet every two or three weeks.
- Use a corn plane on calluses and corns. Take care with the first few sweeps when the blade is new and very sharp. Feet must be dry and skin ‘crispy’. Use a new blade every time you perform this procedure.
- Corn and callus plasters are useful if the corn plane is difficult to use. Follow the instructions and repeat the process for stubborn corns and calluses.
- If your feet are aching or sore or tired, soak in hot water and a foot soak lotion for twenty or thirty minutes.
- Always take care each day to wash and dry thoroughly between your toes to prevent inflammation.
- Try arch supports or custom-made orthotics if you have flat feet.
- Visit the podiatrist if you have difficulty managing your feet yourself.
- The foot milk solution (available from pharmacies), which causes dry skin and callus to peel off, is effective and worth using.
Top tip: Try to arrange for your pharmacy to order 20 or 30 packets of corn plane blades for you to stockpile as they are not always easy to find.
Step-by-step home pedicure
- Soak your feet in warm soapy water for about twenty minutes, topping up with extra hot water from a nearby jug. Bliss!
- Adjust a chair under your strong lamp to shine on your toes whilst performing the pedicure.
- Dry your feet quickly and whilst the nails are softened, trim and cut away any dry and dead skin, especially around the little toes. Expose all the little toenail. You may need a bandaid on your little toes for 24 hours or so.
- File down any thick toenails with a nail file, or take off a layer of thick toenail with your callus cutter. Be careful.
- Take off sharp, pointed edges of nails with scissors and pull off thick side cuticles with tweezers.
- Clean all around your nails with an orange stick.
- Apply a base coat of clear nail polish, then two coats of colour, counting to 60 between coats. Freeze-dry with baby oil. If you go over the edge onto your skin don’t worry, it will wear off quickly.
Top tip: Time your pedicure for evening so that you don’t have to put on shoes before the nail polish has cured. It is not necessary to paint your toenails during winter but do have a pedicure either at home or in a salon every two or three weeks to keep your feet and nails in good shape.
What are your favourite beauty tips? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by Margaret Woodberry. Republished with permission of Wyza.