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Pedicure

A pedicure is the cosmetic care of the toenails and the skin of the feet: shaping the free edge, working the nail fold, smoothing areas thickened by friction and, if wanted, applying colour. It is a beauty service and not a clinical appointment.

If you notice any discomfort or change in a nail, see a dermatologist or a podiatrist.

What is the difference between a pedicure and podiatry?

They are different things and the distinction is worth knowing before choosing where to go. A pedicure is a beauty service concerned with how the toenails and the skin of the feet look. Podiatry is a regulated healthcare profession with a university degree behind it and, in Spain, compulsory registration with a professional body; anything concerning the health of the foot belongs there. A beauty salon does not diagnose, does not treat and does not prescribe. The two are complementary, not interchangeable.

How is a cosmetic pedicure done?

The appointment opens with hygiene and a look at the starting condition. The free edge of each nail is shaped, usually straighter than on the hands so the natural line of the toe is respected. The fold area is then worked in the same way as in a manicure. Skin thickened by friction at the heel and sole is smoothed with a file or with a handpiece and the appropriate bits. Hydration finishes the service, with colour after it if that was booked.

Why are some pedicures dry and others not?

A warm soak softens the skin and is the classic way to prepare it. A dry pedicure skips it and works with a handpiece on the skin as it is. The practical argument for dry work is the same as on hands: hydrated skin swells and changes volume as it dries, which makes it harder to judge how much has actually been taken off. Working dry also removes the shared water basin, which is the hardest thing in a salon to disinfect properly: foot baths are documented as a source of contamination, which is why the CDC in the United States publishes specific cleaning instructions for them. Nothing else changes: metal instruments still go through the full seven-step chain - cleaning, disinfection, drying, pouching, the autoclave cycle, logging and storage - and files and buffers are still single-use.

How long does it take and how often?

A full pedicure runs 45 to 75 minutes, longer with colour. The gap between appointments is wider than for hands because toenails grow considerably more slowly, around 1 millimetre a month. Every 4 to 8 weeks is normal, with closed shoes and the time of year shifting that either way.

How does colour behave on toes?

Gel polish usually lasts longer on toes than on fingers, simply because the nail grows more slowly and because toes are not exposed to the constant wear that hands are. Four to six weeks is the usual window, but it is a window for renewing or removing, not for forgetting the polish is there.

It is worth taking it off at the first sign of lifting rather than waiting. A lifted layer leaves a gap between the coating and the nail where moisture and dirt collect, and while the nail is covered nobody can look at how it is doing. Renewing within the window and removing as soon as something lifts are the two habits that keep polish a finish rather than a patch.

What should you look for when choosing a salon?

The same things as for hands, with one difference in emphasis: a pedicure works over much more skin, so disposables matter more. It is worth seeing that foot files, the abrasive caps on the handpiece and towels are genuinely single-use, and checking the pouch holding the metal instruments in this order:

1. The pouch arrives sealed, with no tears and no dampness.
2. The chemical indicator printed on it has changed colour, which shows the pack went through the cycle.
3. The pouch carries a sterilisation or expiry date, within the window its manufacturer states.
4. It is opened in front of the person about to be treated, and the instruments are not set down on anything that is not sterile.
5. Files, buffers and sticks come out of a new pack.

Sources: Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (EUR-Lex) · AEMPS · Cosmetic products (Spanish Medicines Agency) · CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA)

Published: 12 October 2026 · Last reviewed: 12 October 2026