Which Manicure Pedicure is Best For You?

Finding the ideal nail painting style can be challenging, so we consulted salon owners, nail experts and one beauty writer with extensive experience to find out which manicure or pedicure style would suit you best.

These pampering treatments begin with a relaxing foot soak, then base coat, color polish and top coat layers that cure under LED light curing lamps. Some also include paraffin wax treatment for added moisture and skin softening benefits.

Basic

Finding the perfect manicure requires more than simply picking out your preferred hue or shape; you must also take into account lifestyle factors like occasion and budget when making this decision.

Basic manicure pedicure services are standard services offered at most salons and spas. This treatment typically entails a warm foot soak, scrub of your feet and/or nails, clipping toenails, trimming and shaping cuticles as well as short foot massage with moisturizer.

Your choice of salon is also key in having an exceptional manicure pedicure experience. A welcoming environment where you feel safe is ideal; check online reviews to make sure it lives up to its promises and schedule your appointment ahead of time to avoid waiting in line at peak times of year – make sure your salon gives an estimated duration for each appointment slot so you can plan accordingly.

Athletic

After spending all winter covered in heavy wool socks and boots, your feet may need to come out from hiding. While they may look worn down from being shoved into tight socks and boots for so long, nothing beats getting them pedicured so they look summer-ready.

Are You Running or Climbing Rock Routes? Your feet could suffer as a result, from calluses to bruised nails. An athletic pedicure, also known as sports pedicure, was developed specifically for exercisers to help prevent and treat foot-related problems.

An elevated pedicure includes all the steps of a regular pedicure plus a short massage designed to ease tension in your feet, legs and calves. You may add an ice bath or paraffin wax treatment for maximum pampering of tired feet. Athletes can select from an array of nail polish colors designed to resist chipping, peeling and fading for long-lasting manicures that look natural-looking and are guaranteed not to chip, peel or fade – creating stunning natural-looking manicures that last.

Soak-less

One of the latest trends in nail salons is a soak-less pedicure. This includes all the steps of traditional pedicures without the soak. Karen Kops of Nashville-based salon Poppy & Monroe tells Bustle, “Nails are still filed, buffed, exfoliated massaged and painted while clients’ feet don’t rest in water,” Bustle reports.

Kops notes that eliminating the soaking step reduces water waste in salons, making them more eco-friendly. Furthermore, eliminating cross contamination from previous customers and making nail technicians’ jobs simpler by working on dry skin instead of wet one could help achieve more accurate debridement and calluse removal.

Carla Hatler of Lacquer began offering this service in her chic and modern nail salon last summer after two local events convinced her it was best for business: a boil water notice and foul-smelling water caused by dead zebra mussels. Now all clients have this option.

Gel

Gel manicures provide chip-free nails for up to two weeks with just the swipe of an LED nail lamp, making it the ideal solution for home use. Plus, finding an affordable kit containing polishes and lamp bulbs shouldn’t be hard either – most drug stores and beauty e-tailers carry such kits for you to take advantage of this trend at their disposal.

But, if you must visit a salon for your gel mani, select one which uses LED rather than UV nail lamps to reduce potential skin damage. Furthermore, do not schedule regular pedicures; continual scraping at nails may cause them to become brittle and discoloured, possibly breaching their protective seal between skin and nail bed.

At home, apply a base coat before layering two or more thin layers of color and curing each for 60 seconds. Wipe away any sticky residue once complete; use a wood stick (you can purchase these on Amazon) to easily remove gel polish without damaging your nails (you’ll also be able to find these online).