Pampering your hands and feet, especially the nails, makes you feel fresh and energized. It adds to your beauty and relaxes your mind. Today, the list of salons/spas that offer mani-pedi services is endless. However, if you are on a tight budget, you can do your manicure or pedicure at your home using a few items. In this blog, let’s take a look at the precautions to be followed and the detailed steps to get a manicure and pedicure.
Mani and Pedi
Don’t get confused with the two! “Mani” is for the hands, and “pedi” is for the feet. The terms, “manicure” and “pedicure,” have originated from ancient Latin words. Now, let’s plunge into the nitty-gritty of manicures and pedicures.
How to Get the Best Manicure?
A complete beauty treatment for your hands and nails is known as a manicure. It improves the blood circulation in your hands and also relieves your mind and body of stress. Can’t wait to get it done? Hold on! Here are some precautions you should take!
Precautions You Need to Take While Getting a Manicure
Following a few precautions before and during a manicure will go a long way in ensuring hygienic and safe practices for your hands. Some of the precautions are given below.
- Try doing your manicures at home using “Do It Yourself” manicure kits. It’s safer than getting manicures at the salon/spa because, at home, you will be the only person using the kit. This helps prevent infection of the nails and fingers.
- In case you prefer doing your manicure at the salon, ensure you remove your old nail polish at home. Carry the new nail polish with you and ask the salon staff to use only that.
- Check if the salon and its staff are clean. Make sure they maintain hygiene by disinfecting the manicure kit after every use. Also, ensure that the items for one-time use are disposed of properly.
- The staff must also wash their hands after every service they provide. It’s important to check this aspect too.
- Avoid sharing manicure kits with your friend if you’re visiting a spa together, or doing the manicure at home.
- In case you have delicate cuticles, request the salon staff to use cuticle scissors instead of cuticle softeners.
If you find the salon unclean, switch to a different one for your mani-pedi because your safety is much more important than the salon’s business!
How to Do a Professional Manicure at Home?
Want to have beautiful nails without blowing your budget? Try these steps at home!
- Gather all the essential tools, such as nail polish remover, cotton swabs, nail clippers, cuticle scissors, cuticle remover, new nail polish, nail file, nail buffer, and nail moisturizer.
- Using the nail polish remover, get rid of the old nail polish from your nails.
- Shape the nails using the nail file. You can make them round or square-shaped, based on your preferences. Make use of the nail buffer to make the nail surface even.
- Keep your hands in a bowl of warm water. Let them soak for a few minutes. However, ensure you don’t overdo it.
- Remove the dead tissue surrounding your nails using a cuticle remover. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t let the cuticle remover stay on for too long because it has acid (at low pH levels).
- Massage your hands using a moisturizer to hydrate and rejuvenate the skin.
- Get rid of any dirt or residue from your hands. Ensure there is nothing oily sticking to the nails.
- Paint your nails with the new nail polish using uniform strokes. Allow it to dry. Your hands will thank you for all the pampering you have done to them!
Must Read: 8 Steps to a Gold Foil Manicure!
How to Get the Best Pedicure?
A beauty treatment given to the feet and toenails is known as a pedicure. It involves steps like cleaning your feet, scrubbing and massaging them, and finally polishing the toenails. Again, there are a few precautionary measures you must remember. Here they are!
Precautions You Need to Take While Getting a Pedicure
There are slight differences between the precautions to be taken during a pedicure and those to be followed during a manicure. So here are the measures you must take before a pedicure and while getting one. Let’s look at them now!
- If you are getting a pedicure done at a salon, ensure the staff uses sanitized instruments. Some salons use plastic liners in their foot baths and also replace them after every use. Opt for such salons.
- If possible, carry your nail kit with you and request the salon staff to use it. This can prevent harmful bacteria or fungi on the mani and pedi instruments from getting into your feet.
- Make sure you don’t have any sores or open wounds on your feet because they can serve as a gateway for germs that try to enter your body.
- Avoid getting the cuticles on your feet trimmed. Ask the salon/spa staff to skip this part because these cuticles act as a barrier between the outside germs and your body.
- Diabetics must think twice before going for a pedicure. The best course of action would be to consult your doctor/healthcare provider before you get prepared for a pedicure.
Also Read: Beware of your makeup’s expiry date!
11 Steps to a DIY Pedicure at Home
A pedicure or “pedi” at the spa might look too elaborate for you to recreate at home. But it is not as complicated as it looks. Here are 11 steps you can follow to achieve the same results as the pedicures at the salons or spas:
- Just as in a manicure, collect all the items you need for a pedicure. Some additional things you need are a foot scrub, foot massage cream, and a foot pack (if necessary).
- Clean your foot nails using warm water and soap. Remove the old nail polish using a remover.
- Cut and shape your nails with the help of a nail file. In case you have brittle nails, avoid using metal files. Instead, use an emery or crystal nail file.
- Soak your feet in warm water. You can even add some salt crystals to the water, which will soften the callouses, if any.
- Take your feet out of the water and scrub them using the foot scrub. This will get rid of the dead skin cells and dirt from your feet. Scrubbing your feet will also increase their blood circulation, thereby making you feel energized and rejuvenated.
- Dab some cuticle remover on the areas where you have thick skin.
- If your feet have callouses, use a pumice stone to scrub that part away.
- Gently massage your feet with a foot massage cream.
- Apply a foot pack and allow it to set for 15-20 minutes. Once done, wash it off with warm water.
- Hydrate the feet using a moisturizer.
- Apply fresh nail polish and let it dry!
You have now got feet that are as good as new from the comfort of your home!
Some Mani-Pedi Colors You Can Try!
Here are some dazzling mani and pedi colors for you. Check them out and add some quirky nail art designs too!
1. Neons and Nudes
These days, neon colors are quite in vogue for mani and pedi. The idea is to try something wild. When paired with a suitable costume, the entire ensemble looks cool and trendy. Nudes are also loved by many girls who wish to go for subtlety.
2. Pretty Pastels
This is one color that has never gone out of fashion. Pastel tones always look cool and impressive.
3. Classy Crimson
This is again a color that never goes out of fashion. Though a little loud, this color looks good in every season and on every occasion.
4. Seaside Hues
If you’re bent on going for a beach vacation, you can try seaside hues. Inky blue, cobalt blue, and cyan are the colors that are perfect for a seashore-side vacation.
5. Wine Shades
These are forever cool when mani and pedi shades are concerned. Match your nails with some wine-colored lipstick to be the center of attraction anywhere, anytime!
Refresh Your Look with the Perfect Mani-Pedi!
Hope this blog on manicures and pedicures has proved helpful to you. Make use of the tips and suggestions we have listed and get the best out of your mani and pedi. And, remember that spending quality time for pampering your body parts is worth it!