It’s frustrating to spend money getting a pedicure only to have it chip the next day. Rather than forgoing this beauty indulgence, learn how to get more mileage out of your polish. Take a look at our tips for making your pedicure last.
Make your pedi last longer with these tips
What can ruin a pedicure?
It’s not uncommon to leave the salon and discover you have chipped nailpolish. You can stub your toe, trip and scrape your new polish or smudge the color as you’re putting sandals on to leave. One sure fire ways to damage your newly polished toes is to put shoes and socks on too soon. Even when you think your polish is dry the material can stick to newly-polished nails. Going swimming and wearing shoes that are too tight will also increase your chances of a ruined pedi. The chlorine breaks down polish and tight shoes will cause friction and rubbing.
Tips for a longer lasting pedicure
Pedicures aren’t just about polish (although we can’t resist getting our toes painted a pretty pink), they’re also about leaving the salon with perfectly pampered feet. So when we talk about making your pedicure last, we have to factor in maintaining both color and smooth skin.
- Moisturize your feet as soon as you get out of the shower.
- If you can, avoid wearing socks and closed-toed shoes for at least 8 to 12 hours after your pedicure.
- If you always get the same shade of nail polish on your toes, or rotate between a few hues, pick up matching bottles from the salon for at-home touch-ups.
- Apply a layer of clear top coat every other day to minimize the chances of the color chipping.
- Avoid the pool –- as we mentioned above, the chlorine can eat away at your polish.
Save money with an at-home pedicure
Going to the salon is an indulgence we definitely recommend, but if you’re trying to save money you can easily give yourself a pedicure at home inbetween salon visits.
Soak your feet in a basin of warm water for 10 minutes to soften the skin and ease any aches and pains. To really feel like you’re at the spa, add a few drops of essential oil to the water for some instant aromatherapy.
Wash your feet with an exfoliating scrub to get rid of rough patches and remove dead skin. Tackle particularly dry areas with a pumice stone.
Trim nails making sure to trim straight across rather than in a curved fashion. This will help guard against painful ingrown toenails.
Soften cuticles by massaging toes with cuticle oil.
Moisturize feet with a rich cream, taking time to also massage tired calves and legs. Make sure there is no moisturizer left on your toes or the polish won’t adhere.
Start with a clear base coat which will help stop nails from yellowing. Let dry and then add one coat of color.
Add a second coat of color and then a top coat so polish lasts longer. Let dry for at least 30 minutes, which means no shoes, no socks and no running around.
More beauty tips
Top 10 tips to prevent and repair dry, damaged nails
Get creative with your nails
3 Tips for a safer pedicure
Leave a Comment