The SOS pedicure

In the cold bitter months of winter, under cosy boots and snuggly socks, your feet couldn’t be any more hidden – but it can seem like almost overnight, the sun is suddenly blazing and it’s sandal season. Sure, there are those of us who maintain a Geisha standard of pedi-grooming year-round, but for most people, thoughts about our feet usually only crop up when faced with a pair of newly purchased sandals.  If, like us, you’ve neglected your tootsies for most of the year, a shape and polish won’t hack it – you need a total foot overhaul. Enter the Japanese pedicure created by plush London salon Nailberry. Consider it your comprehensive one-stop-shop to transform even the most abused, nail polish stained feet. Nailberry founder and CEO, Sonia Hully tells us why we need it, and why the results are almost addictive…

By Daniela Morosini

• 1 So what's the damage?

  'We're all guilty of neglecting our feet! Wearing uncomfortable shoes, be that stilettos or completely flat ballet pumps, not maintaining feet with a regular pedicures, and forgetting to moisturise them are all cardinal foot care sins.’ And the damage isn’t just limited to our feet – Sonia told us that many of the shoes we wear on a daily basis could actually damage our poor old toenails. ‘Wearing ill-fitting shoes and ignoring pedicures in the winter doesn’t make for happy toenails – they’ll be squashed, dis-coloured and can even fall off.' If that's not enough to send you to your nearest pedi station pronto, then how about this; daily wear and tear from walking and standing around can quickly lead to cracked, sore heels. Especially if you're not hydrating your feet. Cracked heels can become more painful and problematic as the cracks deepen so it’s very important to keep your feet moisturized.’ Cracked heels aside, the other C word to worry about is callouses: ‘Callouses usually appear in areas where the pressure applied to your foot is greatest. Wearing ill-fitting shoes like tight heels, too small trainers regularly can worsen this.’ Excuse us while we head to Clark’s to pick up some sensible shoes…
• 2 How can I bring my feet back to life?

  Meet the Japanese pedicure – an intensive, holistic foot overhaul that's perfect for anyone who needs to get their feet back on track.  ‘The Japanese pedicure is a treatment to restore the health of your nails. A beeswax-based paste and mineral powder is buffed into your nails to nourish and strengthen them, prevent breakage, and reveal their natural, delicate pink lustre. Your nails will be prepared and your cuticles cut and pushed back. Then, dry heels are treated and the nail surface is lightly buffed to smooth out ridges and imperfections. A small amount of beeswax paste is buffed into each nail. This process is repeated with the mineral powder. The feet are cleansed, and then cuticle oil is applied to seal in the moisture. It takes about 45 minutes, and the effects get even better and longer-lasting with regular sessions.’ If you’ve been abusing your feet, consider this your MOT. It doesn’t just treat the appearance of your feet (thought they will look immeasurably lovelier), it actually helps to make them healthier and happier. As Sonia added, ‘The treatment stimulates blood circulation, giving your nails a gorgeous shine and blush whilst improving their health.’
• 3 Any tips to keeping them healthy post-pedicure?

  Your feet will look healthier, younger and fresher than you've ever seen them before. It's a result hard to replicate at home but with the right upkeep you can make the effects last for as long as possible. Nailberry is a ‘5 Free’ salon, meaning all their polishes are free from formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin and synthetic camphor, which can be toxic. They’re also oxygen and water permeable, meaning they won’t dry out or stain the nails. This is particularly relevant to anyone who finds their toe nails can often take on a yellow tinge after wearing nail polish.  Even if you have a regular pedi you need to do a few bits of maintenance at home to keep your toenails and feet in tip top condition, using 5 Free nail colours can go a long way to improving their overall health. Other top tips include soaking your feet in hot (ish) water and epsom salts to improve circulation, reguarly buffing dry skin with a foot pumice can stop dry skin building up and massaging a rich omega packed oil into your feet at night is vital, Almond oil is ideal.