At Superior Foot & Ankle Care Center, we know the coronavirus has made life very stressful for our Douglas Park/Los Angeles County area patients, and we hope everyone is doing their best to stay safe and healthy. One suggestion we have if you are staying in your home is to treat yourself to a pedicure—home style. Taking care of yourself helps maintain good health and a healthy attitude.

An at-home pedicure is also relaxing and soothing. Just follow these 9 simple steps:

1. Find a quiet place in your home. Put on some soft music and light a scented candle. Try to have all our tools gathered before you start.
2. Remove old nail polish using nail polish remover and cotton balls.
3. Soak your feet in a basin of warm, soapy water. Add some essential oils to the water if you have them. Using a soft nail brush, gently scrub your toenails. Rinse feet with clean water. For patients with diabetes, you should now skip to step 7. Cutting nails and cuticles should be handled by our podiatrists, Victoria M. Foley and Dr. Constance Ornelas, to avoid possible injury or infection.
4. Exfoliate dead skin from rough areas on the heel and ball of the feet using a pumice stone or foot file. Wipe feet clean.
5. Trim toenails straight across. Be careful not to cut nails too short, or this can cause an ingrown toenail to develop. File smooth, but don’t round the edges.
6. Use an orange stick to push back cuticles gently. Carefully trim if needed, being careful not to cut too aggressively, so they bleed.
7. Massage a rich moisturizer into your entire foot. Take your time! Massage eases aches and tension and feels so good.
8. Remove any leftover lotion from toenails with nail polish remover.
9. If you’d like, apply a base coat, your favorite spring color, and a topcoat, allowing ample time between coats for nails to dry.

If, during the course of your home pedicure, you notice anything unusual about the appearance of your feet, contact our Long Beach office by calling: (562) 420-9800 to confer with one of our podiatrists.