What are the benefits of a pedicure for men and what steps does your own foot care require? How to keep your nails & feet healthy!
In warm seasons, nail and athlete's foot are not uncommon, which is why pedicures for men are sometimes essential for self-care. Although the procedure has a beneficial and medicinal effect, not all men are convinced to undergo the procedure. It would therefore make sense to find out about the positive effects in order to get to know the care process better and possibly carry it out yourself. Here is some useful information and simple steps you can follow to maintain the health of your feet and nails.
What is a pedicure for men and why can it be beneficial?
For both women and men, a pedicure cannot be a luxury but a necessity at any time of the year. This is about self-care for problematic toenails and cracked skin on heels and toes. Thanks to a professional, medical or home procedure, the feet also have an aesthetically healthy and beautiful appearance. An occasional pedicure for men or women can accordingly include a number of nourishing steps. This means you cansweaty feetnot only cleanse and refresh, but also moisturize and protect against fungal attack. In this way you can also mitigate the effects of the stress of a long day at work and generally improve your quality of life.
In addition, pedicure is an extremely popular procedure for men and women who value hygiene and care. However, for optimal safety, it is important to ensure that only sterilized instruments come into contact with your skin. This allows the procedure to renew the skin of the feet and also help to improve blood circulation in the area and prevent ingrown nails. All of these would be the most effective way to beautify the entire feet and bring them into the best possible shape.
After a disinfectant, emollient andsoothing foot bathYou can start treating your feet with essential oils, salts or other home remedies. This primarily consists of removing dead skin from heels and foot cushions. This is followed by applying a softening gel for the cuticles and shaping the free edge of the nail plate. A soft finish is usually best achieved with a moisturizer. What other factors need to be taken into account and when would a medical pedicure for men be recommended? Below you will find some practical advice on how to properly care for your feet.
When would such foot care make sense for men?
Although most men don't pay attention to their feet like women do, nowadays more and more of them are looking for a well-groomed appearance. When men put aside their leather shoes and sneakers in the summer and put on flip flops or sandals, this would be a good time to get acquainted with a men's pedicure. However, this also applies to other seasons such as late autumn or winter, as constantly running heating can also cause sweaty feet. The air indoors quickly loses moisture, which can cause the skin to react accordingly. As a result, it begins to peel and crack on the heels and foot pads, which usually causes discomfort.
Fortunately, in more severe cases, medical intervention can resolve the problem and quickly relieve such symptoms. This includes removing corns and cracked skin, as well as shaping the nail plate for nail fungus and ingrown nails. However, you could also take care of your foot and nail care yourself. The treatment techniques for women's and men's feet differ slightly, only in the frequency of the procedures. Normally, a monthly pedicure is enough for men. This is because the skin has elasticity and the result of the treatment lasts longer. Toenails also grow much slower than fingernails, which is why a pedicure for men can also be done at home. The procedure can be both pleasant and effective against the complaints described.
What types of pedicures for men are there?
When it comes to foot care, you can differentiate between some common treatment procedures, including classic, spa, quick and medical pedicures with special equipment. With the classic method, the technique is more comfortable for a man and allows him to relax and relieve the load on his feet after a hard day. This is also suitable for use at home, but medical pedicures for men require suitable instruments.
There are also methods using spa fish or a foot treatment with peeling, light massage and moisturizing of the skin. This also has a soothing and relaxing effect, although there are also cases that require a quick pedicure. For urgent situations, a quick visit to a professional podiatrist is recommended. This ensures that you see immediate results when there is no time for longer procedures. Here are the basic techniques one can use to perform such a procedure.
Use the classic method for foot care
- A hard callus remover should be used for rough and cracked calluses. There are also sharp scissors and nail files that can be used to correct the shape of the nails. Other things you should use for this are soft polishing files and wooden spatulas, as well as moisturizer.
- First, soak the feet in warm, but not hot, water by adding citric acid, sea salt and a little liquid soap.
- Then keep your feet in the mixture for about 20 minutes but no longer.
- After softening, treatment with coarse and then fine sanding follows, paying particular attention to the heels, as well as the big and little toes, where dry calluses often form.
- First, you can treat the cuticles by pushing them to the base of the nail plate with a wooden spatula. If necessary, trim carefully with scissors.
- After that, you can shape the nails with a file, leaving the edge straight so that nails do not grow into it. You should also not cut off the corners and sand the nail plate with a soft file.
- There are also clear nail polishes specifically designed for men that you can apply at the end for extra protection.
How to go about medical pedicure for men?
- Typically, problematic toenails and skin require the use of ceramic or diamond cutters.
- First, you should disinfect the feet using any septic tank for this purpose. Plasticizers are also required here.
- Round ceramic callus removers are recommended for treating heels, and if the skin is cracked, you can rub them with a cone-shaped metal and a small abrasive.
- Calluses are best corrected using diamond polishing agents.
- You should remove the cuticles gently and without hard pressure by moving over the entire skin area.
- After a medical procedure, you can treat the feet with moisturizer and possibly also apply colorless nail polish.
What can a spa procedure include in foot care?
- If you are aiming for a wellness effect in your pedicure for men, other components such as candles, aromatherapy and steam bath can be added. There are also the well-known spa fish that eat dead skin and can rid your feet of it. Dead skin particles can also be removed with peeling.
- There is also the option to do a foot bath with sea salt and soapy water for about 20 minutes.
- After the soothing procedures, the feet can be treated again with a file to remove dead skin.
- As for the nails, you can also use a wooden cuticle spatula and moisturizing creams. However, let it take effect for a short time and remove the residue with a cloth.
- Massages are also possible during spa foot care, which improves blood circulation in the feet.
Follow simple steps and do pedicure for men at home
In order to prevent possible problems with fungal infestation through self-care, it is recommended to use one of the methods described once a month. Since many men are afraid to go to the beauty salon, they can take some measures themselves to care for their feet. By using the right tools and proceeding step by step, you can save yourself an appointment with a podiatrist and easily get your feet into shape yourself. Here are some easy to follow steps after which you can try it out.
- Soak feet first– To prepare for a pedicure for men, you should immerse your feet in water that is around 37 degrees Celsius so that this softens the calluses and nails. As already written above, a foot bath should last a maximum of 20 minutes, otherwise the skin will become too wrinkled for the subsequent treatment. A great alternative to herbal or salt-rich bath additives is a homemade milky foot bath. To do this, you can simply mix milk and water in a 1:1 ratio and keep your feet in the foot tub for five to ten minutes.
- Remove calluses– Regular use of foot peels can reduce the formation of calluses in the long term. You can easily make your own foot peeling by mixing granulated sugar with olive oil and applying it to your feet. The sugar can be used to remove dead skin particles, while olive oil has a nourishing effect and prepares the feet for further pedicure procedures. If you have stubborn calluses, then use a pumice stone or callus files, but do not overdo it to prevent possible skin problems on your heels and toes.
- Shape and care for your nails– The foot bath also softens the nails, which you can then easily cut and shape with nail clippers. Straighten these with a file, although you should be careful with nails that are too short. These should always end at fingertip height because shorter nails promote ingrown corners. Keep them straight by following their natural shape. Use ceramic files to protect nails.
More tips for foot and nail care
- If you are doing a men's pedicure yourself, it would be worth investing in professional equipment such as electric pedicure sets. These usually contain various attachments such as sapphire crystals, which can be used to gently shorten and shape thick toenails. This usually includes cones that help remove calluses and calluses, as well as felt cones for subsequent nail polishing.
- As an alternative to nail polish, which is better used in men's pedicures, you can also use special polishing files. This means that the surface of the nails can be smoothed using microfine particles and can thus replace conventional varnish. However, you should use these tools a maximum of once a week to avoid thinning your nails.
- Additionally, you can also apply some nail cream or nail oil to care for your toenails and improve their overall appearance. Tea tree oil, which also has an antibacterial effect and repels nail fungus, can also help in the foot bath to combat unpleasant foot odors.
- As far as foot care is concerned, it is advisable to lubricate your feet with foot lotion or moisturizing foot cream at the end and ideally before going to bed. This means that such products can penetrate the skin better at night and make it softer. There are even foot creams with urea, which reduces the formation of calluses. If it's not too warm, you can also put on cotton socks after applying the cream and let the product soak overnight.
Making a monthly pedicure for men a habit can have beneficial effects on your feet. Thanks to the methods described above, this type of self-care is not difficult at all, and it can also save you a lot of time and money. You will feel the effect after the first time and your feet will feel like new. Additionally, you may also choose to remove the hair on your toes by using a wet razor or hair removal cream or wax. This will make you feel more comfortable and introduce you to new aspects of foot care.
