Just a few years ago, men’s opinion about manicure and pedicure was sharply negative. Many considered these procedures exclusively for women. But recently the situation has begun to change dramatically and men's pedicure has ceased to be exotic.
Modern men's pedicure is practically no different from women's. For the master, the only differences are the larger foot size and thicker skin in men.
Men's pedicures are rarely performed in bright colors. Most often, men prefer colorless, matte varnishes and protective coatings. Experts note that men have a higher sensitivity threshold, so the procedure is much faster and easier for them.
Why should men get a pedicure?
Well-groomed nails have always been considered a sign of human health. For many, the word pedicure is associated with painting nails and giving them a certain shape. Men's pedicure is a whole range of measures to achieve a neat appearance of the nail plates.
Men's pedicure is also considered an effective preventive measure against fungal infections. Cosmetics used during the procedure have disinfectant properties.
Men need pedicures even more than women. Often they do not pay due attention to the health of their feet, as a result of which corns, calluses, keratinized skin, ingrown nails and other troubles form on the skin. Pedicure effectively combats these problems and has a comprehensive healing effect on the skin and toenails.
How is it different from women's?
In addition to the reduced variety, the master must also take into account the fragility of the male nail. Regular treatment will only harm the fingers, so it is better for the stronger sex to care for their nails in moderation, especially if they have had no experience before.
It may seem that women's manicure requires more effort, but this is only true when it comes to decorative elements. In all other respects, you should be just as careful, if not more careful.
The main difference is that when working with a man, the master must do everything possible to give the nails a natural look.
Women, on the contrary, after decades of development of the beauty industry, can decorate their nails however they want.
Types of men's pedicure
There are 4 types of men's pedicure:
- Traditional - performed using moisturizers and manicure tools - scissors, nail files, tweezers. It is used more often than others and takes minimal time.
- Hardware - you won’t be able to do such a pedicure without a special kit. You will have to either purchase the necessary tools or seek the services of a pedicurist. The procedure is suitable for those with rough, dense skin that is difficult to treat using the classical method. The method, although effective, is less pleasant.
- SPA pedicure is a procedure that causes a lot of pleasant sensations, helps to relax tense and tired feet, and moisturize them with complex vitamins.
Spa pedicure includes several stages: steaming the feet in a hydrobath, applying healing and exfoliating scrubs, massage and moisturizing creams. Men are recommended to carry out the procedure once every 2 months.
- Express pedicure – used when you need to quickly get your feet in order. To achieve a quick effect in this case, special products are used that painlessly remove skin defects in a short time.
- Medical pedicure – recommended for people suffering from diabetes and other chronic diseases. This is the safest way to care for your feet. Upon completion of the procedure, you will receive not only an aesthetic effect, but also a comprehensive treatment of the skin of your feet.
Medical pedicure copes well with skin problems such as calluses, cracks, corns, fungal infections, and dry skin. The big advantage of this method is the use of disinfectants instead of water.
Minuses
Despite the fact that men's manicure and pedicure have a number of advantages, it is worth highlighting some negative aspects. Their presence does not detract from the importance of the procedures; on the contrary, it helps to increase their effectiveness. Knowing about existing shortcomings, you can act to avoid them.
Painful sensations
Men and women respond to pain differently. Ladies have an innate ability to more easily endure painful sensations, which cannot be said about the stronger sex. Therefore, men's manicure-pedicure is performed taking into account the stronger sensitivity of the nerve endings.
Painful discomfort can be experienced when removing the cuticle. A competent master avoids using nail scissors and uses safe products. An acceptable option is to treat the skin rim that surrounds the lower part of the nail plate with fruit acids.
Mechanical damage
Salon procedures, first of all, must be safe for the client. Wanting to get his nails in order, a man risks getting a lot of problems that will not only ruin his mood, but will also take a lot of time to normalize the situation. Among the main consequences of poor-quality manicure-pedicure:
- skin microtraumas;
- separation of the nail plate;
- ingrown nails;
- burr formation.
The above manifestations may result from the work of an unqualified specialist. If the master has little experience and uses inappropriate processing methods, the risk of injury increases significantly. To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should contact highly qualified craftsmen.
Frequency and duration of procedures
Since nails are constantly growing, you will need to visit a manicure-pedicure specialist regularly. On average, procedures must be completed once every 10-14 days. If you do this less often, your arms and legs will take on an unkempt appearance. It can be difficult for a busy man to find time to visit a salon.
Men's nail plates are thicker and rougher than women's, so their treatment requires more effort and time. Many representatives of the stronger sex are against a long session, which usually takes 40-60 minutes. Only a competent nail service specialist will be able to quickly and 100% complete the job.
Probability of infection
The main danger of a salon procedure is infectious contamination (most often found in budget salons). Many people forget about the threat that exists, completely trusting nail experts. However, one cut is enough for an infection to get into the wound, which can be quite dangerous for a person.
Problems can arise in cases where salon employees ignore the rules for disinfecting tools and premises. After each client, the products used (reusable) must be carefully processed. If the master does not comply with the conditions, it is better to cancel the procedure and find another, more qualified one in a salon trusted by friends.
Men's pedicure: step-by-step instructions for implementation
Men are quite practical, so they try to get a pedicure done as quickly as possible, preferably in combination with a visit to the sauna or taking a bath. However, this procedure should not be rushed, which can lead to unpleasant consequences for the skin.
For a man's pedicure you will need the same set of tools as for a woman's.
Attention! All instruments must be disinfected before and after the procedure. To do this, use the drugs Sterillium, Cutasept.
Stage 1. Moisturize the skin
This step is present in all types of men's pedicure, since it is highly not recommended to start using a file or pumice stone on dry skin. Take 10-15 minutes to take a bath in warm water with the addition of essential oils; you will not have problems with microcracks and cuts.
Often men begin pedicures immediately after water treatments. This method is also applicable, but you need to make sure that the skin is not oversaturated with water. If your legs are too steamed, wait 5-10 minutes before starting to treat the skin.
Stage 2. Removal of dead skin
A file or pumice stone should be used in combination with moisturizing creams. This will make it easier to separate dead skin and get rid of large cracks and calluses.
In a salon setting, paraffin therapy is used at this stage, which has an additional therapeutic effect on the skin of the feet.
If you have chosen a hardware pedicure, then at this step you need to grind the skin. Using attachments of various shapes and sizes, treat all areas of the feet, paying attention to hard-to-reach areas between the toes. After this, apply a disinfectant remover to the skin.
Stage 3. Nutrition and disinfection
After a rather aggressive impact on the skin and removal of the top layer of the epidermis, your feet need nutrition more than ever.
Depending on the type of pedicure, the following are applied to the skin:
- with traditional - any nourishing oily foot cream
- for spa pedicure – cleansing scrub (salt, sugar, soda, herbal) and nourishing cream
- with hardware – antifungal agent, nourishing and wound-healing cream
How is the nail care procedure performed?
A men's salon manicure is usually done in four to five stages. First, using a nail file, the nails are given the desired shape, then they are polished with a special polishing block to smooth out uneven nails. After this, a hand bath is done to soften the skin, then the nail bed is treated (the cuticle is removed or pushed back), as a result, the base of the nail looks healthy and well-groomed. Finally, a nourishing oil is applied to leave your nails and nail bed looking healthy and strengthened. If desired, light peeling and coating of nails with colorless varnish without glitter is also done. This is also not scary: the varnish is absolutely invisible and is applied to give the nails greater strength and smoothness, as well as nourish the nails. Well, and peeling... Would anyone refuse a pleasant relaxing procedure, say, after a busy day at work? So a manicure is really not only well-groomed nails, but also a whole spa ritual.
Socks for men's pedicure
If you want to have beautiful well-groomed feet, but do not want to go to a salon, then use the latest achievement of the Japanese beauty industry - pedicure socks. They are easy to use, but the effect is still a little worse than a salon procedure.
For better impact, purchase high-quality socks from trusted manufacturers. You need to wear them for 1-2 hours every day. There is no need to perform moisturizing baths or apply special products. After wearing socks, you should wash your feet with warm water. Within 1 week, the keratinized areas of the skin will separate on their own.
Attention! Do not peel loose skin yourself. This may cause injury. Wait until the skin is completely sloughed off and wash it off with water.
Stage 4. Treatment of nail plates
In this step, all attention is paid to the shape of the nails. Remove excess length using scissors or tweezers. If using an unedged pedicure, treat your nails with a nail file. Cover your nails with a medicated varnish that will protect them from fungal infections and microcracks.
In men's pedicure, regularity of the procedure is very important. Make it a rule to spend half an hour a week caring for your feet, and they will constantly please you with a well-groomed appearance.
Photos before and after
The results are definitely worth it. If before a manicure, men's nails, which have never been subjected to either professional or self-treatment with manicure accessories except for scissors, can look terrible and untidy, then after the procedures, the hands immediately take on a neat appearance.
Getting a manicure is recommended for all men who do not deal with physical labor on a regular basis (work in the garden, heavy technical professions, working with loads, mechanics, etc.), often deal with people and want to make a good impression.
The same goes for men in the service sector:
- sales consultants,
- managers,
- bank workers.
Reference! People are pleased to see neat hands, they are more often satisfied with the service and certainly do not see anything prejudiced in this. The results speak for themselves.
