A pedicure at home is easy to do. This is one of those procedures that, if followed, correct technique You can actually do it yourself - it will take a little time and a simple set of tools.

And yet, many women make a number of mistakes when taking care of their nails and skin on their feet. Correct the shortcomings in such a routine procedure as a pedicure.

Mistake #1: cutting your nails at the root

How do you trim your nail plates when doing a pedicure? It is considered too long nails on the legs - it's unaesthetic. Maybe so. But when you constantly cut them to zero, there is a risk of catching fungus. There is also a chance that the skin on the tips of your toes will begin to peel off greatly (if you wear tight, uncomfortable shoes).

It is optimal to leave the length of the nails approximately 2 mm from the place where they extend from the skin. In this case, the pedicure looks quite aesthetically pleasing! And besides, the condition of the nails does not deteriorate. The maximum length of nail plates is 4 mm. If they are longer, there is a possibility that they will be injured when wearing shoes.

Few people pay attention to the shape of their nails when shortening them at home. Meanwhile, nail plates cut in a straight line can lead to them growing into the skin - sharp corners cut into the skin ridges on the side of the nails. And this is a serious problem - in “advanced” cases it is impossible to do without surgical intervention. Oval nail shapes are not suitable for the same reason!

What shape should I give my toenails? Ideally, it is a rounded square with filed corners.

Mistake No. 3: getting carried away with treating your heels with hard pumice stones

The more you rub your heels with pumice, the softer they will be. This is what many women think, with enviable regularity doing foot baths with further treatment of the feet with hard files. This won't help! Firstly, after such an intense exposure it will be painful to walk because you are removing upper layer cover. And secondly, there is a chance that you will achieve the exact opposite effect - the skin on your feet will become rougher even faster.

Ideally, include foot treatment with pumice stones and files. home care no more than 2 times a week. Choose the right tools for you. These can be pumice blocks, files of varying degrees of abrasiveness, mechanical devices with rotating attachments.

Mistake #4: Using pumice incorrectly

When including hard files in your care to treat rough feet, pay attention to how exactly you use them. It is wrong if you move the tool across the skin “back and forth”! In this case, the feet will not be smooth to the touch. Work with the file strictly in one direction. The movements are smooth, without pressure.

Despite the availability of salon foot care procedures and a large selection of home cosmetics, many resort to extreme measures in the fight for soft heels - cutting off rough areas of skin with a razor. You can't do a pedicure like that!

Using a razor on the skin of your feet (even very rough skin) can be dangerous. One wrong move and a cut will appear on the cover. And a wound on the foot (even if, with a favorable outcome, it still does not fester) will definitely not give you pleasant sensations.

Even such a radical method as razor blades will not remove “old” calluses and corns. The only ones that will be effective here are salon treatments using special equipment and cosmetics. And even in this case, a positive result will be noticeable only after several sessions. Beautiful, healthy feet are a task that will take time.

Mistake #6: Hot water for baths

Steaming foot bath - important preparatory stage trim pedicure. The skin of the feet softens, which facilitates further processing with pumice and cutting of the cuticle. But it's a big mistake to make bath water too hot! There is a risk of uneven “flaking” of the skin, which means you can accidentally cut off “living” tissue. This will definitely not make your heels smooth.

Bath water should be warm, but not hot. Add to it sea ​​salt or herbal decoction.

Mistake #7: Polishing your nails too often

Toenails are denser and stronger than fingernails. But even if not properly cared for, they can become brittle and weak. One of the reasons is frequent watering of nail plates with coarse abrasive buffs. Yes, such files will make your nails smooth and shiny, which will make it easier to apply nail polish on them later. But they greatly thin the nails with frequent use. As a result, once strong nail plates will very soon begin to flake and break from the slightest mechanical impact.

Polish your toenails with hard files no more than once a month - this will be enough to maintain their beautiful appearance. Buffs with finer spray can be used more often - they do not injure the nail plates, but serve to give them shine.

The skin of the feet, even more than the skin on the hands, needs care. If you don't use foot creams, the skin on your feet will be dry. Even the baths you often take won't help.

You can find a variety of foot creams on sale - moisturizing, nourishing, disinfecting, antibacterial, softening. Choose the right one.

Treat not only the rough areas of the heels with the cream, but also all the feet up to the ankle. Also carefully work the area between the toes with the product - this will prevent the appearance of fungus on the feet.

Mistake #9: Not sterilizing instruments after a pedicure

It would seem, why waste time processing the tools used in the pedicure process if only you take them? But this is a mandatory stage of the procedure, which will help minimize the risk of infection, which is especially important with the trimming pedicure method. It is unknown what bacteria will “settle” on scissors, tongs and files during the time they have been lying around since the previous procedure.

Boil the tools you use in hot water (5-10 minutes is enough). You can also wipe them with alcohol or special disinfectant solutions before work. Don't forget, you should have 2 sets of tools - separately for manicure and pedicure!

If you don’t want to constantly waste time processing scissors and tongs, switch to an unedged pedicure with disposable sets for work.

Well-groomed hands are an indispensable attribute of female beauty. Manicure plays one of the leading roles in the image, and the abundance of designs and techniques does not fit into any framework. In the context of hand care, pedicure fades into the background, and many girls undeservedly forget that their feet need no less care.

How to properly do a pedicure at home? Step by step about foot skin care and what you can’t do without when creating neat nail plates.

Care to the tips of your nails

The word pedicure came into use from the French language (pédicure), although in fact it has Greek roots. It can be literally translated as “foot and cut/scissors.” Pedicure is a care procedure for the feet, similar to manicure, which is responsible for the hands. Attention is paid to toes, skin, nails, feet. You can get the service at a beauty salon or do it yourself. How to properly do a pedicure at home, and step by step photo Further.

The procedure includes the following components of healthy and beautiful legs:

• Steam bath.
• Removal of rough skin on the feet.
• Cuticle treatment.
• Shaping the nail plates.
• Massage.
• Decorative nail coating.

For those who want to perform a pedicure at home, which would not be inferior in quality to a professional one, we will step by step tell you about the nuances of each of the above points.

Preliminary preparation

Before you begin the main manipulations, you must definitely get rid of the previous nail polish. Give preference to liquids that do not contain acetone. Gentle removers will protect the nail plates from harmful effects.

Also at this stage, all instruments involved in the process are thoroughly disinfected: files, scissors, pumice stone, tweezers, etc.

Purity and softness

Softening the skin of the feet – important point. Make a bath of warm water, using a container large enough for you to soak both feet at the same time. Enter a foaming ingredient (shampoo, shower gel, bubble bath). It wouldn’t hurt to add sea salt or herbs; some people prefer essential oils. The feet are immersed in the water for literally 10 minutes, after which they are wiped dry with a towel. This time is enough for dry, dead skin cells to soften and become pliable for removal.

Shape and surface

It is believed that square shape nails - perfect. It's not just about aesthetics, but also about comfort. By cutting off the protruding part of the plate along straight line, you prevent such a common problem as ingrowth. The cut is carefully trimmed using a file, and the ends are slightly rounded, moving from the edges to the center.

There are several ways to rid your nails of overgrown skin (cuticles). As a rule, there are classic trimmed and untrimmed European pedicures, which are more preferable for a number of good reasons (the risk of injury to the skin and the possibility of infection is minimized). Lubricate the cuticle area with a special product and wait the required time.

Then use an orange wood stick or a pusher to push away the softened area of ​​the overgrown skin.

Use a spatula to clean the area under your nails. Use a nail file to treat rough fingertips and calluses. Use a double-sided file to polish the surface of your nails until they are smooth, even and shiny. In addition, after this simple technique, the coating will last significantly longer.

"Stop!" foot problems

The feet often have excessively rough skin. Your faithful allies in the fight against such troubles are pumice stones, scrubs, peelings, masks.

Usually that ten-minute bath is enough to soften, but if you think that this is not enough, repeat the procedure again. Treat your steamed feet with pumice, especially the heel area.

For those who are familiar with corns and cracked heels, we advise you to resort to traditional healing methods. For example, nutritional masks are effective. Before going to bed, the heels are covered with a medicinal mass, wrapped in cellophane film on top and socks are put on. In the morning, the mask is washed off and moisturizer is applied.

Home SPA resort

All the pleasures professional care available within the walls of your own home. For SPA care, prepare a bath of water and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, be it citrus, woody or floral. Enjoy warm water and the pleasant aroma of essential oils for about half an hour, setting you up for a wave of relaxation. Using the scrub, start massaging your feet. This product effectively gets rid of rough skin, giving your legs softness and smoothness. Any cream will do for the mask, the only thing is that it must be applied in a thick layer. Next, as you already know, the feet are wrapped in plastic film, and socks are put on top. The desired duration is from a couple of hours to the whole night.

Design and decor

Decorating the legs is the last stage of the pedicure. Decorative coatings are presented in a wide range, so you can easily find the desired colors and shades, textures and effects. Toenails are traditionally painted in more neutral tones so that the pedicure goes with any clothing, shoes and accessories. However, this principle does not impose restrictions on you. You can afford absolutely any technique and design. We recommend paying attention to classic or colored French, plain red, ombre.

Here are the main secrets of how to properly do a pedicure at home to achieve smooth and soft heels, shiny and even nail plates. Pamper your feet once every 7-10 days, and then you will not encounter cracks, corns, ingrown nails and other eternal problems. A beautiful pedicure is the key to attractiveness. And it doesn't matter whether your feet are visible to the public or hidden under your shoes. Knowing that you are impeccable, you will radiate optimism and confidence, and a smile will certainly reign on your face.

Learning how to do manicures and pedicures yourself is a useful skill. If only because you don’t always have the time, energy and money to go to a master. We have prepared simple instructions, which will help you see the result no worse than in the salon.

Manicure

Step #1. To ensure a safe procedure, disinfect the instruments. This is a required step, even if you are the only one using them. The easiest way is to buy a special product that is sold in professional stores, or wipe the tools with regular alcohol. There is another option: boil metal objects in a saucepan for 20 minutes. But here you have to wait until the instruments cool down - in cold water they cannot be lowered, otherwise the metal structure will be damaged.

Step #2. If you have any coating on your nails, remove it. The choice of product is yours: liquids containing acetone dissolve polish faster, but products without acetone cause less damage to nails, cuticles and skin.

Step #3. It is better to shorten the nail and give it shape using a file - without tweezers or scissors. Metal and too rough files can cause delamination of the nail plate, so take a glass or abrasive one. You should file at a slow pace, from the edge of the nail to the center, so as not to damage the nail. At the same time, leave a length of at least a millimeter - for the correct formation of the free edge.

Step #4. Immerse your hands in a bath of warm water for 3-5 minutes. You can add sea salt or aromatic oils to the water. This procedure will soften the cuticle and prepare the skin for the next steps. If desired, use a hand scrub, then apply moisturizer.

Step #5. When it comes to cutting cuticles, the main rule is this: the more you cut, the more it grows. Therefore, it is worth abandoning tweezers for trim manicure, otherwise the cuticle will only become rougher over time. Experienced professionals advise moisturizing the cuticle with oil every day, and during a manicure, carefully push it back with a special stick. Try not to use scissors for at least a couple of months - and you will see the result. The same applies to the side ridges (skin around the nails) - they should be polished using a glass file. Once a week will be enough.

Step #6. Before applying varnish, you need to degrease your nails special means. Then apply a base coat - the surface will become smooth and the manicure will last longer. Before applying the polish, it is better not to shake the bottle, otherwise all the air bubbles will end up on the nails. Colored polish should be applied in three movements: on the left side of the nail, on the right, and in the center. It is important to observe the time interval between applying layers - at least five minutes, and preferably ten. To avoid staining the side rollers, lubricate them with Vaseline without touching the nail - all excess can be removed with a simple cotton pad. Next comes the varnish fixer - it will protect the manicure from cracks and chips. If there is no special drying coating, you can dip your nails in ice water for 2-3 minutes and then lubricate them with oil. In this case, the varnish will not smudge and your home manicure will look no worse than a salon one.

Pedicure

Experts recommend getting a pedicure every three weeks. Before carrying out the procedure, be sure to pay attention to your health - you should be careful with low blood pressure, varicose veins and pregnancy. In such cases, the water in the bath should be warm, not hot.

Step #1. Make sure your tools are disinfected and start soaking your feet. You can add your favorite aromatic oils to a bath of warm water for a relaxing effect. If the skin on your feet is too rough, adding baking soda or sea salt will make it easier to remove the dead skin. You shouldn't keep your feet in the water for too long - 15 minutes will be enough. To make the most of this time, you can, for example, apply a mask to your face.

Step #2. Dry your feet with a towel. Take a natural, fine-grained pumice stone and go over the roughest areas of your feet. Do not touch delicate skin to avoid injury. Move the pumice stone in one direction - with chaotic movements, the skin will become rough the very next day. Monitor your sensations: if you experience a slight burning sensation during the procedure, stop. You can enhance the effect and use a foot scrub to treat hard-to-reach areas. Be careful with calluses and corns: if touching causes pain, it is better not to touch these areas and consult a specialist.

Step #3. The cuticle on the toes is usually quite thin, so experts recommend not cutting it, but regularly pushing it back with a special stick - this is easy to do after steaming. Using the same stick, you can carefully remove dirt to avoid infection without damaging soft tissue. Step #5. The best part is to apply moisturizer to your feet and massage them. If suddenly you don’t have cream on hand, you can take any oil, even olive oil. To keep the effect of well-groomed legs as long as possible, make masks several times a week - apply nutritious cream on your feet before going to bed, wrap them in cling film and put on socks.

Step #6. It will be much easier to apply nail polish if you wear separating pads. Apply a base coat, followed by up to two coats of colored varnish (be sure to allow time) and sealer.

How often do you get a pedicure? Experts advise doing a pedicure once every 8-10 days. With regular care of your feet, the skin on your feet will become like that of a baby, and your nails will look neat.

Before a pedicure, you need to wash your feet well and remove old polish. Take a pedicure kit and disinfect all tools.

Now we proceed to the main stage of the procedure.

Steaming your feet

First, the skin of your feet needs to be softened. Prepare a pedicure bath with warm water, add soap foam to it (this can be shower gel or shampoo). To enhance the effect, it is also useful to add a little sea salt to the bath. Soak your feet in water for 5-15 minutes to soften dead, dry skin cells. Now we dry our feet with a towel and move on to the next, most important stage of the pedicure.

Treating nails and cuticles

To do proper pedicure, take nail scissors or clippers, cut off the protruding part of the nail in a straight line. The shape of your toenails should be square to prevent the nail from growing into the skin. Using a nail file, trim the cut and rough ends of the nail from the edges to the center.

Using a manicure spatula or an orange stick, gently push back the cuticles. To make pedicure easier, you can apply a special preparation to the cuticle, which softens and removes excess skin, then remove the residue after 5 minutes. Using a spatula, try to clear the nail plate of any stuck cuticle particles. Run the stick under your nail to remove any dirt and dry skin cells that may have accumulated there.

Now, with a nail file, you can clean your fingertips from rough, dry skin, as well as remove cracked skin on calluses.

To make the nail plate look smooth and shiny, it needs to be polished using a double-sided pedicure file. Use the dark blue side of the nail file to gently sweep over your nails on all sides, especially in the cuticle area. On perfectly smooth nails, the polish will last much longer.

Pedicure at home. Foot skin care

To make your home pedicure perfect, you need to pay proper attention to your feet. Our goal is to remove excess rough skin. Your first assistant in this matter is pumice. If the skin is not soft enough, soak your feet in a warm bath for another 10 minutes, then treat your feet and heels with pumice. Peelings and foot scrubs are also great for getting rid of rough skin particles.

After such a procedure, cleansed skin needs hydration and nutrition, so lubricate your heels with a nourishing cream and give a light massage.

A little advice: if you suffer from excessive sweating of your feet, lubricate your feet with a special deodorant cream.

Cracked heels and calluses

If the skin on your heels is too shabby, you have dense calluses or cracked heels, the situation cannot be corrected using a regular pedicure procedure. There are proven traditional methods, which will help make the skin on your heels soft and silky in a couple of weeks.

To remove hardness and cracks, apply a nourishing mask to your heels, wrap them in cellophane and put on socks. Hold healing mask It is recommended to stay overnight, and the next morning, rinse and lubricate your feet with moisturizer. After a few procedures, the result will surprise you.

If you have enough time, you can pamper your feet with a SPA pedicure at home. The treatment includes a pleasant, relaxing foot bath with essential oils and a moisturizing nourishing mask.

Prepare a bowl of warm water, add your favorite aromatic oil, dip your feet in the water and enjoy for 10-30 minutes. When the skin on your feet softens, massage your feet using a scrub. This way you will cleanse your feet of rough skin, they will become soft and smooth.

The next stage of a home SPA pedicure is moisturizing nourishing mask for legs. To do this, you can take your favorite nourishing cream and apply a thick layer to your feet. Then wrap your feet in cellophane and put on socks. This mask should be kept on for at least 2 hours, or better yet, all night. After a few procedures, your heels will become as soft as a baby's.

As a mask, you can use special SPA pedicure kits, which contain various caring preparations.

They have an excellent caring effect, which can be prepared at home. With regular use, they will give your feet a perfect look.

The final stage of the pedicure is applying varnish.

The last stage of a pedicure at home is applying varnish. It all depends on your taste. You can simply apply colorless polish to shine and strengthen your nails. Sophisticated fashionistas can afford a real masterpiece of bright painting on their nails.

First of all, you need to degrease the nail plate from residual cream and cosmetics. If this is not done, the varnish will not adhere well and will not stick.

Now let's prepare to apply the varnish - place cotton swabs or special separators between your fingers so that the varnish is applied carefully and does not smear.

It is recommended to apply a colorless base as the first layer. Thanks to this, the nail will be protected from toxins contained in colored varnish, in addition, the surface of the nail will become smooth and the varnish will adhere much more firmly. Your beautiful pedicure will keep a fresh look for a long time.

Wait until the colorless base has completely dried, then you can begin applying the colored coat of varnish. To always look fashionable and stylish, choose the current pedicure color for each season. Fashionable colors pedicure varnish winter period usually calmer - white, beige, transparent. Summer pedicure can be done in bolder, original shades that will harmonize with the color of your clothes or suit you.

It is advisable to apply colored varnish at least two layers to obtain a rich, long-lasting color.

At the end of a professional pedicure, it is advisable to apply a layer of fixative varnish. It will help keep the polish on your nails for a long time.

Modern women do not always have enough time to go to a beauty salon so that their legs receive proper care. Sometimes you have to get a pedicure urgently. If you don't have enough time to go to a manicure salon, you can do a pedicure at home with your own hands. The procedure is quite simple, and after it your legs will look well-groomed and healthy. It is not necessary to use expensive equipment - it is enough to have a simple set for manicure and pedicure.

How to do a pedicure at home step by step: preparation

A DIY pedicure at home will take you a little time. There are several ways to do this, and to do this you will need step-by-step instruction. If you follow it correctly, you will get an unsurpassed result! What is needed for the procedure:

• Manicure and pedicure set;
• Disposable orange sticks;
• Tweezers or nippers;
• Brush for removing nail dust;
• File;
• Cotton pads;
• Nail polish remover;
• Means for disinfection of hands and manicure instruments.

In addition to these items, you need to prepare a foot bath, a scrub, a remedy for removing corns and calluses, and a softening foot cream. It is important that the cream has a moisturizing and deodorizing effect. When all the tools and products are available, you can repeat the salon pedicure process step by step. Store all tools in a bactericidal lamp, which is best purchased in advance. After each procedure, instruments must be treated with medications (Gigasept, Bacillol). It is advisable to wear disposable medical gloves on your hands.

Look at the technique of performing a classic pedicure at home.

The process of performing a pedicure at home

After all the preparations, you can begin the procedure. Step-by-step instruction:

• You should start with a foot bath, which softens the skin and strengthens the nails. Before putting your feet in the water, it is better to remove old nail polish. As fillers, you can use liquid cream soap, sea salt, calendula tincture, chamomile infusion, olive or almond oil. Pharmacies sell ready-made softeners, some of which combine an antibacterial effect. The water should be warm, but not hot. Feet should be soaked in the solution for 15-20 minutes, then dried with a clean paper towel.

• The second stage is foot treatment. You need to remove calluses and corns using a pumice stone or a special razor. If you walk over the entire surface of your foot with a pumice stone, you can get rid of dry skin. To give your legs a well-groomed appearance, it is better to use an abrasive scrub. Distribute it over the surface of the foot, massage, rinse with water. Then apply cream to your feet. Some calluses and cracks can be removed using tweezers.

• Treatment of the cuticle area. It is not recommended to trim the cuticle - it is easily damaged, causing bleeding. Take an orange stick and carefully move it away. Apply emollient cream or oil to the cuticle. Then the toenails should be trimmed and filed with a nail file, being careful not to round the edges so that the growing nail does not grow into the skin. Remove dirt under your nails by scrubbing them thoroughly.

• At the next stage, you can start coating your nails with varnish. As the first layer, choose a transparent base that will protect the surface of the nail. Varnish with colored pigment must be applied in several layers and allowed to dry. A fixing coating is applied over it to prevent the varnish from peeling off in the future.

• After all the procedures, you can lubricate your feet with cream, and then do a foot massage, which tones the feet.
• If you decide to do Beautiful design nails, you will have to spend more time. Each design option must be completed step by step. For example, stamping comes with special instructions on how to print a design. Do not violate the rules of pedicure to avoid damage to your nails.

This video shows how to do a pedicure for rough heels at home.

Do your feet need extra care? Yes, because in the process of daily walking, changing seasons, the condition of the skin and nails changes. From time to time it is recommended to do foot care procedures: massages, baths, wraps. A new method helps to get rid of corns and cracks - the use of lactic and fruit acid. For baths and wraps, you can purchase special cosmetic sets.

These days, whirlpool baths are becoming popular to make foot care easier. The procedure itself is very pleasant and comfortable. It should be remembered that a pedicure at home should be pleasant and painless. If you are unable to cope with some of the remedies or you do not understand the instructions, do not be afraid to contact an experienced specialist.