What is a pedicure?
A pedicure is a beauty treatment for your feet.
A pedicurist removes dead skin, softens hard skin and shapes and treats toenails, and also massages softening and soothing oils and creams into your foot to make it feel as though you are walking on air.
What is a pedicure good for?
Good foot care treats and prevents skin problems such as callouses, as well as in-growing toe nails and related infections. A pedicure can help your posture by enabling you to walk more comfortably. Combined with massage, hot stones, a herbal or aromatic rub or a soak in scented oils, a pedicure can also soothe and relax you generally.
Is it the same as chiropody/podiatry?
A chiropodist/podiatrist is a medically-trained professional who is qualified to diagnose and treat medical problems and do preventative care on your feet. This may involve minor surgical procedures such as cutting off dead skin, and treating in-growing toenails.
A pedicurist is not a chiropodist/podiatrist; a pedicure is not a medical procedure.
I've got a verruca on my foot, can I still book a pedicure?
It's not a pedicure you need, it's a chiropodist/podiatrist !
It's not really practical for a therapist to work round a verruca. The therapist has to hold and massage your feet during a pedicure and will be exfoliating the hard skin from your soles and heels.
Verrucas are caused by the papillomavirus which is carried around on the surface of the skin. It doesn't cause any harm unless it penetrates the skin, where it can take hold and form a wart. It's best to treat verrucas and ensure they are completely cleared up before having a pedicure.
Forget the pedicure this time, and don't forget to wear verruca socks when you use the swimming pool.
Hot tip !
Your choice of footwear is really important when you go for a pedicure.
Whilst ordinary shop-bought nail polish usually dries completely within five minutes or so, proper pedicure-standard nail polish may take up to 12 hours to dry completely! You don't want to have to push those nails into socks and trainers for your cycle home. Whatever you arrive in, make sure that you have flip-flops or open sandals to wear when you leave.
Even if you aren't having nail varnish applied in your pedicure, you're unlikely to want to throw your feet straight back to the tough work of pounding you around the street in a pair of court shoes. Give your feet a break and take something more comfortable with you to wear afterwards.
