By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
January 9, 2003
There’s a scene in “Bull Durham” that encapsulates why women enjoy getting pedicures so much. Kevin Costner is cradling Susan Sarandon’s foot in his hand while he carefully paints her toenails red. The scene is sensual, but also surprisingly relaxing and comforting.
A good pedicure isn’t just about primping–or having a movie star catering to us, for that matter. It’s about having all this glorious attention devoted to a part of our body that gets beaten up on a daily basis.
Never mind that most people you encounter during the day will never see the outcome of your pretty pedicure–especially during winter. You’ll know and, more importantly, your feet definitely will be able to tell the difference.
A good pedicure is a way to ensure you’ll always put your best foot forward no matter what shoe you’re wearing. Think of it as a layer of foundation for your shoes. Just as you feel sexier when you have on pretty lingerie, you’ll feel more confident with a nice pedicure.
“It’s a good idea to get pedicures done on at least a monthly basis, especially in the wintertime,” advises Emma Hicks, lead manicurist at the Tiffani Kim Institute. “It’s not just about getting your toenails painted a pretty color. You need to deal with the callouses on the bottom of the feet and have your nails clipped so they don’t claw into your feet. We also see people with athlete’s foot who thought they just had dry skin. We can recommend medicine to help treat that.”
Let’s not think about athlete’s foot just now. Assuming you’re fungus-free, you may give yourself a pedicure at home if you prefer. Hicks says one of the simplest ways to maintain your feet is to buff away the dead skin on your heels and the balls of your feet. A good time to do this is immediately after a bath or shower, when your feet are still moist. She also recommends using a vitamin E-enriched oil rather than lotion to keep your feet soft and supple.
And if you’re questioning the cleanliness of your favorite salon, ask them if they use fresh emery boards for each client and what kind of fungicide they use to clean their instruments. You also can eyeball some of these details–if the emery board has scuff marks on it, use those pretty feet of yours to walk away.
