Do you have dry, cracked feet? Neglected toenails? Or funky foot odor? If so, it’s time to get a pedicure! Now before you worried about french tipped toenails and flowery scented soaps, we’re talking pedicures for men – so don’t worry!
Unlike the ladies, men don’t take as much care when it comes to their feet; we cram them into work boots, stand on them all day long, and rarely take the time even to acknowledge their appearance.
Unfortunately, this neglect is shown through dry, callused feet, foot odor, ingrown toenails, and even fungal infections like athlete’s foot. Sound familiar? Then listen up! If you’re suffering from a case of self-neglected feet, you need to try a pedicure.
A pedicure is a great addition to your grooming routine and can be done in the comfort of your own home or at a salon. If you’re still a little wary of heading feet first for a pedicure, here is everything you need to know about pedicures for men!
Pedicure benefits
Good looking feet
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that women don’t like unkempt feet. Pedicures for men help make the feet look more attractive without needing nail polish and fancy feminine moisturizers. A simple shaping of your toenails and a quick buff of your heels can make a huge positive difference to the appearance of your feet, and the ladies will greatly appreciate it!
Improves foot health
Although pedicures are known widely for improving the appearance of feet, they also improve your foot health. If you suffer from chronic problems like athlete’s foot or nail fungus, a routine pedicure could help to control these issues.
Removes odor
There’s nothing more humiliating (and mood-killing) than to kick off your shoes and blast your partner with the smell of your nasty feet. While you can hide the appearance of your feet with shoes and socks, odors have a way of seeping out. Pedicures for men focus on taming those sickly smells, so you don’t have to be cautious all the time.
Prevents ingrown toenails
If you’ve ever had an ingrown toenail, then you’ll know how painful and difficult they can be to fix. Trimming and adequately shaping the toenails are the primary duties within pedicures that will prevent those ingrown nails from making any unwanted appearances.
Relieves stress
When receiving a pedicure, you often feel a sense of relaxation – why do you think women enjoy them so much? The scrubbing, rubbing, and massaging (whether it’s a DIY home pedicure or salon treatment) is pure bliss that you just can’t argue with!
Getting a pedicure at a salon
If you’re thinking about booking yourself in for a pedicure at a salon, you might be wondering what to expect. First and foremost, pedicures for men are pretty common, so don’t be put off by thinking of how you’ll look – nail technicians work on men all the time!
While some salons offer different pedicure packages, the basic steps will stay the same:
- Your technician will begin by soaking your feet to remove any dirt and soften your skin and nails.
- After you’re nice and clean, your nails will be trimmed and shaped, and any hard or dead skin will be painlessly scrubbed off.
- Your feet will then be rinsed and patted dry.
- Occasionally, some salons finish off by applying oil or lotion to the feet and ankles to make those freshly smoothed feet even softer.
And that’s it! It doesn’t sound so scary after all, right?
DIY pedicure at home
Understandably, booking into a salon might be a bit daunting for some. If you’re not quite ready to walk into the salon (or want to save a few bucks), then you can try a DIY pedicure at home instead! To perform a pedicure for men at home, you’ll need a few tools and some instructions.
Tools you’ll need:
- Straight edge toenail clipper
- Foot scrub
- Pumice stone/foot file
- Nail file
- Cuticle clipper and stick
- Nail polish (optional)
How to give yourself a pedicure at home
- Begin by soaking your feet in a bathtub or large bucket of warm water – if you’d like a more luxurious feel, you could add a body wash or bath salts to the water. Let your feet soak for 5-10 minus so that your skin and nails can soften, ready for the next steps.
- While still slightly wet, exfoliate your feet using a foot scrub. If there are still some calluses or dead skin, use a pumice stone or foot file to remove them gently – this will help remove fungus or bacteria build-up and get rid of painful calluses.
- Cut your toenails with straight edge clippers – aim for the white part of the nail, as any higher up could cause pain. Try to do one straight cut across your nail to minimize your chances of getting hangnails; however, these can be filed down using a nail file. When filing your nails, round the nail and remove harsh edges.
- Clip your cuticles using cuticle clippers – if they are exceptionally long, you can use a cuticle stick to push them to the base of the nail before clipping them.
- Rinse away any filings, cut cuticles, or skin that might be left on your feet, and then pat them dry with a cloth or towel.
- If you want to protect your nails, you can apply a strengthening clear matte polish – this step is entirely optional, but we highly recommend it!
In conclusion
Your feet are arguably the hardest working body part you have, so they deserve some healthy attention! If you want to stand out from the crowd (pun intended), then some extra foot-loving like a pedicure can be the finishing touch to a polished image.
Luckily for you, JESSE JIMZ has something brewing, and it’s all about the feet! Sign up to be notified when our men’s footcare collection launches!
