1. Pedicure
Precautions:
What
Every
Pedicurist
Should Know.
S
ummer's almost here, which
means you're probably think-ing
about ways to get pedicure
clients into your salon. Pedicures
are a great source of revenue, to
say nothing of the almost deca-dent
pleasure they hold for clients
who indulge, but the professional
knows this is not a service to be
taken lightly. It's important that the
pedicurist knows what she's doing
— and what her limits are — be-fore
she starts tending feet.
According to Rudy Lenzkes Jr.,
president of Beautiful Feet, beauty
schools need to stress safe pedicure
procedures a lot more than many of
them do now.
"A lot of nail technicians are doing
podiatric work," Lenzkes says. "They're
treating corns, bunions, and ingrown
toenails, which they are not qualified to
do.”
This is not a slur on pedicurists, it's a
simple fact A pedicurist’s job is to
smooth, soften, polish, and beautify the
feet She has not been trained to treat
medical conditions and, yes, corns,
bunions, and ingrown toenails are all
medical conditions.
KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS
You wouldn't refer a client to a
hairdresser for brain surgery, would
you? Of course not. By the same token,
you should not perform foot surgery.
Cutting things out of the feet, be they
corns or callouses, is surgery, and is
not your job, says Lenzkes.
"A lot of technicians are using credo
blades, which are illegal in California,"
Lenzkes added.
Credo blades are somewhat similar
to razors. A razor blade ts
used to shave thin layers of calloused
skin from the foot. Several state
cosmetology boards have outlawed
their use, so it's a good idea to check
with your state board to find out the
rules.
“What happens is, a customer comes
in and says. " I want the callouses off my
feet," explains Lenzkes. "The fastest way
to remove a callous is to use a credo
blade. But if you shave too much, the
client is going to be in pain when he puts
his shoe back on. Also, the callous is the
foot's natural protection. Sure, you can
cut a callous off, but as soon as the client
starts walking, it’s going to start growing
back. And it’s going to grow back faster
and harder than before."
Lenzkes recommends softening,
smoothing, and contouring cal
Nails Magazine April 1989 85