Pedicures

Choosing Your Salon

Pedicures are available at all levels of luxury, from high-end beauty spas to bare-bones places that just do nails. Your first decision is what type of place to visit:

• High-end spas. These temples to beauty provide plush robes, soft music, comfortable seating and attentive service. Spas tend to charge the most for pedicures, but they also have some of the most decadent options.
• Salons. Many salons include nail care among their offerings. The technicians may be salon employees or contractors who simply use the space. An advantage of choosing a salon is that you can have hair, nails, and sometimes other beauty services all at one place, without paying spa fees.
• Specialty shops. Small shops which offer just nail care, or nail care and a few other services, are popular in many major cities. They can be found in less cosmopolitan communities, too. Some of these places are luxurious, but many are simple and utilitarian.

Types of Pedicures

A basic pedicure includes buffing, cutting, and filing toenails. The technician will use a pumice stick or stone to rub away thickened skin on the heels. He or she may also trim the cuticles, although many experts recommend against this. Cutting skin creates a way for infection, including nail fungus, to get in. Gently pushing the cuticles back is a safer choice.

Sometimes the basic service includes a brief massage. Next, after applying skin-softening lotion, the technician will polish the toenails in whatever color the client chooses. Toenails can be done in French manicure style, too.

Fancier pedicures include many more services:

• Spa Pedicure. "Spa pedicure" describes a more pampering experience. There is usually a soak in a warm, bubbling foot bath. The service often includes a foot and calf massage with high-quality oils or lotions.
• Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is the use of scents to alter mood. These services include specially scented products to invigorate, relax, or soothe.
• Herbal. Some salons offer special herbal products designed to purify or detoxify the body. Whether or not these claims are medically correct, herbal treatments can feel great.
• Milk and Honey. Adding a soak in milk and honey is said to provide extra skin-softening and hydration.

Safety: Foot Baths

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers guidelines to help people avoid getting infections from foot baths. Bacteria and fungi can live in foot bath water and on the tools used to do the treatment. If the technician isn't careful, he or she can pass infections from one client to another.

To prepare for a pedicure that includes a foot bath:

• Make sure there are no open cuts on your feet or legs.
• Avoid shaving, waxing, or using other hair removal techniques for 24 hours in advance.

At the spa, salon, or shop:

• Ask how the foot spas are kept clean. They should be disinfected after each customer, as well as every night. It takes about 10 minutes to do the disinfection, depending on the product used.
• If you're concerned, check the label on the disinfectant. It should be approved by the EPA for hospital, medical, or health care use.
• If you're not confident that the place is clean and safe, walk away.

Safety: Other Concerns

Even a basic pedicure can create opportunities for infection. In addition to observing that the shop is generally clean, here are some other precautions to take:

• Don't allow cuticles to be cut or calluses to be shaved.
• Watch to see that all instruments have been sterilized before use. The California Podiatric Medical Association warns against relying on ultraviolet sterilizers, because they may not kill all the germs.
• Consider bringing your own nail care tools for the technician to use. The American Podiatric Medical Association states that this is the only way to be sure the tools are not carrying bacteria or fungus from another customer.
• Make sure the technician uses a new emery board, or bring your own. Files can harbor germs.