Step by step on how to do your pedicure at home following professional recommendations

Often, we put foot care aside for different reasons, such as the lack of money to go to a podiatrist or a salon, or simply because we don’t know how to do a pedicure at home. If any of these options are your case, we have the solution!

One author decided to show to the awesome.club the step-by-step of a complete pedicure done at home, and the results were so interesting that we would like to share some of his techniques (of course, always based on expert advice).

Materials:

Pumice stone or foot sandpaper;

Foot brush;

nail pliers;

Optional: cuticle remover;

Cuticle pliers or nail scissors;

Nail file;

Cuticle spatula or orange stick;

Enamel of the color you prefer;

Top coat.

Before starting, you need to prepare your feet:

If you wish, shave the hair on your feet;

If you still have nail polish on, it’s best to remove it;

Then prepare your feet to remove dead, accumulated skin. Podiatrists recommend submerging them in warm water for ten minutes to soften the tissues. You can add Epsom salts, oils and herbs to the bath as well.

With the help of sandpaper or pumice stone, you need to exfoliate in order to remove the hard and dead skin around the heels and sides of the feet. Experts advise making circular movements, in addition to using this tool only for the feet, not sharing it with anyone and washing it thoroughly after use.

Run the brush over the areas where you exfoliated earlier to remove the sloughed skin. Use the brush whenever you need to remove dirt or dead tissue such as cuticles and calluses.

Even if it seems something simple, it requires a specific technique to avoid “buried” or ingrown nails, and not to injure ourselves. The correct way, indicated by podiatrists, is:

There is no better tool than nail clippers (or nail clippers). It is designed to provide an even cut;

Always cut your nails in a straight line and never curved, it doesn’t matter that the edges are sharp. That way, you’ll have a square shape, which will encourage growth forward rather than sideways;

Never cut your nails too short. They must always be on top of the skin and not the other way around. When the tissue sticks out of the nail, it grows into the skin.

It is necessary to smooth the bends of each nail with an emery board. Experts recommend doing this every time after trimming to flatten the nail and prevent jagged edges from growing and sinking into the skin.

With the help of the spatula or the orange stick, it is necessary to remove the cuticles and the dead skin that remained between the nails and the fingers. Foot specialists advise gently pushing the skin back, only removing tissues that come off easily. But beware, repeating this over and over again can make the cuticles grow even thicker.

With cuticle pliers or scissors, we must only remove those little pieces of skin that have risen, but without removing more than these “little skins”. You can even try to cut the cuticle very carefully, so as not to injure the skin and cause an infection; it should be mentioned that this is purely for aesthetic purposes and it is better not to do it, as podiatrists assure that the cuticles serve as a protective barrier against bacteria.

If your nails are healthy, you can paint and apply a top coat🇧🇷 An indicator of fungus, according to experts, is thick, discolored or yellowed nails. If yours has any of these conditions, it’s best not to apply nail polish of any kind, as it locks in moisture and doesn’t allow the nail bed to ‘breathe’. In that case, it’s better to go to a professional. Finally, hydrate your feet with a specific product for this purpose.

How often do you do your toenails? What is your favorite nail polish color? We look forward to hearing from you in the comments section!