Pedicures are one of the most relaxing ways to treat yourself while also taking proper care of your feet and toenails.
There are multiple types of pedicures that you can receive, with them varying by what your feet soak in and what kind of polish is used.
While some pedicures are extremely common, there are other rare and strange pedicures that you can have done such as letting little fish eat the dead skin off your feet or dipping your toes in chocolate.
How Much Does A Pedicure Cost?
On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from $35 to $60 for a pedicure.
However, it’s important to remember that price varies based on the kind of pedicure you get.
When considering how much you are going to spend on the pedicure in total, you should never forget to factor in tips.
Nail technicians are usually tipped anywhere from 15% to 20% of the total bill.
If your pedicure costs $35, then your total spending will be anywhere from $40.25 plus tax to $42 plus tax.
Pedicures costing $60 will result in you spending anywhere from $69 plus tax to $72 plus tax.
Similar to hairdressers and waiters, your nail technician most likely gets a large percentage of their income from tips.
That’s why you should also make sure that you are comfortable spending enough money to tip those who are serving you.
A generic pedicure usually involves soaking your feet, having your feet scrubbed for dead skin or calluses, having your nails trimmed and shaped, and then finishing the job off with a traditional nail polish of your choosing.
Other types of pedicures offer specialized treatments that are completely unique to each type of pedicure.
Some of the most common pedicures that you can find around you include spa pedicures, shellac pedicures, gel pedicures, and chocolate pedicures.
When you plan your appointment for your pedicure, there is a certain etiquette that should be followed to avoid embarrassment and to make the nail technician’s job easier, allowing you to get the best results possible.
There are also multiple health benefits to getting pedicures.
The better you take care of your feet, the longer they will stay looking youthful and cleaner.
Just settling your head back and relaxing is enough to make the pedicure worth the price.
Why You Should Get Pedicures
Pedicures do more than just feel nice and let you relax for an hour or so.
There are many health benefits to getting regular pedicures, including helping your immune, circulatory, and psychological health.
Pedicures help lower your risk of infection in your feet and toenails.
Feet are often forgotten when washing the rest of the body in the shower.
This common neglect can lead to an increased risk of infection, weakening your immune system while it is fighting the infection.
When you get pedicures, your pedicure specialist will massage your feet and legs to get the blood flowing all the way down to your toenails.
If you have poor circulation, the health of your toenails may suffer and lead to them turning alarming shades of blue or purple.
People with low iron or anemia are prone to have poor circulation, so occasional pedicures and an iron-rich diet can greatly benefit their circulatory system.
Your nails will return to their natural pinkish color after circulation has improved.
Because pedicures are clearing nails of infection and ensuring that more oxygen is getting to the toenails, they can greatly improve your nail health.
After getting regular pedicures, you’ll notice that your nails will be healthier and look better even without any polish or artificial nail enhancements.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your health is to give yourself a regular time to unwind and save stress for a later time.
There are many medical problems that are formed out of pure, constant stress, so it is worth every penny to take any stress off of your shoulders.
Pedicures are especially good for people who are on their feet constantly or prone to developing calluses.
Your specialist will use a pumice stone to soften the top layer of the callus.
For the best results, get it done regularly.
How To Prepare For A Pedicure
If you’ve never had a pedicure before, it is best to know how to properly prepare for a pedicure.
There are many unspoken rules of getting pedicures that you’ve most likely never even considered, all of which will play a role in how satisfied you’ll be with your pedicure.
Never shave right before you have a pedicure done.
You will want to stop shaving three days before your pedicure to ensure that there are no open wounds from shaving that bacteria could seep into.
People who are extremely concerned about the spread of bacteria or infection can let their technician know ahead of time that they’d prefer to bring their own tools.
You’ll need to bring a pumice stone, emery board, cuticle pusher, and a nail clipper.
While you don’t need to worry about trimming your nails, shaping them, or even removing polish from them, you should give them a proper cleaning and ensure that your toes aren’t completely dirty or smelly.
You should also consider what you are going to wear to your pedicure appointment.
You will want footwear that isn’t going to smudge your newly painted toenails and pants that are easy to pull up to your knees.
You will also want to arrive about 10 to 15 minutes early for your appointment so you can see if they are properly cleaning their foot tubs between each customer.
An automatic cleaning cycle takes at least 10 minutes.
The safest type of foot tubs are those with no pipes.
These are small, portable foot tubs that must be refilled between uses and use aeration to kill off bacteria on your feet and in the tub itself.
The safest pedicures are those which use steaming towels instead of foot tubs, called a soakless pedicure.
Spa Pedicures
Spa pedicures are extremely similar to normal pedicures, sharing activities such as soaking your feet, massaging the foot and lower leg, and clearing out calluses and dead skin.
What makes spa pedicures different is in the way they go above and beyond for your foot health.
During a spa pedicure, you will also experience aromatic scrubs, hydration masks, jelly pedicures, hot towel wraps, and paraffin dips.
The scrub is used to exfoliate the skin and make it feel noticeably softer.
While your pedicure specialist is taking care of your toenails, they will make sure to clean up your cuticles with a cuticle remover.
Your specialist will also be able to see if you have any fungal infection starting and help clean up the area.
Hydration masks are used to bring necessary moisture back to the foot and toenails.
Hot towel wraps loosen the muscles and reduce any inflammation.
One of the best features that spa pedicures have is the paraffin dip.
Paraffin wax is used to send soothing heat deep into the muscles of the foot.
The paraffin dip is a must for anyone who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis.
When looking for the perfect spa to have your spa pedicure done at, you will want to ensure that the nail salon has the proper licensing to be offering the services that they do.
You will also want to ensure that they are not using the same paraffin wax for every client, but rather only using single client amounts.
A spa pedicure is going to cost you anywhere from $40 to $70 alone.
On the lower end, you’ll want to include a $6 to $8 tip.
For more expensive spa pedicures, you’ll be including a tip of $10.50 to $14.
The more features that are offered, the more costly the pedicure is going to be.
Shellac Pedicures
Shellac pedicures are the perfect option for people who are concerned about the spread of bacteria and infection that can happen in foot baths and even hot towel treatments.
They’re also slightly more affordable than spa pedicures.
During a shellac pedicure, you will have your toenails trimmed and shaped up.
Then you will have nail polish that is cured with an ultraviolet curing lamp, instead of having nail polish that moves around and smudges because it needs more time to dry.
During your appointment, your specialist will also give your cuticles the attention that they need in order to give your feet the picturesque look for a clear, colorful, or French pedicure.
Because the polish on your toenails is dry before you even leave your chair, you can wear a larger variety of footwear, such as sneakers or boots.
It also makes it easier to fit a shellac pedicure into even the busiest schedule.
Normally, a shellac pedicure will cost you anywhere from $40 to $60.
For more expensive shellac pedicures, expect to give the person giving you the pedicure a tip of $9 to $12 for their services.
Gel Pedicures
Gel pedicures are identical to their manicure counterparts, which is why they are often offered as a bundle for a cheaper price than having the two services done separately.
There are only a couple of differences between a gel pedicure and a gel manicure.
To start this type of pedicure, your specialist or technician will begin by clipping and shaping your nails.
It is better to leave your nails uncut for a few days before your appointment so your technician has more nail to work with.
Then you will soak your feet to moisturize your foot and toenails while also softening the nail and making it more pliable.
Once your feet have soaked for a sufficient amount of time, it will be time to have your cuticle cut and shaped up.
Your feet will be scrubbed thoroughly in order to remove any loose dead skin and bacteria that could be hiding on the foot or between your toes.
After cleaning, the pumice stone will be used to remove calluses and dead skin that may be clinging on a little more stubbornly.
That foot will be scrubbed to remove any remaining dead skin that may have been loosened during the callus removal.
You’ll finish up the foot care section of the pedicure by having them massaged to promote circulation.
This is when the nail technician will turn their attention back to your toenails and paint them using a gel polish.
First, they’ll apply any preparation treatments, such as a nail dehydrator or nail primer.
Then you’ll have a base coat applied, followed by at least two layers of color and a top coat.
On average, a gel pedicure is going to be $40 to $80, depending on where you go.
At maximum, you’ll also be tipping your specialist an additional $12 to $16.
Chocolate Pedicures
Chocolate pedicures are the strange but lovable pedicure option for the most devoted chocolate lovers.
Everything about this pedicure has chocolate involved in one way or another and smells absolutely delicious.
To start your candied spa experience, you will have your feet soaked in a hot chocolate foot bath.
Then, your feet are given a chocolate scrub or are scrubbed with a cocoa brush.
To moisturize your feet, the salon will apply a chocolate mask.
After the mask, you will be treated to a foot massage with chocolate in a rich cocoa butter cream moisturizer.
Throughout the treatment, you may be treated to chocolate candies, pastries, or even drinks.
Chocolate pedicures may be a bit difficult to find near you, but they are definitely worth having done once in your life for the smell alone.
These types of pedicures also vary greatly in price, but they are usually around $85.
Including tip and tax, you’ll be spending more than $100 for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, which will take about one hour.
Fish Pedicures
Another gimmick-based pedicure that’s available in some parts of the world is the fish pedicure or fish spa.
For this treatment, you place your feet into a tank of fish called Garra Rufa, and the tiny fish will eat away at the dead skin on your feet.
The treatment has been banned in many countries due to possible health hazards and the potential for providers of these services to switch out the type of fish that they use.
This may be an option for you while you’re traveling, but doctors recommend against it.
The lack of a proper way to clean the tank or fish between clients makes the risk of bacteria, infection, and illness incredibly high.
Sometimes, the fish will go after your toenails instead of dead skin, causing nail trauma.
There is also the risk that the providers of this service are using the wrong type of fish.
Garra rufas are sometimes replaced with chin-chins, which are less expensive and more aggressive than garra rufas.
These fish have been known to draw blood from the feet of the clients.
The average cost of this treatment is anywhere from $45 to $95, with 20-minute appointments costing about $75.
No matter which pedicure you decide to try, you will want to make sure you do your research on the salon that you are getting it from.
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