How to do pedicure at home step by step, VERY EASY!

Medically reviewed and approved by Nataniel Josue M.D.

How to do a pedicure at home, step by step? Taking care of my feet has always been something that has concerned me. We always take great care of our fingernails, as they are the most visible to everyone.

But when we decide to wear a pair of sandals, we realize that we neglected our toenails. That's when we choose to make them beautiful and want to care for them regularly.

 A pedicure is the cleansing and rest of the feet, where we soften the roughness found in the skin and the toenails. Now we'll take you through how to get a pedicure in the comfort of your own home.

How to do pedicure at home step by step

Disinfect your hands

The first step is to apply disinfectant to your hands and feet, then let them air dry.

Remove the polish: 

 If you have nail polish on your nails, remove it with cotton and remove it. The ideal is to use several cotton discs so that the nails do not stain excessively.

Soak:

Soak your feet in a tub of hot water for 5 minutes, to soften the skin and its roughness, you can add to the liquid:

• A few drops of essential oil.
• Bath salts.
• One effervescent tablet.

Cut: 

It would be best to cut the nail straight and not too sharp on the edges to avoid them getting buried in the skin with nail clippers, scissors, or pliers.

• The ideal way to cut the nails respecting the bud; if you cut the nails too much, you increase the risk of ingrown nails.
• You have to use scissors to make the simple straight cut, but they cannot be made oblique or oval.
• You have to use scissors to make the simple straight cut, but they cannot be made oblique or oval.
  If you want a good pedicure, you should never cut the sides of your nails too much, as they change the shape and direction of growth..

Shape:

To shape them, use fiberglass files and use cardboard files for profiling.

• To shape and smooth the tips, file the corners and edges.
• When you start, do it on the roughest side of the nail file to give it its shape and then use the side with the finest grain to provide it with smoothness. 
• You should only file in one direction to avoid breaking the nail.
• If you tend to have, ingrown nails use the file and pusher gently pulling the end of the nail file to lift them.

You have to try to lift the ingrown part of the nail to relieve the pressure. You will repeat this process will until the nail recovers naturally.

Push and clean the cuticle: 

• On the cuticle apply a product to soften it (cuticle renewer) and let it act for at least one minute
• Then you must immerse your feet for a short time in hot water.
• Once you soften the cuticle, use cuticle cutter ( removing nail's base skin tool). 
• You have to remove the nail's sides with the cuticle cutter.
• You have to be very careful not to cut all the way through because there may be a malformation of the nail.
• Then remove the cuticle with a pusher by dragging it backward, that is to say, the upper part up to the end of the nail; the skin that is whitish from the cuticle by lifting it and making a wiper movement to be able to take it off.
• Clean again with the parrot's beak and cut the excess with the cuticle cutter, trimming the excess skin around the nail. 
• Start at the sides and then at the top, pulling the skin to cut it better, but not too hard because you can cause painful cuts; you have to do this process is on all the nails.

Cuticle softeners contain active ingredients that dissolve the keratin in the epidermis and are also used to soften the foot's dense and thorny areas.

Before the pedicure, you can use these home remedies to soften the cuticle:

• Soak your nails in water with lemon; for this, you should pour two tablespoons of lemon juice into half a cup of warm water in a bowl, then mix well, and then soak your nails inside for 5 minutes, but if you have a cut the acid of the lemon can cause painful burning.
• Soak your feet in vinegar, fill a small bowl with a third of pure white vinegar, and soak your nails for 5 minutes.

Use the polishing nail block

Use the polishing block on all the nails to remove all the stains so that they are whiter.

Remove calluses

Pass a file # 180 to remove the calluses, by the heel, by the sole, with circular movements and polish the sides with a file number 220.

You should not annihilate calluses, as they naturally protect the feet.

Exfoliate: 

 Exfoliation helps us to remove dead cells. The skin is left more hydrated, which is also critical for a proper pedicure.

• You should make circular movements near the cuticle with exfoliating creams, on the sole, on the upper and the heel.
• Submerge your feet again in the tub to remove the exfoliating cream, and you will do the cleaning with the brush or with your hands so that it is immaculate, preferably with the brush to remove all the cream more easily.
• Then apply the alcohol to disinfect, again pass the parrot spout to remove any traces of remaining exfoliating cream between the nails.

 To achieve this you must use an exfoliating cream and apply it with circular movements on all areas of the foot, some exfoliating creams you can do at home are

Sugar scrub

To a little sugar or salt, add some of the creams you use to hydrate the body.

Lemon, oil, and salt

Mix a spoonful of lemon juice with the same amount of oil and add a little salt. Apply this cream by gently massaging your feet.

Coarse salt and coconut oil

Prepare an exfoliant with coarse salt and coconut oil by integrating the ingredients and applying it to the area we want.

Coffee Exfoliant

You will need coffee powder, a teaspoon of honey, and a little olive oil in a bowl mix the ingredients and apply it to your feet with gentle massages.

Soften

 In the feet, we get hardness that occurs in the pressure areas or where we continuously rub. The skin to protect itself produces more keratinocytes, which then thickens, which creates the corns and calluses.

To eliminate these calluses or forces use the file after showering, this removes the dead cells of the feet and avoid the keys that are just producing.

• For the files to do their job correctly, you must immerse your feet in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Then moisturize the skin very well with foot creams after using the anti-hardness file.

 For a more effective result, you should perform a homemade moisturizer for the feet, for example:

Papaya and olive oil cream

•  Three slices of papaya.
• Two spoonfuls of olive oil.

 Preparation:

• Mash the papaya slices well with a fork until it becomes a puree.
• Then add the olive oil and mix everything very well until you get a homogeneous cream.
• To use it, massage them into the heels until they are absorbed.

Milk cream

To make this cream, you will need:

• Four cups of whole milk.
• Two handfuls of baking soda.
• A couple of drops of essential oil.

 Preparation:

•  Heat the milk until it is warm, pour it into a tub, and soak your feet for 10 minutes, after that time, take a handful of baking soda and massage your feet, especially in the harder areas. 
• Repeat with the other foot, then put it back in the milk for five more minutes, when it is up to rinse and massage your feet.

Banana cream

Banana contains amino acids and vitamins that soften your feet, to make this cream.

• Puree two ripe bananas and apply them to your feet for 20 minutes.
• Then rinse with lukewarm water, or if you want, you can rub the inside of the peel on the soles of the feet that are drier.

Finishing: 

• To finish, clean your nail again and apply the polish you want.
• If you're applying dark nail polish, you'll want to use a base first so that your nails don't turn yellow.
• You should apply two coats of your favorite color and finally, a nail polish layer to increase the shine and durability.
• Before painting the nail, put cotton between your fingers, avoid damaging it, and use plastic separators.

Essential tools for a pedicure: 

The materials we use to make the pedicure are not many and are used to prepare the feet, soak it, file the nails, exfoliate with a pumice stone. 

Nail clippers:

They leave your toenails straight and of an adequate length to not cause discomfort.

File:

You use it to shape the nails through filing; you can even out the nails and round the corners to prevent them from breaking or becoming ingrown. The files can be made of cardboard or fiberglass. We recommend you file the nails always in the same direction and not from one side to another.

Bristle brush:

You have to use it to remove any impurities or traces of nail polish left on the nails; it is necessary for the ideal pedicure.

Wooden manicure stick:

We have to use it to push the cuticle back and correct possible mistakes during the nail polish application. We use it to push the nail cuticle back and also to decorate it.

 

Cuticle nipper:

We will use it to remove excess skin around the nails. We have to use it to remove the cuticle's excess skin and the excess of dead skin around the nails. 

Pumice stone:

We use it to smooth the feet, especially the heels. We recommend you soak the feet in warm water for a few minutes and exfoliate them properly to use the pumice stone

Separators:

For the final stage, use the spacers, which are instruments used to separate the toes and better apply the enamel. 

Nail polish:

The nail polishes are used to give color to your nails; it is essential for a proper pedicure; some provide it with brightness and others with very bright and fun colors. Choose a good nail polish brand so that they are of good quality and last as long as possible.

Scissors:

It is advisable to cut the nail when it is wet because it will be softer and more comfortable to cut, so you will avoid the nail layers to open.

Nail polish remover:

The ideal ones do not contain acetone since they dry out the nails and cuticles and are softer, so eradicating the nail polish will be difficult. We can also use it for gel and porcelain nails.

Nail polish base:

They are used to extend your pedicure's permanence, besides protecting the nail from dark-colored nail polish.

Nail Punch:

They are used to sculpt the nail with some design; they are available in different sizes. You can mix the nail polish colors on a small board or cardboard, dip the punch with this mixture, and decorate your nails.

Techniques on an excellent pedicure: 

• Disinfect all the materials you are going to use, your hands, and those of the people who will perform the pedicure. 
• Before starting the cleaning, soak your feet for 10 minutes in warm soapy water.
• Remove the soap and submerge it again in salty water for 5 minutes. That will serve to relax the feet and eliminate impurities. Do not use products that can dry out the skin.
• Avoid using metal files.
• After cleaning and maintaining the nails, apply a moisturizing cream all over the foot.

Tips for filing your toenails

• File the nail to prevent it from becoming ingrown.
• To avoid fungus, always keep your feet dry.
• Never cut the cuticle.
• Keep your feet hydrated with special creams or oils.

Conclusion

Now you no longer have any excuses for keeping your feet beautiful because you have learned how to perform your complete pedicure step by step in your home.

You no longer need to go out to a spa and spend a lot of money, but you have to keep up the pedicure routine.

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']https://buildyourbody.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Nataniel-Josue-Alvarez.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]The article was reviewed and approved by Nataniel Josué Alvarez. Medical Doctor graduated from Medical School Universidad Nacional Experimental Francisco de Miranda. Área Ciencias de la Salud. •Awarded winner IV Science Fair of Research Methodology - April 2012 •Recipient of Asesor Estudiantil Institucional Scholarship •Thesis: Relationship Between Parasitosis, Anemia and Hygiene Habits in patients aged 20 yo 70 years old in Amuay, municipality of Los Taques, Falcón State, Venezuela •Thesis: Intervention Plan in Rural Healthcare in Monte Verde and La Puntica sectors, of the Amuay Community, Los Taques parish, Los Taques municipality, of the Falcón State, Venezuela. During the period March 2018 - July 2018[/author_info] [/author]