What you need for a perfect pedicure: a complete list of necessary tools

Summer has come; boots and warm boots with fur finally went into boxes for storage, giving way to light sandals and open-toed shoes on the shoe shelves. This means it’s time to seriously take care of your pedicure, because in the summer you can no longer hide minor imperfections in your heels under thick socks. Plus, bare feet are so sexy! It’s worth taking advantage of the moment and once again showing your chosen one your graceful feet. But first, you need to make sure that you have all the necessary tools to keep them in perfect order.

• 2 How to choose quality tools
• 3 How to store
• 4 User reviews

  4.1 Video: tools for manicure and pedicure

What you need for a pedicure

In the arsenal of a professional nail service technician there will always be a whole battery of nippers and tweezers sharpened at different angles; a bunch of files for all occasions; curettes to combat ingrown toenails; tripod stands and even safety glasses to protect your eyes from minor injuries while working. At home, you won't need most of this. But you won’t be able to get by with just nail scissors. You will have to seriously equip yourself, so be prepared to shell out quite a significant amount of money to get everything you need. However, this is exactly the case when it ’s not worth saving, because you will be investing in the beauty and health of your legs .

So, what should be in your home foot care kit?

1. Scissors for shortening and trimming the free edge of the nail plate.
   In most cases, this tool can be successfully replaced by nippers, but scissors are still useful to have on hand, especially for working with thin and flaky nails. Pedicure scissors are usually thicker than manicure scissors, although this is not a fundamental condition
2. Nippers with sharp tips of a specific triangular shape. They are convenient because they fit as closely as possible to the skin and allow you to efficiently cut off hangnails, remove cuticles, and, if necessary, trim your nails - in short, this purchase certainly won’t have to gather dust in your kit without use. If possible, buy a pair of nippers at once: a larger one for nails, a smaller one for hangnails and cuticles.
   Nippers with notches on the handles are more comfortable to hold
3. Tweezers.
   You can consider them as a type of wire cutters, or you can consider them an independent tool, which in some cases is much more convenient to operate. Tweezers will help you deal with both nails and hangnails
4. Files. Here it is better not to skimp and get a complete set: a coarse 100 grit file for processing the roughest areas of the foot; a delicate file of 240 grit for filing the free edge of the nail and a soft polisher with an abrasiveness of 320 to 1500 grit. A good purchase would be a double-sided file, the surface of which combines several types of spraying. Important: for delicate natural nails, experts recommend files with a paper or rubber base, for extended nails - metal and ceramic tools.
   Calluses are removed from steamed skin, nails are filed strictly dry
5. Scraper.
   Where the roughest file fails, a razor comes into play. And so that beauty enhancement does not end in cuts and lameness, it is packaged in a neat attachment for the machine, which allows you to quickly scrape off dead skin from the heels. However, keep in mind that even such a “safe” tool must be used with extreme caution, or injuries cannot be avoided. However, if you are used to regularly caring for your feet, you won't need a razor. Using a scraper you can remove any calluses
6. Pusher.
   It is desirable that it be double-sided, with a spatula for moving the cuticle at one end and a sharp tooth for removing pterygium from the nail plate at the other. Prefer soft wooden sticks? No problem, they will do too. A wooden stick is safer for the nail, but a metal pusher is more effective
7. Bath.
   A very useful tool that will allow you to steam calluses, soften cuticles, and at the same time relax properly. Girls who prefer to save extra money can use a regular basin for this purpose. And for young ladies who are accustomed to pampering themselves, there are baths with hydro and vibration massage, ultraviolet lamps against fungus and even magnetic radiation. Not just a bath, but a real relaxation session!
8. The pinnacle of home nail care is a grinding machine with a set of replaceable cutters.
   She will trim the edge of the nail plate, remove the cuticle, and polish the nail itself. True, this miracle of technology is not cheap, and in order to use it effectively, you will have to take special courses. The pedicure machine is expensive and difficult to use, but it is effective

This is the minimum set required for complete foot care. But if you are one of the perfectionists who are used to doing everything especially well, or you just like to pamper and cherish your feet, it won’t hurt to supplement it with a few more items. What else will you need?

1. Liquid for removing corns is an optional, but also useful helper in the fight against particularly stubborn calluses.
   Tough measures are needed against hard calluses
2. Cuticle softener.
   Again, you can do without it by thoroughly steaming your feet in the bath and removing the excess skin with a pusher. But the result of these manipulations will not be comparable to the effect of a professional product. The cuticles on your feet also require attention.
3. Foot scrub, store-bought or homemade from sugar, salt and coffee grounds.
   Sugar will remove dry skin flakes and make foot care easier.
4. Softening foot cream.
   Feet will appreciate your care
5. Finger pads for hassle-free nail polish application.
   Applying varnish will be convenient and easy
6. By the way, about varnishes!
   If you can’t imagine a pedicure without this bright detail, it makes sense to have, in addition to regular house slippers, another one, akin to salon disposable ones. They will give you the opportunity to quietly go about your business while the varnish dries, but at the same time they will not allow your bare feet to freeze on the bare floor. Salon invention can be used at home

Unedged method

Due to the spread of various diseases transmitted through pedicure tools, another method of treating feet has begun to gain popularity. The unedged method involves performing the procedure without the use of cutting tools. This type of pedicure is done in SPA centers, paying great attention to the use of special creams and scrubs based on fruit beta-hydroxy acids. They soften and loosen skin cells, allowing you to remove all excess with the help of files and graters.

To shorten nails, use files with an abrasiveness of 120/180 grit. Using the rough side will quickly remove excess length, and correct their shape with the 180 grit side.

Graters are used starting from 80 grit. Gradually replacing them with smaller ones, they reach 240 grit. There are also pedicure polishers that allow you to achieve a silky skin surface after the procedure.

If your feet are very neglected, have cracked heels, calluses and corns, this type of pedicure will not be able to solve all problems. Some operations will have to be performed in hardware. However, regular use of pedicure floats can keep your feet in good condition.

When carrying out a procedure, disposable instruments are often needed that can be used to perform various operations. These include orange sticks, toothpicks, cotton buds and finger separators. There are disposable abrasive attachments for hardware cutters. They are disposed of after each client.

How to choose quality tools

The abundance that reigns in cosmetic stores today has one significant drawback: it can be difficult for a beginner to understand it. How to choose the highest quality and most convenient tools from a variety of tools and not make a mistake?

1. Don't save money. It’s not for nothing that people say “a cheap fish is a filthy fish”! Choose tweezers and scissors made from high-strength medical steel: it may cost you more, but it will serve you faithfully for many years without rusting or becoming dull.
2. Look for a hand-sharpened tool. A mechanical processing method will never make the cutting surface so perfectly sharp, but it is the sharpness that often determines the quality of the future pedicure.
3. Don’t be lazy to “try on” the chosen item for yourself. Check how it fits in your hand, whether it is comfortable to use, whether the spring in the tweezers moves too tightly and whether the attachment is loose in the machine.

Of course, the best option would be to buy professional tools - in every sense, they are “tailored” specifically to the needs of pedicure. For example, toenail clippers typically have thicker blades than those designed for the hands, and the tool for trimming the side ridges of the skin is slightly curved for greater comfort. But it makes no sense for beginners to buy a complete professional set; the tools already listed will be enough for them.

Manicure set or professional router

Differences between the set and the router

• power. Professional pedicure milling cutters are mostly powerful devices, with a speed of 24 to 40 thousand per minute and a motor power of 30 W. The devices that we are considering in this article have more modest indicators - from 1 to 10 thousand revolutions per minute and a power of 1-10 W;
• price. The cost of professional devices starts from 5 - 8 thousand rubles. A medium power manicure set can be purchased for 1.5 - 4 thousand;
• efficiency. Professional milling cutters work more efficiently and many times faster than manicure sets. However, for home use you can use both versions of the device.

Based on the distinctive features, we will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the manicure set.

Advantages:

• low price;
• high speed of the manicure procedure in comparison with mechanical manicure. Mechanical manicure is a procedure using non-electric tools - a file, polishing, an orange stick, and so on;
• a large selection of attachments that cope with both manicure and pedicure.

Flaws:

low power and at the same time low speed in comparison with a professional milling cutter.

Functions and characteristics:

• two-way rotation. Most models have two types of rotation - Forward and Revers. The function allows you to do a manicure of higher quality, and also simplifies the procedure for people with a working left hand;
• speed controller to reduce or increase the number of revolutions;
• operating mode. The device can operate from the mains, from a built-in rechargeable battery or AA batteries;
• built-in hair dryer to speed up the drying procedure;
• built-in hydromassage bath for fingers. It is a small compartment right in the storage case;
• UV lamp. Built-in UV lamp for drying;
• aromatherapy. Special compartment for adding aromatic oils.

The attachments included in the kit may vary depending on the manufacturer. Let's look at the most common of them:

• felt – polishing attachment for side ridges and calluses;
• conical for removing cuticles and cleaning the lateral sinuses;
• torch-shaped for working with cuticles;
• cylindrical for shaping with nails. Copes with thick nails, such as those on the toes;
• spherical. For smoothing out small irregularities in the nail, as well as treating calluses;
• grinding for polishing the nail plate;
• brush for cleaning nails and preparing nails for polishing.

When choosing a set, do not chase a low price - there are models for 300-800 rubles, but their power is so low that the device can only cope with a manicure on problem-free, well-groomed nails.

To make your choice easier, consider worthy models of manicure and pedicure sets.

How to store

Even medical steel will quickly lose its ground if handled inappropriately. Do you want your “basic beginner’s kit” to last as long as possible? Always follow a few simple rules.

1. You should store your little helpers in a case specially designed for this purpose. Moreover , each of them must be assigned its own compartment , otherwise the scissors and wire cutters will become dull or leave scratches on each other’s blades .
2. Handle any item from the set with care: do not throw it on the table, do not drop it, do not shake the case.
3. Make sure your scissors and wire cutters are sharp.
   The use of blunt instruments is strictly prohibited! Tools dumped in disarray are more likely to become unusable
4. If the blades do become dull, do not try to sharpen them yourself. The cutting surface has a certain angle of inclination, which you can violate with your inept actions. Entrust this task to a specialist.
5. Of course, only dry and clean tools should be put into the case.
6. Disinfect your pedicure kit regularly.

Does this last requirement seem strange? Indeed, you are not a beauty salon, where the same tweezers bite the cuticles of a dozen or two visitors every day. Perhaps the requirement for sterilization does not apply to household instruments? Let's think about it.

Firstly, your scissors can be used by someone at home at any time - and where is the guarantee that this person did not catch a fungus or something worse a week or two ago, say, in a bathhouse or the same beauty salon? Symptoms of such diseases appear very late, when the disease itself is already in full bloom and smells.

Secondly, if you travel often and carry the set with you, infection can get on it without outside help - for example, from a shelf in the bathroom poorly wiped by a sloppy maid.

Thirdly, on surfaces that are not properly treated, bacteria themselves flourish, which can easily penetrate into a wound accidentally caused during a pedicure. Of course, you won’t get herpes and HIV this way, but you can easily get inflammation.

How to avoid this?

1. Tools from a personal set that are constantly stored at home, it is enough to wipe them with an alcohol solution immediately before use and mechanically clean them after work, brushing off the dust of filed nails and other accidental dirt - this is enough to protect yourself.
2. If your set has been through fire, water and a cheap hostel, or you have recently suffered from a fungal disease and want to thoroughly clean your tools, you should resort to “deep” disinfection.
   In the salon, a sterilizer is used for this purpose - thermal, infrared, ultraviolet. At home, you can use a regular saucepan or oven. The role of a professional device for home sterilization will be taken over by the oven.

First option:

• wash your tools with soap;
• place on a wire rack so that they do not touch and place in an oven preheated to 200°C;
• After a quarter of an hour, the instruments will need to be removed from the oven and allowed to cool completely.

Second option:

• Place the items from the pedicure kit in a saucepan with hot water;
• boil them for 15–20 minutes;
• Carefully remove the water and dry on a towel.

It is worth considering that sterilization using high temperatures can damage poor steel. If you doubt the quality of your instruments, you will have to limit yourself to treating them with an alcohol solution.

The best electric manicure kits

Scarlett SC-MS95007

This set with 6 attachments is designed for hardware manicure and pedicure. The model is quite simple: 2 speeds, battery operation, plastic storage case. The advantages are determined by the features of the kit and some functions of the device:

• Particularly effective for pedicures. The set contains even more attachments just for this purpose: a large and a small conical one, 2 discs with an abrasive coating, 1 for polishing the nail plate.
• Built-in lighting helps you perform the procedure more successfully, especially pedicures.
• It is convenient to work with both hands, as there is a reverse - the nozzle rotates in two directions. It is not necessary to look for a suitable position for your hands, just switch the movement.
• The coating of the attachments is soft, promotes healthy nail growth, and prevents splitting.
• Battery operated, not dependent on the network.

Cons: Not everyone likes the spin speed.

MAXWELL MW-2601

The electric set is equally effective for manicure and pedicure. It has 8 attachments made of different materials that perform a wide range of actions: filing skin, nails, removing rough particles, calluses, removing epidermis in hard-to-reach places (corners near the free edge). There are other features that have received praise from users:

• Powered by battery and rechargeable. The battery is powerful, enough for 4 hours of active use.
• Felt attachments are gentle on nails.
• It works almost silently.
• It has compact dimensions and is very convenient to work with.
• The result is achieved very quickly, saving time on manicure.

Disadvantages: it discharges quite quickly with active use, it is difficult to work with wet skin.

VITEK VT-2205 W

This is a mobile device that is effective for home use. Pros:

• There are many speeds - 6, their adjustment is smooth and touch-sensitive.
• There is a reverse function.
• Large selection of attachments - 7 pieces. The abrasive material is quite hard, which allows for a deeper impact on keratinized particles and a more visible result.
• Powered by mains, no need to constantly charge.
• Universal. Suitable for manicure and pedicure.
• There is a backlight.
• There is a protective cover to protect your eyes from flying particles.

Disadvantages: it is noisy, it is difficult to change attachments, sometimes the touch buttons are pressed accidentally, but you can adapt to this.

User reviews

the reward for your efforts will be well-groomed beautiful legs

Lately I haven’t soaked my feet separately; they get quite wet in the bathroom when I bathe. While the nails are steamed and soft, I remove the length with scissors and work on the sides. Next I move on to processing the cuticle. First, I push it away at the base with a pusher, remove it with tweezers, and then with the same tweezers I trim off all the excess skin around the nail. If I hurt my skin in the process, I treat everything with vodka. I use a file to give my nails the desired shape, polish them and the skin around them with a buff. When my nails are sparkling, I move on to my feet. I use a foot file to process all the rough parts, and on the fingers too. I have a double-sided file, so I use the rougher side first and then buff the leather with the reverse side. To complete the procedure, I apply foot cream to my feet. Naturally, I do not encourage anyone to do exactly this, I just shared my experience.

Yulianna Yuzhnaya

https://irecommend.ru/content/pochemu-ya-delayu-pedikyur-s-9-let-zachem-mne-vodka-i-trimmer-dlya-brovei-kak-sdelat-pedikyu

Try not to use razors or blades! I know that many cannot imagine their life without them. This has happened to me since school! The skin on my feet just became rough instantly, these “layers” of excess skin hurt terribly, itched and itched somewhere inside... A disgusting sensation. If you can’t give up surgical instruments right away, then try to first switch to a hardware pedicure, and then even come to the point of removing excess skin on your feet using a grater. Even when I get a pedicure in a salon, they only treat my feet with a grater, and now I no longer know what pain from corns is! Also, drink more water, wear cotton socks at home, and don’t forget to regularly moisturize the skin of your feet.

grafinia

https://irecommend.ru/content/pedikyurchik-po-bystromu-bez-zamachivaniya-v-tazike

The stages of my pedicure: foot bath with salt, pumice stone, scrubbing with a cosmetic product, nourishing the skin with lavender ointment. After all the procedures, the peeling disappeared and the heels began to look more well-groomed, the skin became very soft and pleasant. I actually start the pedicure by removing the cuticles using Sally Hansen product and an orange stick. Next, I start trimming my nails, then file the corners to avoid ingrown nails, and cover my nails with regular polish or gel polish. After a pedicure, I always apply cuticle oil to my cuticles.

Queen_Carolina

https://irecommend.ru/content/vashi-pyatochki-kak-u-mladentsa-u-menya-da-kak-ya-ukhazhivayu-za-nimi-i-kak-ya-delayu-pediky

Advice from a familiar master: use a grater on dry skin. So the increase then occurs more slowly. Therefore, the first thing I do is take a newspaper and scrub my feet well with a ceramic grater. Without fanaticism. A couple of minutes for each, I don’t press too hard. The second advice of the master: trim softened nails with pliers, this way they are more flexible and there is less risk of cracks and delamination. I've come across the exact opposite opinion, but my dry nails are actually more difficult to trim and may crack.

Briony

https://irecommend.ru/content/pyat-nebanalnykh-prichin-domashnego-ukhoda-bez-professionalnykh-instrumentov-i-sredstv-mnogo

IMPORTANT! All tools used must be disinfected. I use chlorhexidine, it has antiseptic properties and copes well with this task, especially since I use the tools alone.

Tatiana

https://irecommend.ru/content/pedikyur-dlya-nachinayushchikh-v-domashnikh-usloviyakh-poshagovaya-instruktsiya-s-foto-kazhd

Trim method

Tools for pedicures performed using the classic trimming method have remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. They perform cutting, abrasive and auxiliary functions during the procedure. There are a large number of their types, but they can all be divided into three groups.

Cutting instruments have a blade (or two), with which the master removes keratinized areas of the skin, shortens the length of nails, cuts out calluses and keratinization, and removes cuticles. These are the following items:

• Pedicure nail clippers. They have straight blades and can handle the toughest nail plates.
• Knipser - miniature tweezers. It has a beautiful cut shape, works on the guillotine principle and preserves the structure of the nail as much as possible when cutting.
• Pedicure knife. Now it is not a medieval frightening instrument, but quite harmless. It resembles a safety razor: it is also designed to use removable blades. May be completely metal, but may also have plastic parts.
• Removable blades. They are special, suitable only for a pedicure knife. They have a standard size and can be used with any brand of tool.

• Abrasive devices are various pedicure graters of various shapes. The amount of abrasive per square centimeter is measured in grits. To work, you need at least two files: 180 and 240 grit. They are usually produced double-sided, which is very convenient.

Tools that have auxiliary functions are orange sticks, curettes, pushers/scrapers and a universal foot block that can be used to file nails and polish heels. This is a block coated with abrasive. It can have edges of different grit or the same.