While having a professional pedicure is great, not everyone has access to this or sometimes the time to go there. If you or your client enjoys having toenails painted, it is possible to do this at home and still have perfect toes.

Here’s how to make toes look great

Remove old polish

It is important to remove old polish before you soak feet because polish is harder to remove after feet have been soaked. Use a good quality nail polish remover and make sure all the old polish is removed.

Soak feet

This is an important part of achieving a professional looking pedicure. The cuticles and skin on our feet and hands are thicker and soaking will leave the skin soft enough to scrub away any calluses. At this point you can gently push the cuticles back. Allow ten minutes soaking to soften feet, five minutes for hands. 

Slough

If you have one, you can slough feet with a foot rasp. Most chemists will sell these. They are used to wick away dead skin. Dry the feet thoroughly and use the rasp at a 45-degree angle to gently remove hard skin. After sloughing the dead skin, you should apply a moisturiser to keep the skin soft.

Shape and buff

While fingernails are groomed in several different shapes, toenails tend to be either round or square. Gently file the nail into the shape you prefer. You should also gently buff the top of the nails as this will ensure that the polish sticks.

Cuticles

At this point you may need to gently push the cuticles back. You can buy a cuticle tool or use anything which is smooth and rounded, such as the end of a nail file. Avoid anything which has sharp points as this can damage cuticles.

Paint those nails

Make sure you have something to wipe up any polish spills. Pint on a base layer. This is important as it will help the final layer to stick and last longer. Start at the top of the nail and gently glide the brush down to the edge. Try and paint as close to the sides as you can but try not to paint the cuticles. 

Add a top coat

Once you have painted the nails you may add a topcoat which you should use to cover any unpainted edges. Many shops sell anti chip topcoats which are great to seal the end of the nails.

Dry the nails

Typical drying time is 20 minutes so make sure you allow for this. Touching the nails before they are completely dry will ruin the entire look.

Final thought

If you do not have access to a pedicure salon you can still achieve a very professional look at home. Try to allow an hour to do this and not rush the process.

Tags:

1

Go Back to Previous Page

Live in care jobs