Unfortunately, today not every woman pays attentiondue attention to the pedicure. And it is in vain, because in the summer most of the fairer sex prefer open shoes, so the feet should always look perfect. And not only in the summer, by the way. Believe me, your beloved man will be much more pleased to touch well-groomed feet with a good manicure. It is about how to do a proper pedicure that you will now learn. And we will talk not only about the pedicure itself, but also about proper foot care. It is not so difficult to simply paint your nails, but in order for your feet to be really well-groomed, you need something else. What? Read carefully!
Foot care
Chafing, swollen blisters, calluses,redness, cracks on the heels - a very sad sight. And such feet simply need your help! There are several simple rules, the observance of which will return your feet to health and beauty in the shortest possible time:
- Hygiene.
Many women forget even about the mostsimple hygiene requirements and their feet see water only on big holidays. But this is simply unacceptable, since the heels will very soon begin to crack, and a layer of dirt on the heels does not decorate anyone. Therefore, remember once and for all - feet need to be washed at least once a day! And be sure to lubricate them with foot cream after washing.
- Foot baths.
Two or three times a week, your legs need to be cleaned.should be steamed so that later the keratinized skin particles can be removed without much difficulty. You can steam your feet in regular hot water, but it is best to do this in a chamomile decoction. To prepare the decoction, place five tablespoons of dry pharmacy chamomile in a saucepan, pour in one liter of water and bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer the decoction over low heat for at least 10 minutes, then cool slightly and be sure to strain, not forgetting to squeeze out the chamomile itself. Pour the chamomile decoction into a suitable basin, add two liters of warm water and stir - that's it, the foot bath is ready. But before you put your feet in, be sure to check the water temperature - it should be hot enough, but in no case scalding. Blisters from burns will certainly not decorate your feet. Keep your feet in the chamomile bath for at least 15-20 minutes. If the water cools down too quickly, add hot water - your feet should be well steamed. Then be sure to rub your heels and toes with pumice - it will remove dead skin particles. Just do not use scissors or a knife for this purpose - you risk not only removing unnecessary parts, but also damaging healthy skin.
- Soothing and nourishing masks.
Don't forget about masks for your feet.Before taking a foot bath, it is best to make a softening mask. For example, a banana mask. To prepare this mask, you will need two ripe large bananas and three to four tablespoons of any vegetable oil. Mash the banana with a fork until it is puree, add the oil and whisk thoroughly with a whisk. Apply the resulting mass to the skin of your feet and put two regular plastic bags on top. By the way, socks will not be superfluous, because the mask should be on the skin of your feet for at least 30 minutes. But the result will amaze you - after steaming your feet, the keratinized skin flakes will easily leave your feet, giving way to softness. After the foot bath, it would be nice to make a nourishing mask, which will also make the skin of your feet smooth and silky. The simplest mask is sour cream. To prepare it, melt two tablespoons of butter in a water bath, mix with two tablespoons of sour cream, add a few drops of lemon juice and mix everything thoroughly. Lubricate steamed and cleaned feet with the resulting mixture.
What is needed for a pedicure?
So, let's move on to the pedicure itself.The first thing you need to take care of is the necessary tools for a pedicure. They are easy to buy in specialized stores, and they don’t cost that much. Although, by the way, you shouldn’t skimp on this either — you’re not buying it just once, right? So, you’ll need:
- Pedicure scissors or special pliers.
- Scissors for cuticle removal.
- Grinding nail file (fine abrasive).
- A polishing file, ideally with a rubber coating.
- Glass nail file.
- A knife designed for the feet.
- Special scraper for nails.
- Separators for fingers.
If you're very lucky, you can find a special onea set for a home pedicure. But most often, alas, such sets are not of sufficient quality, so it is best to buy everything separately. And do not forget to buy a cosmetic bag to store all these accessories, otherwise they will constantly get lost.
Technique of performing pedicure
Everything necessary has been purchased, the legs are prepared.Let's move on directly to the manicure itself. It is very important to follow the sequence and not skip a single step. Of course, if you want to do a quality pedicure, not inferior to a professional one, and not its simplified imitation.
- We put in order the nails
First of all, adjust the length of your nails -Use scissors or tweezers to cut the nail, leaving the desired length. To avoid damaging the nail plate, the scissors should be positioned strictly perpendicular to the nail. Try not to cut the nail too short - leave at least a few millimeters. Otherwise, the nail will begin to thicken very soon, and this does not look very aesthetically pleasing, right? Use a nail scraper to remove all excess from under the nails - dirt and dead skin particles that inevitably accumulate there. Then use a nail file - the nails must be carefully filed and given the desired shape. In order not to provoke delamination of the nail plate, file it with movements in one direction. Be sure to grind and polish the nail plate - this will remove its top layer, which almost always has an unpleasant yellowish tint. But don't be too zealous - too intense impact on the nail can damage it. By the way, if you polish the nail correctly and well enough, then you can do without varnish - and this will create the full impression of absolute grooming.
- We process the cuticle
Are your nails ready?So, it's time to treat the cuticle. The very first thing you need to do is apply a special product to it, which promotes softening. After about 10 minutes, wipe your fingers with a cotton pad to remove the remnants of the product that has not been absorbed, and then use a special stick made of orange wood to push back the cuticle. Do not forget to use a scraper to remove the keratinized particles near the cuticle - otherwise, your nails will look untidy. You can leave the cuticle or remove it - it all depends solely on your preferences. If you prefer a trim pedicure, you will need special scissors - be careful, they are very sharp. After the cuticle is treated, be sure to apply a small amount of any nourishing product specifically designed for this purpose. If you do not have such a product at hand, you can replace it with regular liquid vitamin E or almond oil. This will allow you to spend much less time on cuticle treatment during subsequent pedicure sessions.
- Application of varnish
The final touch is to apply nail polish.Here you can give free rein to your imagination. If you want - get by with a simple colorless varnish. Want something more? Experiment with colored varnish. The only rule that must be strictly followed is the technology of applying the varnish itself. It should lie in an even layer, there should be no drips and especially no dirty skin around the nail - otherwise all your work will go down the drain.
Choose a varnish
Today, all the colors of the rainbow are in fashion, soThere are no and cannot be any restrictions on the color palette of varnish. However, you should not experiment too much - experts believe that the optimal color for a pedicure is still a universal natural color: light shades of pink and nude, which are ideal for any situation. Moreover, such varnish colors can hide minor nail defects. Among bright varnishes, orange and scarlet are preferable. Although, you must agree, such colors will not suit every wardrobe. But you can experiment with blue - give preference to the colors of blueberry, indigo and night sea. These shades harmonize well with things in a marine style, with chiffon dresses and sundresses in a hippie style, which are suitable for both romantic dates and meetings with friends, and attending social parties. More daring young ladies can go further and try to experiment with patterns on their nails. Today you can find a huge number of stencils, various stickers and rhinestones on sale, which make this task much easier. But even in this case, it is very important to remember about appropriateness - if you are going to a party in a nightclub, roses on your nails will only emphasize the style and individuality of their owner. But if you are going to dinner with your mother-in-law, wearing a formal suit, a flower bed on your nails will look at least tasteless, or even vulgar. One of the most common types of pedicure is nail art, which includes extension, decoration or painting of toenails. Of course, you can’t do such a pedicure at home, but it is impossible not to mention it. Modern nail extension techniques make it possible to make nails stronger, which is of great importance when wearing open shoes. In addition, with such treatment, the possibility of fungal infection is excluded, since the edges of the nail plate are sealed. We recommend reading:
