Here’s what I like to tell my clients about how to care for your feet at home. Easy steps like a foot soak between your pedicure appointments can be super helpful and relaxing too! If you have a health concern like diabetes, make sure to check with your doctor before caring for your own feet.. They may have specific guidelines for you that you won’t want to miss.
If it has been a long time since you have had your toes done, don’t panic. Just like taking care of your skin at home, your feet can always use a little extra care between pedicure visits. Here are some foot care tips!
How to Clip Your Nails at Home
This is a big one! When clipping and filing are done well, it makes such a big difference. It’s not exactly like cutting your own hair. We have all seen what can happen with that! But, clipping nails can go ok as long as you are careful and follow some guidelines. Most of my clients are on a 4 to 6 week cycle for your appointments so they don’t need to clip in between very often. If you don’t need to clip, skip ahead to the diy foot soak. If your nails are long though, take a minute and look at your feet.
First, remove your polish if you are wearing it.
Do a DIY foot soak!
We don’t soak our feet anymore, it is so beneficial, even if you have your toes done regularly!
So do it before you clip!
10 minutes will help soften the nails and skin to make it easier to care for your feet at home.
Care for Your Feet at Home with a DIY Foot Soak!
Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons of grapeseed oil or almond oil
2 drops of lemon oil
3 drops of lavender oil
Put these together and drop into your soaking bowl filled with warm water!
Sometimes nails don’t grow at the same rate. Which nails need to be clipped and which can you file?
Have a clean clipper and a file ready. Use a new clipper, if you haven’t purchased one in a while, replace it! Get one specifically designed for the toes, you will be surprised how much better it works. You can look for the tweezerman brand, if you would like a pair that is available in many stores. The larger, straighter clippers are the best! Use a new file as well. Take the file and rub the long end up against another one so that you remove any sharp edges.
On the longer nails, slide the clipper in ¼ to ½ the width of the nail and don’t go too short. You can go back and file a little, if you need it shorter. Make sure your clipper is straight and cut that first section. Then clip the rest of the nail. Doing just ¼ or ½ of the nail at a time, will help prevent cracking!
Keeping the clipper straight helps you get the nice straight across look that is also the healthiest for most nails. Clipping only a little at a time also assures that you won’t go crooked.
Take your file and gently smooth each nail so that there are no rough edges.
Once you are done take out your phone and call for your next appointment. Lol, I know! It just isn’t as much fun to clip your own nails. If you have missed an appointment recently, though you know how it is when they get too long.
How to Treat Callused Feet Between Pedicures
Since you have already soaked the feet you can get ready to file. I like this file for taking care of your feet at home. It is gentle and very similar to the professional file that I like to use.
It is a little safer since with a professional file it is easy to irritate the feet. Start with the heels and go around the heel only on the callused areas. Use the side with the circles the first time through and then smooth with the other side. Don’t file skin that is not callused, Go easy and just do a nice overall smoothing. Then look at the toes. If you are using the file shown you can do a little bit on the side of the big toe if needed and the tops of the toes to handle peeling skin. Use only the smooth side of the file for this.
Rinse off or Soak Feet again for a minute to prepare to polish.
Maintaining Cuticles
Use a gentle round pusher to push back cuticles. If it has been a long time since your last pedicure, have a little patience with this. Fixing the cuticle will make your nails look better so include it when you care for your feet at home. It can make a big difference.
How to Paint Your Toes
Go in with polish remover again and remove any oil from the nails that is left from the previous steps. If you don’t care about color, you could use a nail strengthener or shine the nails up with a buffer. Otherwise, go ahead with your favorite base coat and polish. Let each step dry and then do the top coat.
I hope this gives you the information that you need to get your feet in good shape while you wait for your next nail service. Use all of the steps or just the ones you need! Let me know if these steps make it easier to care for your feet at home! Check out my post for shaping and caring for natural nails!
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