Soothing

“A great pedicure can be as soothing to the soul as…well the sole.” (Jan Arnold)

The term “pedicure” is derived from the Latin words pedis meaning ‘of the foot’ and curare meaning ‘to care for.’ The process of a pedicure helps men and women to remove dry skin and restore feet, cuticles, and toenails. Having attractive feet is a universal desire. Whether you are a male or female, young or old, attractive, neat, and clean feet are preferable to gnarly, painful, unkempt ones. Have you ever wondered where the idea of pedicures came from?

The practice of foot care is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt in the royal palaces of the Pharaohs, who were known to take special care of their legs and feet. Bas-relief carvings dating back to 2400 BC at the entrance to Egyptian Physician Ankhmahor’s tomb depicted noble men and women receiving beauty treatments resembling modern day pedicures and manicures.

The nature and type of foot care they received reflected a person’s social standing in the ancient civilization.  Rejuvenating and beautifying pedicures accompanied by the use of scented oils, herbal tinctures, and adornments were reserved for nobility, while medical attention to corns and calluses using rudimentary skin scrapers was reserved for the lower classes.

Eventually, the use of more sophisticated and refined scalpels and scrapers in combination with the pumice stone was customary in pedicures performed during the medieval era in Europe.  In the 1400s, medieval healers obsessed with magic created salves and pastes formulated to rehydrate the skin on the feet using an eclectic array of ingredients from swine dung, to the ash of the willow bark, to the intestinal fluid from a calf’s stomach.

By the early 1800s throughout much of Western Europe pedicures were regarded as the surgical care of the feet. Europeans embraced the notion that regular foot care was essential to one’s overall health and well-being. It was only towards the end of the century that pedicures were considered a beauty treatment for the first time thanks to their growing popularity among ladies of wealth and refinement.

Following the end of WW II, Revlon became one of the first beauty companies to begin making tools specifically for pedicures. Some people say pedicures started in India because of the practice of putting henna on nails. Some mention the French manicure of 1975 to be the reason behind the origin of pedicures.

Health benefits of pedicures:

·        Helps prevent infection of the toenails

·        Prevents ingrown toenails

·        Cleans the feet of ingrained dirt and bacteria preventing foot odor, nail disorders, and diseases

·        Reduce the risk of toe trauma (through promoting healthy toenails)

·        Help identify and treat foot problems early on (such as fungal infections, bunions, and corns)

·        Through massage of the feet helps to reduce tension, stress, and stiffness

·        Through massage of the feet around the ankles, help the circulation all over the body

·        Help preserve moisture in the feet (due to the oils and lotions used)

Directions for an at-home pedicure:

·        Soak your feet for at least ten minutes in warm water and Epsom salts. (This will help soften and hydrate dead skin and dry patches for easier removal.)

·        Scrub your feet with a foot scrub to exfoliate and then gently remove any calluses with a pumice stone. Then put them back in that water for a few minutes.

·        Clip your toenails straight across using a straight-edge toenail clipper.

·        File the freshly-clipped nails using an emery board to smooth away any rough edges.

·        Slather on some foot cream and make sure you rub it in well (especially between your toes).

·        Put on some slippers before you walk around to protect your newly-clean feet from debris.

What to expect on your first pedicure:

When you arrive for your pedicure, you will be seated in a massage chair with your feet in a tub of warm water. Over the next thirty minutes to an hour (depending on the type of pedicure you choose), the following will happen:

·        Your nails will get clipped and shaped.

·        Any goo hiding between your nails and skin will get painlessly removed.

·        The dead skin on the bottom of your toes and feet will be scoured until they reach a level of softness you didn’t know existed.

·        Expect some soothing gels and lotions to be rubbed on your feet and ankles.

 “I get facials. I get a manicure and pedicure every week. I get my hair cut, and I oil myself down from head to toe. I got that from my brother. I was so impressed with how high maintenance he was. When he left the room, you could still smell him for an hour.” (Bernie Mac) [i]

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[i] Sources used:

·         “5 Reasons Why Men Should Get A Pedicure” by Nikita Mukherjee

·        “History Of Pedicures” by anshul0105 

·        “How to Do a Self Pedicure” by Marta Nagorska

·        “Pedicures for Men: Everything You Need to Know” By the Editors of GQ

·        “The History of Pedicures” by Footlogix

·        “The Pros & Cons of Pedicures: Health Benefits and Warnings” by Breathing Happy Member

·        “Why Men Should Get Pedicures” By Garrett Munce