Pedicure

A beautiful woman is, first of all, a well-groomed woman. Well-groomedness is manifested in the details: shiny hair, delicate smooth skin, a light fragrance of perfume and carefully crafted fingernails and toenails. Fortunately, more and more girls pay attention to their hands, visiting beauty salons, where they get manicures and a beautiful bright coating. But at the same time, many people forget that the legs, especially in the summer, also attract attention and need to be upgraded. Meanwhile, a pedicure is not only the processing and coloring of nails, but also a very important hygiene procedure. Today we will tell you why it is so important to get a pedicure, how you can do it yourself and reveal some fashion secrets for creating a stylish look.

Pedicure, like many other beauty treatments, originated in ancient Egypt. Foot care was given great importance. The Egyptians pampered their feet every day with fragrant baths, after which they smeared them with incense. The beautiful Cleopatra was very fond of this procedure, during which the slaves massaged her feet and rubbed precious herbal ointments into them, after which they dried them, fanning them with feather fans.

Ancient Roman doctors, in addition to the aesthetic, saw in the pedicure procedure also a medical component. The fact is that the stimulation of certain points located on the feet can positively affect the functioning of organs and the state of the body as a whole.

Let's move on to ancient China. There, only the nobility could afford to carry out this procedure.

In medieval Europe, excessive body hygiene was perceived almost as heresy and was banned. Inquisitors could even condemn to death for "excessive indulgence of the flesh." But later, when these times passed, there were many barbers, chiropractors and even dentists offering pedicure services.

Since the 18th century, the development and widespread distribution of this procedure began to gain momentum. In 1774, Londoner David Lowe began offering callus removal services, and in 1785 he published a scientific work on the feet, in which he first used the term "pedicure master".

In 1830 in America, a doctor by the name of Zitztz initiated the use of metal tools for performing pedicures, and since 1892 this method has become widespread throughout the world.

Around the same period of time, a special ointment was developed in Germany to relieve fatigue from the legs. It was intended for German soldiers. The manufacturer was the company Gehwol, which now occupies one of the leading positions in the market in the segment of professional pedicure products.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the first school teaching pedicure was opened in the United States.Remarkably, among the young masters of her debut release there were 13 men and only 1 woman! Yes, before this kind of activity was purely male.

After that, more and more people began to learn pedicure, specialized educational institutions around the world were opened. Nowadays, perhaps, every self-respecting beauty salon has a qualified pedicure master on its staff.

There are several techniques for performing a pedicure, as well as a manicure. The choice of one or another method of treating feet and nails on them depends both on your personal preferences and on what problems will need to be solved during the procedure.

If you are a representative of the fair sex, then a procedure is suitable for you, which includes care for the skin of the feet, removal of calluses, rough skin, as well as correction of the length and shape of nails with a decorative coating. In addition to the usual plain, beauty salons offer a variety of bright modern design delights: varnish or gel polish with a cat's eye effect, ombre, French and moon pedicure. I want something "hotter" - please! The design with kamifubi, sequins, rubbing and the effect of "broken glass" will decorate your legs and complement any summer look. We'll talk more about fashion trends below.

In fact, the hygiene of the feet and the treatment of the nail plates in a strong half of humanity are almost identical to the same procedures in women, with the exception of the last stage, which includes a decorative coating of the nails. In general, men are sometimes embarrassed to visit beauty salons, although they have long ceased to be a female monopoly.

Children's feet need no less care than the feet of adults. The procedure carried out in the salon will help eliminate such problems as ingrown nails, various inflammations of the periungual tissues, and deformation of the nail plates.

Children's pedicure includes cuticle treatment, shaping the length and shape of the nail, applying a strengthening coating, massaging and applying cream.

Delight your little princess by letting her apply a decorative coating on her nails. It can be a delicate matte varnish or a design with patterns, such as flowers, butterflies or kittens.

A pedicure in the salon can be performed in one of the following ways.

This method consists in the treatment of the skin of the feet and nails without the use of water using a special apparatus. Initially, the legs are treated with a softener, which helps to exfoliate the "dead" skin cells, and then these cells are polished with a machine.

The SPA foot care procedure not only helps to perfectly cleanse them of dead skin particles, eliminate calluses and corns, but also relieves fatigue and stress very well. To begin with, the feet are carefully treated with special emollients containing fruit acids and sea minerals. Thus, all keratinized cells gently exfoliate and are then easily removed by the master.

When the skin becomes clean, a massage is performed. It lasts no more than 10 minutes, but during this time the specialist can very well stimulate all points on the feet, relieve tension from them, and improve blood flow. You will feel how they gain lightness and weightlessness, swelling disappears, the skin becomes soft and tender.

The final stage is the application of a moisturizing cream and a decorative coating (at the request of the client).

If your toenails are not looking very attractive for any reason (deformed plates, too small a nail bed, etc.), you can sign up for an extension procedure. The principle of its implementation is exactly the same as on the hands: first we do a pedicure, then we file the surface of the nail plates, degrease them, apply a primer, a base. After gel or acrylic we form artificial forms. We give them a beautiful shape, align in length. We apply the finish and dry. We carry out decorative color coating.

The European pedicure procedure is called, in which the cuticle is not cut off, but is moved to the base of the nail with a pusher or an “orange” stick. Before that, it is treated with a special agent that promotes its softening and exfoliation.

By itself, the word "express" is associated with high speed. The procedure for carrying out an express pedicure is to be able to put the legs in order without making much effort in a short period of time. As a rule, it includes the following steps: alignment of nails, shaping them; removal of the cuticle and treatment of the area around with a softener and a pusher; grinding feet with a finely abrasive nail file; decorative coating of nail plates (if necessary).

Modern fashion is very loyal to the choice of the color of varnish or shellac to cover the toenails. If earlier there was an unwritten rule that the shades on the hands and feet should match and that they should be combined with clothes or accessories, now the choice of nail polish color is only your desire and preference.

• Transparent coating. If you don’t like colored toenails or if they are not very well-shaped, a clear colorless varnish will be a great find for you. It visually levels the nail plate, and its glossy sheen will give the nails a well-groomed look.
• Pastel shades. Beige, light pink, champagne, coffee with milk, olive, milky ... The list of an extensive palette of pastel shades is endless! Any of them is perfect for both evening dress and casual clothes, visually hide the imperfections of the nail plate and help smooth its surface.

• dark varnish. If you are a happy owner of even beautifully shaped nails, you can safely turn your attention to nail cosmetics in dark shades. On the legs, burgundy, blue, chocolate, eggplant and even black lacquer colors look amazing. And if you decorate 1-2 nails with rhinestones or sparkles, the pedicure will take on a chic festive look.
• Bright colors. If you want to flaunt summery bright "candy" nails - well, your choice will be very extensive, because the palette of rich color shades of varnishes and shellacs is truly limitless! Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, mint, coral, lilac, turquoise - this is only a small part of the colors offered on the cosmetic market.Your imagination will tell you which color suits you best.

Not every girl has the time and desire to visit a pedicure room. In this case, it would be very advisable to purchase a set of tools for doing a pedicure at home with your own hands. It is best to buy it in stores specializing in the sale of professional cosmetics.

• For the treatment of nails and periungual ridges. This includes the same thing that is needed to perform a manicure: files of varying degrees of abrasiveness, a pusher or an “orange” stick, scissors or cuticle tweezers, a buff. Therefore, if you process your fingernails yourself, you have this set of tools.

• For foot care. But the legs differ from the hands in that the skin on them is rougher, it needs special treatment. Devices such as a foot bath fall into this category. Naturally, if you do not want to spend money on a professional bath with a hydromassage function or magnetic radiation, you can use an ordinary basin for moceration. However, think how nice it will be at home after a hard day to feel the professional care of your feet!

The next necessary remedy is a remover to soften the stratum corneum of the skin. If moceration and the subsequent cutting of the cuticle do not particularly attract you, purchase a special pedicure remover - a liquid to get rid of unwanted skin.It contains acids that can gently dissolve and exfoliate dead skin cells, which will ensure their easy removal without the use of cutting tools. It is applied to the cuticles, periungual ridges, corns and calluses are also processed with it.

Another important tool is a laser heel grater. It perfectly polishes, removes the stratum corneum, while not injuring healthy skin. Removes all cracks, calluses, corns.

Have in your arsenal also a special double-sided nail file for a pedicure. On one side of it is a fine-abrasive grinder, for the final processing of the heels, and on the other - a polisher, which will give them a healthy, fresh look and make them smooth.

Regardless of whether a girl visits a beauty salon or not, she must be able to do a pedicure on her own. We have prepared instructions for beginners, where each stage is considered step by step, so it will not be difficult for you to figure it out and put your legs in order without spending a lot of money on it:

• First, remove the decorative coating from the nails, if any;
• Give the nails a shape and adjust the length with a finely abrasive nail file;
• Polish your nails with a buff;
• The next step depends on what type of pedicure you like best. If you choose moceration in a steam bath, then prepare warm water, pour sea salt into it or drop a couple of drops of mint or eucalyptus essential oil, and lower your feet there for 10-15 minutes.If you are a supporter of the European procedure, treat the skin with a remover and wait the specified time to soften the cuticle and the stratum corneum;
• Take a pumice stone or a laser grater and scrub your heels and soles of your feet well. Don't forget your fingers too. Thus, you will remove all unnecessary dead skin and get rid of corns and calluses;

• Rinse your feet in running water;
• Next, take a pusher or "orange" stick and gently push the cuticle to the base of the nail. Master pedicurists advise to shift it, and not to cut it off, in order to avoid injury and possible ingress of bacteria. For the best result and thinning of the cuticle, it is recommended to pre-treat it with a remover;
• Massage your feet using a nourishing or moisturizing cream with the effect of relieving fatigue and tension;
• If you want to apply a decorative coating to the nail plates, degrease them with nail polish remover. Insert special foam rubber expanders between your fingers and varnish your nails in 2-3 layers. It remains only to dry it - and your pedicure is completed!

If you decide to get a pedicure in a beauty salon and want to know how long you have to stay there, Check out the approximate calculation of the time required for each stage of the procedure:

• Bath or skin softening with a remover - about 10 minutes;
• Scrubbing - 10-15 minutes;
• Removal of keratinized skin, corns, calluses - about 20 minutes;
• Nourishing mask - 10 minutes;
• Processing of the periungual ridges and cuticles - about 20 minutes;

• Massage - 10 minutes;
• Decorative coating - 10-15 minutes;
• Design implementation - 10-15 minutes;
• Drying the coating - 10-15 minutes.

The frequency of the procedure depends on the condition of your skin on the feet and the type of treatment. If you choose a hardware procedure, you can enjoy the smoothness of your feet for longer than if your choice is a regular pedicure with moceration. In addition, the frequency of treatment of the feet depends on the season. In the summer it is recommended to do a pedicure 2 times a month, in the winter once is enough.

Ingrown toenails require special attention and also affect the frequency of the procedure. To care for them, a visit to a specialist once a week is required.

Do not forget that even if you periodically do a pedicure in the salon, no one has canceled home care. Do relaxing antibacterial baths, apply means for relaxation and stress relief at night. In summer, you can use creams and sprays with perfume. For excessive sweating of the feet, use talcum powder.

As mentioned earlier, fashion is now very loyal and offers a staggering variety of toenail designs. Consider the most popular fresh ideas:

• Classic monophonic pedicure. Suitable for everyone without exception. You just have to choose the right shade. For winter and off-season, calm colors are suitable, for creating a bright summer look - more daring, unusual. New in 2017 - covering 1-2 nails with gold or silver varnish;
• Decoration with rhinestones, sequins. A wonderful option for a festive pedicure. Rhinestones can not only cover the entire nail plate, but also lay out an ornament from them.Large sequins, laid out in a chaotic manner, will make your nail shimmer in the sun like a gem;
• Lunar pedicure and french. A classic that never goes out of fashion. But now there are much more opportunities: the “smile” of a French pedicure does not have to be made white, and as for the combination of colors when performing a lunar design, there is unlimited scope for imagination. Yellow and blue or purple colors look very harmonious; white and silver; pink and wine red;

• Ombre. In fashion, a smooth transition from one shade to another without denoting a clear border. The combination of 3 colors will make your pedicure even richer and brighter;
• Flowers. In order to make the summer look romantic and interesting, apply a print of your favorite colors on your nails. Roses, daisies, poppies, lilies will perfectly decorate your legs. However, do not forget that it is best to decorate in this way only one finger - the thumb, while on the rest it is best to apply a plain varnish of a suitable color;
• Multicolored. If you want more color - paint all your nails with different varnishes! The only requirement is a harmonious combination of colors. And do not use monochrome shades (black and white), and do not take brown and gray varnishes.

Don't forget to get a pedicure. Your feet deserve the best care. Remember that their main decoration is not bright varnish and intricate designs, but healthy smooth skin and neat nails. Therefore, at least once a month, visit a beauty salon or set aside time for self-treatment of the feet.

These hacks will help you get a great pedicure at home.