Pedicure Do’s and Dont’s
A pedicure is a great way to unwind and relax after a hard day’s work. But while this little luxury seems indulgent during the service, if not careful, pedicures can contaminate and infect your skin and nails. Follow these dos and don’ts to protect your feet against harmful infections:
- DO be the first appointment of the day. In the mornings, foot baths are usually the cleanest they will be all day. If you’re the first customer of the day, other customers haven’t contaminated the foot bath for that day. If you can’t be the first customer, however, make sure that the technician cleans both the tub and the filter before your service.
- DO trim straight across. Make sure your technician trims your nails straight across and does NOT dig into the sides of the nail or try to trim out ingrown toenails. Trying to dig out an ingrown toenail at a salon can be unsanitary, lead to infections, and be very painful! If you have an ingrown toenail, schedule an appointment with your podiatrist immediately.
- DO watch for signs of infection. If your skin bleeds or gets nicked at the salon, make sure to carefully clean and disinfect that area and keep a close watch for signs of infection. You should also wait to shave your legs until after a pedicure, not before hand. Small shaving nicks can leave you vulnerable to infection.
- Do NOT share instruments. If at all possible, bring your own instruments into the salon. Bacteria and fungus can easily be transferred from person to person on these tools, especially if the salon does not use proper sterilization techniques.
- Do NOT use blades. Never allow a technician to touch your feet with a blade or knife! Leave all the ‘cheese grater’ type items for the cheese, not your feet. A sharp file cannot distinguish normal versus callused skin, which leaves a huge risk for cuts and abrasions. If the technician is overzealous in filing your calluses, he or she could end up going too deep, which can lead to sores, infection, and ulcerations.
- Do NOT camouflage with polish. Colored polish should only be painted on healthy nails because fungus and other problems can be hidden under polish. It’s important to change your polish frequently and check your nails when polish is off.
- Do NOT trim cuticles. Don’t let your technician trim or cut your cuticles. Cuticles seal the gap between your skin and nails, providing watertight protection to your fingers. If cuticles are cut, this protective seal is broken and your fingers would be more susceptible to intrusion and subsequent infections.
If you want to go to a spa any time of the day and not have to worry about catching anything nasty, call (309) 661-9975 or make an appointment at Healing Steps Spa. Healing Steps Spa offers:
- Personalized one on one service– only one client per appointment in a private setting.
- No cross-contamination– all instruments are sterilized between patients.
- Professional service– our licensed nail technician works hand in hand with Dr. Melissa J. Lockwood, our physician.
At Healing Steps Spa you get the safe, sanitary, private spa you want, with all the luxurious amenities you deserve!