If you want to have a pair of happy feet, getting a pedicure every 6 weeks is a must. Some nail professionals might advise you to visit the salon every 4 weeks if they notice your toenails need extra care or if your nails grow fast. Generally speaking, you can get a pedicure whenever you want. During the warmer months, your nails might need some extra maintenance, or you might be in the mood for more experimentation with colors and styles now that they’re out for everyone to see. So let’s talk all things pedicure and answer some of the most popular questions surrounding the topic!
Are Pedicures Really Worth It?
Many people wonder if going to the salon for a pedicure is actually worth it. Do they really do something to your feet that you can’t master at home?
The answer is yes. Obviously, nail art professionals don’t just paint your toenails. They look after the overall health of your skin and toenails. Using a professional exfoliation tool, they keep your feet moisturized, and the dead skin filed where it’s needed. Women tend to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive face creams, yet when it comes to their feet, they often let their skin get dry and cracked. Letting your feet soak in a foot tub with a few drops of your favorite essential oils can do wonders for your skin, especially if your favorite nail artist has added a dash of aromatic bath salts. I feel more relaxed just writing about it.
Most importantly, regular pedicures will help you avoid ingrown toenails, leading to various nail infections. Professional nail technicians are pedicure specialists qualified to treat ingrown nails. You can treat ingrown nails with a basic procedure or just a few regular visits to the salon when spotted on time. However, foot and nail infections of this kind, when in a severe state, can be a painful problem, requiring a nail bracket or, in the worst cases – surgery.
Frequent pedicures can help you prevent and treat ingrown nails, which are often a result of poor nail-cutting technique. Here’s some more good news – you won’t have to cut your own nails if you start visiting the salon often enough! You can rely entirely on your nail salon to maintain your feet. Isn’t that great?
How Long Should You Wait Between Pedicures?
Wondering how often should you get a pedicure? This is the perfect question to ask your pedicure specialist when you go for your first pedicure. Depending on your nails and skin condition, you might be asked to come in every two to three weeks or every four weeks in some cases. Crack healing may require more frequent visits, just as ingrown toenail treatment.
If you got a gel pedicure and didn’t require any other treatments, you can safely wait around 6 weeks until your next appointment – the typical wait-time for a normal pedicure. Our toenails take longer to grow, and you won’t notice a difference in the quality of your pedicure either.
Of course, every rule has an exception – if you decide to wear a light color and a matte top while wearing open-toe shoes, your nail polish may get dirty from the surrounding environment. This is especially true if you use white or light powdered pigment on your toenails. The gritty and matte finish collects more dirt than any other type of nail polish.
A typical pedicure lasts around 6 weeks before beginning to crack or show imperfections. If yours doesn’t, and your gel nail polish starts to peel off or crack, you might be getting ripped off by the salon. Many salons tend to use thinner or acetone to extend the life of old nail polish bottles. You might be short-changed if you notice a drastic change in color from what is presented on the bottle or severe bubbling up. Switch your salon!
There is such a thing as visiting the salon too often! Callus smoothing and crack treatment require exfoliation, which can be overdone. You don’t want to exfoliate any part of your skin too much, which I know can be tempting – we all love the smooth and soft feeling post-exfoliation. Remember the golden rule – nothing in excess! Over-exfoliation can lead to the opposite effect and cause blistering, more callus formation, and other unpleasant side effects. A good pedicure professional who’s not there just for the money will advise against ultra-regular visits to the nail salon.
How To Prepare for My Pedicure Appointment?
In all honesty, there is very little you should be doing to prepare for a professional pedicure. After all, you pay money for these fabulous nails, so you should leave most of the prep to the professionals. However, there are a couple of minor things you could pay attention to before you head over to the nail salon.
- Significant preparation isn’t necessary, but visiting the salon with clean feet is appreciated. Everyone should visit nail salons with clean feet to prevent the spreading of fungus and other bacteria.
- Wear breathable shoes and socks to prevent your feet from getting smelly. Don’t forget you’ll always start your pedicure soaking your feet in warm water mixed with essential oils, so don’t worry about unpleasant smells reaching the nail technician.
- You could remove previous nail polish at home, but I can guarantee your nail technician will do it for you, most often free of charge. Chances are they’ll do it faster and better than you too!
- Often times I go to my nail appointments only to find I forgot to shave my legs. Awkward! Yes, I am aware we live in the 21st century, and it’s “my body my choice” I don’t judge anyone who lets their leg hair grow wild shamelessly. It’s a personal preference, and I don’t know about you, but I prefer to go smooth-legged than hairy. So if you’re like me, this is your reminder – shave before your pedicure!
- Here’s a myth – you’re probably thinking, “I should cut my nails before I go for my pedicure.” Right? Wrong! The correct answer is – don’t touch your nails. Don’t get tempted to cut the toenails yourself. Firstly, you might be using the wrong technique. Most ingrown nails are a result of poor nail housekeeping! Secondly, different pedicure requires different nail length. You can’t really get a french pedi if you’ve trimmed your nails up to your cuticles. Leave the nail artists something to work with!
That wasn’t too bad, was it! Now you know there’s very little you need to do before you get a pedicure. Maintaining good hygiene is pretty much the only thing to focus on.
What to Expect After Getting a Pedicure?
Goodbye, tired feet! A monthly pedicure can do wonders for your feet. Not to mention, if you’re visiting the salon to treat ingrown toenails, you should see drastic improvements after just a couple of visits. I wholeheartedly recommend getting pedicures in the summer and leaving yourself a break during the winter months. There are numerous benefits to getting pedicures and manicures:
Bye-bye Infections
Yes, getting a regular pedicure is supposed to prevent infections. Looking after the skin on your feet will keep them healthy and moist. Say goodbye to cracks, dry skin, and infections. Depending on how often you get a pedicure, you can prevent your nails from growing inwards and causing severe infection and deformation of your toe.
Muscle Tension – No More
Getting a pedicure is as circulation boosting as plopping on a massage chair. Receiving a foot massage reduces muscle tension and improves blood circulation, too!
Younger-Looking Skin
When your hands or feet receive regular hydration, your skin will look younger and healthier too. You’ll always get a chance to apply some first-class moisturizer at your nail salon. Keeping your cuticles healthy with some essential oil also contributes to the extraordinary appearance of your skin. Just make sure to ask your pedicure specialist about the different hydrating options if they don’t do it already!
Great Mental Health
Listen, a pedicure worth 35-40$ will always be cheaper than seeing a therapist. I don’t know about you, but the hour and a half I spend at the salon can lift immense mental baggage off me. It has been proved that pamper sessions can significantly reduce stress levels! I always feel happier after I pay a visit to my nail salon, even if I just got a basic pedicure.
What’s The Difference Between a Pedicure & Manicure?
Pedicure sessions tend to be lengthier and more expensive. Do you wonder why and what the difference is between a pedicure and a manicure? You might be thinking, what’s so special abou the one or the other? It’s ten nails that get a makeover at each session, right? While that’s true (unless you lost a toe for some unfortunate reason), there are some noticeable differences between the two procedures.
When you go get a pedicure, you’re not only leaving with beautiful and healthy toenails. You’re also treating your feet to a nail spa. A full procedure includes:
- Soaking your feet in bath salts and essential oil
- Rinsing your feet
- Exfoliating your feet
- Massaging your feet (not for the ticklish!)
- Filing calluses and removing dead skin
- Removing old polish
- Trimming, filing, and buffing your nails
- Pushing back cuticles
- Cutting cuticles (optional)
- Painting the nails with gel polish or regular polish
- Hydrating the feet with a foot cream
- Applying cuticle oil to each toe
As you can see, a pedicure is a little different from a manicure. It requires a few extra steps to get the healthy feet of your dreams, but it’s all worth it in the end! You can always opt to get a normal pedicure without any polish and just allow the nail artist to keep your feet in check, trim what needs trimming and exfoliate what needs exfoliating!
What About Men?
Even after so many years and the numerous health benefits proven by doctors, men still need a lot of convincing to get a pedicure. Society has somehow managed to portray this as emasculating, to make things worse! Wondering how often you should get a pedicure as a man? As often as you like! Doctors recommend going for a pedicure to avoid ingrown toenails for men specifically, so make sure you get a pedicure every so often to make sure everything is alright down there.
And seriously, guys, no one is asking you to stay for a paraffin pedicure or a full pedicure and choose a toenail color! You can visit a salon once a month to boost your toenail care and look after hard-to-reach areas. Not everything can be fixed with a pumice stone! Getting a pedicure is nothing to be ashamed about, and you might prevent some nasty infections with just a few harmless visits!
You Nailed It!
You reached the end of our article! Now you know tons about pedicures. Do you want to check out related content? Check out the different manicure types. You might find some inspiration there for your next visit to the salon!
We don’t just write articles about pedicures. We cover a vast range of topics, like finding the best primer for large pores.
Alternatively, you might be interested in the best indoor tanning lotions, just in time for summer!
I hope you enjoyed our take on the famously asked question. Now shoo. Go get those nails done!
