Beauty tip

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We now have our sandals out for the summer. Open toes are finally in. (mine came out in April). So now its to get the perfect pedicure. Some of us do it at home and the lucky ones come to see people like us.

Coming to see us is like a turkey with all the trimmings. I tried to massage my feet but it doesn't feel the same.

Besides all the feel good feelings that we can give you during a pedicure we can also help when it comes to having problems with the feet, such as ingrown toenails, cracked feet and fungus.

Our nails are usually a sign of how healthy we are and whether or not our body lacks nutrients. Since calcium is the main component of the nail then these products should be part of our daily diet - dairy products, fish and dark green vegetables

Bruising on the nails usually means there has been trauma. This can even happen from wearing shoes that put pressure on your toes, for example, joggers. Sometimes the nail will eventually fall off but there is usually one growing underneath.

Discolored nails can indicate that there is bad blood circulation but can also be caused by using oral or topical medications.

Other nails conditions to watch for are eggshell nails which are thin and curved over the end of the finger or toe (free edge). Furrows or ridges are very common especially in the more mature group (I'm there) and can be gently buffed down. The key word is "gently".

White spots on the nails are called "luiconchia" which are usually caused by air bubbles or bruising and will eventually grow out. Then we have the nervous nail bitters (onychophagy). This habit, with time, can actually cause a deformity in the nail (and finger tip) and will not go back to normal.

The biggest foot problem that affects a major percentage of people is fungus. Fungus usually breeds when your feet are damp for a long or constant period of time. Fungus lives off of keratin and that is what our nails are made of.

Once it's finished with one nail it moves on to the next. Since most fungus disorders are not painful we tend to ignore the situation but it can spread to your other nails and to other people. We as aestheticians are aware of this and we will take the precautions to prevent it from spreading in our salons and to other clients.

But you need to take care of it also since it can spread to your family. There are home remedies such as Vicks put under the nails (all of them to avoid spreading), and some even say vinegar can kill the fungus.

A sure sign of fungus is discoloration and/or lifting of the nail. If you see any of these signs then a trip to see you family doctor should be scheduled. We can only give you general information so anything medical should be taken care of right away with your doctor.

Now that I have everybody checking out their toes (better to be safe than sorry) here is the home pedicure:

1. Soak feet in soapy water to soften skin and cuticles.

2. Buff feet with foot file( works better if feet are wet)

3. Cut nails (square to prevent ingrown nails), clean under nail and file

4. Push cuticles back with orange stick and trim if necessary

5. Massage with a good foot cream

6. Clean nails with polish remover

7. Apply base coat (to keep nails from changing color), polish and then top coat .

If all of this seems like too much work call your esthetician. She'll be glad to help!

* Lorraine Cormier is an esthetician who also has years of experience in the medical field. She now operates In Our Hands, a skin care and beauty consultation company. She can be reached at 855-4264 or nrhands@nb.sympatico.ca.