Foot treatments :
After the foot bath (cf: Happy feet story ), it’s time to pass on to the more serious maintenance… Feet need to be maintained and taken care of on a regular basis, underneath and on top… Ladies, we can see your heel, even if it is underneath, it is still visible..and there is nothing worse than a heel that has not been maintained and treated accordingly, dry, cracked and full of calluses. It is difficult to hide in your chic sling backs and summer sandals. To maintain our heels and get rid of those ugly, and uncomfortable calluses, there are several solution..
- At the podologist :
Personally, I always entrust this task to my podologist. I go approximately every 3 to 4 months for maintenance. Contrary to preconceived ideas, podologists are also specialized in basic pedicures for feet without pathology (which is the case for me).. During a pedicure, he removes calluses, cracks and dead skin from the heel by means of a medical scalpel. He files with an electric machine to soften the whole area, removes cuticles and small dry skin from my toes and finishes by applying a foot moisturising cream. It is not painful at all, and we leave with brand new feet, all soft and smooth. It is pointless waiting until you are 70 with bunions all over your feet before finally agreeing to visit the specialist. A complete pedicure costs between 20 and 30 euros ( the podologist is not a beautician nor a manucurist, he does not paint your toenails)
Info: this solution is the most adapted for me and the soles of my feet, however my podologist never ever touches my nails, I will not allow it! Podologists have a reputation of cutting the toenails far too short and “medical” for my taste and liking, nothing like the nice square shaped aesthetic look that we do ourselves or that most beauticians do, so touching my toe nails is most certainly a “no go” for me!
- Do it yourself :
If you prefer to take care of your own feet by yourself, or simply to maintain the work done by the podologist, you must be prepared to do it once a week and invest in “tools” and special products specifically for feet, because remember they are different from hand products, like foot scrub which is much more “abrasive” and rough than the one for hands.
Ex-foliate using a scrub, to eradicate all the dead and dry skin. Massage well using circular movements and then rinse with tepid water. (Home-made scrub: sea salt and olive oil)
Forget about file or stone for feet to get rid of the hard skin that we can find on the heel of the foot, it would only make things worse.. I would not recommend either the special razor that you can buy used for calluses, as we can easily hurt ourselves by cutting too deep, so in case of calluses, the only way is to get to the podologist..
Moisturise ! Using a daily moisturiser is the secret for soft skin, I do not hesitate to message my feet with a good foot cream every day.
- My shock treatment :
Before a photo shoot or if my feet are particularly dry and damaged, the night before, I cover them in avocado oil (or almond, argon, carrot etc whatever you prefer) , then I wrap them in cellophane ( do not pull it too tight) and then I put on some big thick socks. In the morning my feet are soft, hydrated and like new !
Do your Nails :
Pretty nails as with clean feet, well cut and manicured, are as important for the men as for women, so all together now, take out your nail clippers..
- At the nail salon :
We can treat ourselves to a well earned break at the nail salon, where they take very good care of out little toes , with or without nails polish.
- Do it yourself :
We must carefully trim our nails every 2 to three weeks, depending of course on how fast they grow.. If they are hard it may be easier to cut them after a shower, as they will be softer.. They should neither be too long nor too short…the right length is when there is a small section of white just above the pink of the nail. (To prevent ingrowing toenails, cut straight across rather than in a round semi circle shape, you can of course shape the sides for a a softer and aesthetic look.)
It is important to push back the cuticles, after removing any old nail polish using nail polish remover, sink them into emollient water to soften them and by using a manicurist wooden stick that is rounded off, push them delicately towards the skin. Do not be too hard and be careful not to cut or tear the cuticles..
When the skin is pushed away and when the nail is clear, you can apply a little oil to the circumference of the cuticles. Add nail polish … Ladies, you can finish this pedicure with a pretty coat of nail polish.
Nail polish :
Before adding a coat of ail polish we must wipe the nail base so that it is completely clean and clear of all oils. You can use toe separators to help make the application easier. Next, apply a base coat of transparent polish to protect the nail bed from the different pigments in coloured nail polish, and also to balance out the surface of the nail..
Apply 1 or 2 coats of the polish of your choice and let it dry well in between each application, and be careful not to touch the cuticles, the brush should stop 1 mm from the skin. Finish with a top coat, which helps to speed up the drying process and prevents the polish from cracking and flaking
And voila! Now there is nothing left to do but go out and buy some shoes ..
# The end ;-)
Featured in this post :
Shoes & accessories by Karin Arabian
model : me
Translation @Natalya Paupe
