When it comes to our feet, many of us have something that we don’t particularly like. Whether its callouses, cracked skin, ingrown toenails or simply chipped polish, we often find a reason to forgo a pedicure and keep our feet hidden inside our shoes. With a little bit of TLC, however, your feet can be looking pretty with a salon-quality pedicure. If you aren’t sure how to pedicure your feet, here are a few simple pedicure techniques to get you started.
- Remove old nail polish. Start your pedicure by using a lint-free, cotton pad to apply nail polish remover to each nail to remove any residual polish. If you notice any yellowish stains, dab a bit of whitening toothpaste onto each nail and give them a scrub. A bit of lemon oil will also do the trick.
- Cut and file your nails. When learning how to pedicure, it’s important to concentrate on cutting your nails straight across to avoid ingrown nails. You’ll want to make sure that your nails aren’t extending beyond the end of your toe, but you don’t want to cut them too short, either. After a pedicure, your nails should be just slightly shorter than the length of your toe. When filing your nails, make sure to file in only one direction. Use the file to smooth the edges of your nails and to create slightly rounded corners.
- Give your feet a soak. Soak your freshly-trimmed toes in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes – longer if your feet are very dry or calloused. If you want to make your pedicure extra luxurious, add a cupful of Epsom salts or a few drops of aromatherapy oils to the water.
- Cuticle care. Taking good care of your cuticles is an important part of knowing how to pedicure correctly. Now that your skin is supple from your pedicure foot soak, apply a drop of cuticle oil to the base of each toenail. After a minute, use an orangewood stick to push the cuticle back towards the nail bed in a circular motion.
- Smooth the skin. If you want to know how to pedicure like the pros, you need to know how to successfully remove dead skin from your feet to eliminate calluses and make the skin silky smooth. Start this part of the pedicure with an exfoliating foot scrub. Next, use a foot file or wet pumice stone to remove dry skin buildup from the heels, toes, sides and soles of the feet.
- Infuse moisture. Apply a thick moisturizer to the feet and calves to lock in moisture and keep your feet baby soft long after your pedicure.
- Apply Polish. Now that your feet are neat and clean, it’s time to apply the polish – the trickiest part for many people who are learning how to pedicure. Start this part of your pedicure with a thin base coat, followed by two light coats of polish and a light top coat. Make sure you take your time and allow the polish to dry thoroughly between coats to prevent your pedicure from smudging!
