Pedicures

Pedicures and Daily Foot Care

The nail is made of a hard protein called keratin. A protein is one of the building blocks which make up the organs of the body. The nails help protect the ends of the fingers and toes from trauma. A pedicure involves cleansing the feet, nail care and a foot massage. A pedicure can be very relaxing and if you have foot problems, it can be therapeutic. Every 4-6 weeks it is a good idea to seek the services of a licensed professional. A licensed professional knows best how to keep your toenails and feet looking healthy and feeling good.

Daily Foot Care:

The feet should be cleaned daily to reduce the development of odor and the risk of disease. The feet are a very important and undervalued part of the body and it is important to keep them healthy. People who ignore their feet often develop all kinds of problems requiring years of treatment and thousands of dollars of medical bills.
Each day when you bathe, make sure that you wash carefully between the toes with an antibacterial soap such as Dial or Lever 2000 to remove the bacteria and fungus that tends to thrive there.
Dry the feet carefully with a towel. This will help prevent athlete's foot.
If wearing socks, use a cotton or wool blend. These natural fibers will allow your feet to breath. You should change your shoes everyday. Alternate 2-3 pairs of shoes, so the shoes will dry out completely before you use them again. Avoid high heels that tend to jam the toes into a small triangle, this will help prevent corns and calluses. Your shoes should be made of leather because it allows the feet to breath.

Foot Care Tips:

Once a week you can soak your feet in warm, soapy water containing a small amount of bleach (100 parts water mixed with 1 part bleach) so your feet will be clean and smell fresh. Using too much bleach will cause the cuticles to dry out and they will become sore and cracked.
Once a week push the cuticles back with an orangewood stick (available at your local drugstore). The cuticle is the skin that grows from the toe onto the base of the nail (nail root). If the cuticles grow over the nail they look sloppy and can cause hang nails (pieces of dead skin at the nail root or the side of a nail). While pushing the cuticle back, be careful not to push too far. If you push the cuticle too far it will become painful. Only push it back to the skin of the toe. Next clean under the free edge of the nail tip with the orangewood stick. A good time to push back your cuticles is after you have taken a shower or bath. This is because the warm water softens the cuticle.
There is never any need to use a nail strengthener on the toes because toenails are much stronger than fingernails. Using a nail strengthener on the toenails may make the nails difficult to cut.
If you like, apply color polish to your toenails. In the summer when women wear sandals or open toe shoes, it is a nice effect when the toes are polished. People enjoy the color, style and improved appearance of polished nails.
Sometimes nail polish, dirt and bacteria can stain the nails. This can be removed by using a Q-tip or an orangewood stick with a cotton tip. Soak the cotton in 10 parts water mixed with 1 part bleach, then rub the nail where the stain is. This will remove most stains from the nails.
A vitamin called biotin makes nails stronger in animals. Some studies suggest that it may help strengthen human nails. Biotin is available at health food stores.
Make sure you cut your nails straight across, otherwise ingrown toe nails can develop. If you develop an ingrown nail you need to see a podiatrist or dermatologist as soon as possible. Putting off a visit to a specialist will only allow the problem to become worse.

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