Want Pretty Feet

[SmallVoice]

Last night was really embarassing. All the parents were called into Tae Kwon Do for a parental involvement thing and we had to shed the shoes.

My feet are shot. First, they're just plain ugly. They're wide and my pinky toes are hunched over. Add years of neglect and I have calluses, lumps, bumps, and eczema patches.

Anyone have foot repair advice for the cosmetically challenged?

[justgreen]

If it were me, I think I'd go have a good pedicure done by someone. Then it puts you at a good spot to carry on by yourself. There are alot of us here with good tips and products to use, but get the basics out of the way and then you'll enjoy taking care of your feet yourself.:lafhard:

[eiyela]

I support the pedicure. Foot massage is fun!:whoohoo:

Sleeping with moisturizer, a couple of plastic bags and a pair of socks makes them soft too. It's my favourite foot treatment.

[snowbear]

I third the pedicure motion! Also, Burts Bees has a Foot Care Kit (http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10751&storeId=10101&productId=10189&langId=-1&categoryId=&showSubCategory=yes) that's amazing, and smells yummy.

[wtchmel]

nothing like a pedicure, why don't I do it then? LOL. I need attention in that area, and since I'm on my feet for work all the time, you'd think I would do it regularly. My child(a.k.a rude boy) calls my feet 'ancient feet', because they're cracked and dry and rough. :rolleyes:
Good luck finding something that works.

[Stephanie]

If you're not up for getting a pedicure, I would buy a good exfoliating cream and apply it once or twice a day, but no less than once a day to start. Actually, for the first week, I'd put it on twice a day if the dedication can be mustered. Also, if you paint your toenails a bright or dark color, people probably won't notice anything else. ;) (that was supposed to make you feel better, but I feel I failed miserably LOL)

FWIW, I fully recommend Am Lactin, which you should be able to find in at a grocery or drug store. I try to apply it at least 3 times a week and it keeps the sandpaper feet away.

[eiyela]

/hijack

Steph, what is the shiny rainbow line above your siggy pic?

/end hijack


Anyway, I support the nail polish too! It's even better if you can manage to paint a heart or something on the middle of your big toe. So cute!:whoohoo:

[Stephanie]

/hijack

Steph, what is the shiny rainbow line above your siggy pic?

/end hijack


Anyway, I support the nail polish too! It's even better if you can manage to paint a heart or something on the middle of your big toe. So cute!:whoohoo:
The lines are called "User Ranks." As you post more, your rank picture will change. :)

[SmallVoice]

I love the idea of a pedicure! I haven't had one in 10 years or so.

Thanks for the great suggestions.

[LisaJaney]

Dave and I each have what HE calls "a cheese grater" on our nightstands. When you get out of the shower, use the cheese-grater (really, it's a metal callous-file-er for feet) and go to town. That's the worst part of my feet, is the heels. I hate having (but always manage to have every Spring) crusty fat-old-lady heels. Yuck. So, I take a long hot shower and grate-those-cheese-heels afterward. Nasty job, but oh well.

Then, before bed, when I'm REALLY serious, I put thick lotion (WalMart offers a pot of GOOD stuff for four-bucks that's a copycat of Eucerin Cream) on my heels and then put the corner of a plastic baggie over them, then a cotton sock. The next morning they are SOOOOOOOOFT. Just do that nightly, and do the cheese-grating, and that'll help those heels.

Painting the toenails is also a nice touch. My feet look SO much better when the toenails are painted Tramp Red. Dave will say "Your toes are looking particularly trampy today, Dear" and he means it as a compliment! Silly boy...

[device]

Also, an aspirin soak (aspirin dissloved in water, as opposed to plain water) will help to soften & shed the dead skin.

You've all motivated me! I think I will call my friend and see if she wants to get a pedicure this week. :happy: I've never had a profesional one done.

One question: I have some warts on the sole of one foot. Can I still get the foot soak/massage, or can the warts spread (and thus be a "health" hazard)?

Cheers,
Device

[kimberlily]

I know nothing about warts, so I can't help you there. A pedicure is great if your feet are in rough shape (literally and figuratively!) then it makes the upkeep easier. You need to be dedicated though (I'm not, and my feet are a disaster). Nightly moisturizing, and filing (or grating, as LisaJaney does) weekly, if not more often, to keep callouses at bay.

I'm a big fan of nail polish. In fact, I have nearly 50 bottles of OPI polish, since it will stay on my toes until the polish grows off :boggle: I don't let that happen, of course, but it is like crazy glue on my toes. I also like to put little clear rhinestones on my big toenail, for fun. If I neglect my nails, my feet also get neglected. I find that if I paint the toes, I pay more attention to my feet in general :)

[beautiful dee]

pedicure is a good idea.exfoliate your feet and use any of your favourite moisturising creams on your foot and wear socks and leave overnight and when you wakeup your feet will be soft.painting toe nails is a great idea to get attention away from your feet

advice-keep your toe nails short.they will stay cleaner that way instead of getting the dirt under your toe nails

[BBGrrl]

A professional pedicure is the best way to get pretty feet quickly. Then at home maintainance is a must. I always recommend to my clients invest in a foot file and use the smooth side each time they shower or bathe. A high quality lotion is my second reccomendation. If they have those then I give them a recipe of suger or salt and oil for a weekly scrub. The last thing I tell them to buy is an orangewood stick to clean up around the toe nails. A milk paste or a milk soak is a great softener for callouses and the goo around the nails.

[LilyMunster]

Would I find Am Lactin in the cosmetics or pharmacy area?

LM

[hairbrain]

In fact, I have nearly 50 bottles of OPI polish, since it will stay on my toes until the polish grows off

hmmm thats interresting, kimberlily ~ I have a bad back so
I do my nails VERY rarely (full pedi that I do myself, then the basics
like pumice the dry spots in the shower etc in between)
so a good long-lasting polish is something I need...

:whoohoo:

[kimberlily]

Hairbrain, OPI rocks. I love that stuff. Speaking of, I need to do my toes tonight. My toes been naked for a couple of days now, and I hate looking at my feet without my toes done!

[hairbrain]

My toes been naked for a couple of days now, and I hate looking at my feet without my toes done!

woooo hoooooo !!! need to get 'em all trampy like Lisa !
bwahhahaa
(i DO mean the nails, of course-LJ !) :cheesy:

[shella]

Oh, getting a pedicure is heavenly!:whoohoo: They make your feet look so purdy, and if I was a gazillionaire I'd pay for every person I know to have one. Something about being pampered for 30 minutes and having pretty feet makes ya feel so proud!


Here's the way I do them at home:

First I clip and file my toenails. Then take a bath, shower, or just soak feet to soften the skin, dry off and use the cheese grater looking thing (like LisaJaney was talking about) on all the calloused areas. If your feet are really bad it will take a couple of different times to take all that crud off, but you will notice a big difference even after one time.

Once my feet are really dry I go back over any rough patches using one of those sandpaper, foot file thingies.

Then I rewet my feet and dry them back off a little, then smooth on some good lotion and massage it in really good.

Put on some flip-flops/thongs and go about my business while the lotion soaks in.

Once my feet feel nice and dry I do the polish, then usually follow up with a second coat.

[runrigfan2251]

:happy: mmmm a pedicure sounds wonderful! next time I have my nails done I will definitely be getting a pedicure

[LisaJaney]

Taking the "trampy like LJ" complement as it was intended: high praise indeed! :) Too funny, Hairbrain! :innocent:

Shella, that sounds just like what I do: the sandpaper-filer after the feet have dried, then lotion atop that. (I don't normally re-wet my feet, but I like the sounds of that!) The cheese-grater really does look like a ginger-grater/parmesan-cheese-grater and does a GREAT job of knocking off several layers of crust, but leaves things a bit rough; the sandpapery file really smooths stuff out afterwards, but the skin has to be DRY for the file to work well.

Trampy toenails all the way, Baby! :drool: Why do you think I live in Idaho-ho-ho?

OK, I tried two bottles of OPI on a grouporder last year and the stuff would NOT dry -- it remained "tacky" for days. My toenails were sticking to my socks and all that. What a pain. I sent it back. It was ONE coat, so I know it wasn't like I put a second coat on too soon and ruined it THAT way. I was SO disappointed. I broke the second bottle somehow -- broke the top off. I was able to salvage most of it into a cheapie-nailpolish bottle, and THAT color seems to work well; don't know WHAT was the problem with the first one. They were REALLY cool colors, too! I may try them again, on your say-so...

[wavebaby]

I'm echoing the otheres who said pedicure. A good pedicure to start you out on the right foot (pun intended) and home maintenance with some basic tools (also already mentioned) pumice stone, super moisturizing creams, scrubs, whatever you like & feel you need. During the summer months, (and almost throughout the year) I sport a perpetual french manicure on my toes, which I am pleased to say I have mastered on my own!:grinhappy:

(lovin' OPI:sweet: )

[Abanilla_Surfer]

Have you considered not wearing shoes for a while every day? I don't know what the weather's like where you are, but a bit of fresh air and walking on a rough surface (sand is best for exfoliation) works for me and it lifts the spirits too.
If you get the pedicure 1st you'll enjoy showing them off :grinhappy:

[kimberlily]

woooo hoooooo !!! need to get 'em all trampy like Lisa !
bwahhahaa
(i DO mean the nails, of course-LJ !) :cheesy: I did my toes yesterday. OPI Black Satin with Midnight Blue Glitter as a topcoat. I'd take a pic, but you don't want to see my bunions, and DH has our camera and he's out of town ;)

They look pretty darn cool though. I love black polish on toes!

Yay for trampy (or in my case, Gothy) toes!:whoohoo:

[jessie58]

Oh I'm jealous of all you guys who have had pedicures. I've never had one in my life and it's something I've been wanting to do. I never do my nails and last summer and this summer, my daughter has been painting my toenails for me because I'm just clueless and she thinks my feet look so bare without nail polish. I don't even cream my hands or paint my fingernails for that matter. One time an Avon lady gave me a manicure about 10 years ago, but that doesn't count.
I think I will make it my mission to actually have a pedicure this summer. :whoohoo:

[Hairstorm]

Would I find Am Lactin in the cosmetics or pharmacy area?

LMI got mine at Costco near the other lotions.

I haven't had a pedicure, but my friend who has said to get a woman. She had a man do it and he massaged her legs too hard and hurt her.

[13bodies]

My face is very oily and my feet are very dry. If I weren't so fat, I'd rub my face on my feet--but anyway...:cheesy:

Ideally, each time I take a shower, I use my ceramic file to exfoliate my feet. If they're really bad, I'll take a milk/aspirin bath and then exfoliate. I have better luck not damaging the skin if my feet are well hydrated first.

Then I use foot cream before bed. If I exfoliate well I don't have to wear socks which is good because I hate wearing socks to bed. I also can't go barefoot since it increases the dry, white, powdery-looking dry skin on my heels. Yuck. :sick:

For maximum softness, I'll slather my feet with shea butter, put on socks, then wear my rubber garden clogs all day. The clogs are cheapies from Big Lots and don't have any ventilation so my feet get all sweaty and soak up all of the shea butter. It works wonders.

Always, always, always during sandal season I have painted toenails. Red. Very occasionally bronze, but I always go back to red. I use Revlon Quick Dry base coat, 2 coats of polish, and the Revlon Quick Dry top coat and the polish stays on till I take it off.

If you'rs starting from ground zero, I agree with everyone else--have a good pedicure from a reputable place who sterilize everything properly and it'll be much easier to take care of your feet from then on. :happy:

And don't forget the toe ring! :whoohoo:

[justgreen]

And don't forget the toe ring! :whoohoo:

Cardinal sin to forget the toe ring. Toe rings rule! I want to get an expensive one, one of these days. If I'd quit buying hair stuff, I might be able to afford one.:grim:

[jessie58]

Cardinal sin to forget the toe ring. Toe rings rule! I want to get an expensive one, one of these days. If I'd quit buying hair stuff, I might be able to afford one.:grim:

I like the look of these but I tried wearing one once and it drove me nuts. So much for the toe ring.

[wavebaby]

Cardinal sin to forget the toe ring. Toe rings rule! I want to get an expensive one, one of these days. If I'd quit buying hair stuff, I might be able to afford one.:grim:

Yes! the all important ring! I actually have a really nice one, it is white gold with rhinestones in the shape of a flower...it's quite bling-y :happy:

[kimberlily]

I have a toe ring that is a cheapie I got included in a pedicure. It was too small for any of my toes, and it had a bump on the back that hurt. I want to get a good one. Or I could always make one........ hmmmmm..........

[Athena's Owl]

I've never actually gone for a pedicure, but my feet rock.

I prefer baths to showers, so I soak in the tub, go over my wet feet with a pumice, massage castor oil into them, and then scrub them with a bath brush and gentle soap and then pumice them again if they feel like they need it.

then I rub the butter i make at home into them up to the calves while still wet, put on a pair of clean socks, and do the rest of the stuff.

I keep my toenails kind of long (by that I mean I don't cut them down to the quick), so I scrub under the nails with a nail brush when cleaning, and shape them with an emery board, and I sand and buff the ridges off so they're shiny even without polish.

but my favorite paint treatment? french manicure style. it looked strange at first, and now my toes look weird without it. i still buy all the crazy colors for my toes, though!

[LisaJaney]

My good friend had the French manicure on her toes and it was adorable! It was clear polish and white at the nails (as opposed to that beigey color with white) Then, on every toe, there was a little white Daisy painted on. It was just cute as could be.

[ravenlox]

My good friend had the French manicure on her toes and it was adorable! It was clear polish and white at the nails (as opposed to that beigey color with white) Then, on every toe, there was a little white Daisy painted on. It was just cute as could be.

oh lisajaney that does sound very cute. off I go to pretty up my feet.:happy:

[enitsirk]

I've never actually gone for a pedicure, but my feet rock.

I prefer baths to showers, so I soak in the tub, go over my wet feet with a pumice, massage castor oil into them, and then scrub them with a bath brush and gentle soap and then pumice them again if they feel like they need it.

then I rub the butter i make at home into them up to the calves while still wet, put on a pair of clean socks, and do the rest of the stuff.

I keep my toenails kind of long (by that I mean I don't cut them down to the quick), so I scrub under the nails with a nail brush when cleaning, and shape them with an emery board, and I sand and buff the ridges off so they're shiny even without polish.

but my favorite paint treatment? french manicure style. it looked strange at first, and now my toes look weird without it. i still buy all the crazy colors for my toes, though!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that keeps toenails long (..er than average =p)

I used to keep them super short but when I was 13/14 I started having lots of really gross ingrown nail issues on my big toes and now keep the big toenails longer to prevent issues (I figure if I don't trim/file them properly and it's that high up it won't matter) and the other ones longer to match.

I don't let them grow super long but my bf has commented on their length negatively:ooh:

On the other hand my boyfriend absolutely hates feet so I guess that needs to be taken with more grains of salt than usual :bored:

[Stephanie]

HAHAHA! Trampy toes! :lafhard: I adore Eucerin's AHA cream.

I'll definitely have to try the aspirin soak, as well as the milk. Thanks ladies! :D

AmLactin can be found in the cosmetics/lotions section. Likely on the bottom or near to bottom shelf as it's definitely not a "mainstream" big bucks product.

OPI rocks my happy little world! It's the only thing that'll stick to my oily nail beds. I'll join the trampy toes club with "I'm not really a waitress." :lafhard: BTW, Lisa, what'd ya do?! Pour it on?! :lol: Just kidding. Not sure why it didn't dry on you...mine always dries to a polished stone finish. Hard as a rock, baby!

And another for the long toenails. I like well-shaped toenails that look proportionate to the toes and feet and since my toenail beds are rather short and small (unlike my fingernails, damnit :lol:), I just cut and file them until they look like they fit right. :grinhappy:

[MerryKat]

I also love my toenails painted and a bit longer as like Stephanie I have short nail beds on my toes. I find if I cut my toenails short I get ingrown problems and my toes look stumpy while if the nail is a little longer my toes look in proportion to my feet. I have to find the right balance between short and long as if my toenails are too long the pressure from my shoes can cause ingrown problems.

[quiet1]

Rather than a pedicure to start off with, if you actually have foot problems and you're on your feet a lot, I'd go to a podiatrist first. I haven't been myself yet, but from my mother's recent experience if you go to a good one you practically get a pedicure as part of the service. (Well, probably without the nail painting. :) )

THEN go to get a nice pedicure. :) (Well, I suppose you could get a pedicure first, but I'd really recommend seeing a doctor to get any actual problems sorted out- healthy bodyparts always look nicer than unhappy ones, imo. :) )

[LisaJaney]

Steph, I was just talking to TBear about that very thing last night. I told her that I hadn't put it on super-thick (and I HAVE put on the cheaper kinds super-thick, but that even THEY dried after a few hours. This OPI wasn't dry by day's end and was still soft enough that I could put a fingerprint into it. I called Michael (the nice man at BallBeauty, he always remembers me when I call, from all the grouporders I've done with them) and told him and he said that that's not typical and I should send it back. So I did. We figured it was a bad batch or something. And it was such a GOOD color, too! Pink that didn't lean towards orange, ya know? A good blue-based pink. *sigh*

[HairColoredHair]

I like putting a thick layer of pistachio butter all over my feet and then putting on socks and heading to bed. :happy:

Makes them all soft!

I just don't want to be like my Dad and have to take scissors and dremmel tools to his skin. :boggle:

[enitsirk]

I like putting a thick layer of pistachio butter all over my feet and then putting on socks and heading to bed. :happy:

Makes them all soft!

I just don't want to be like my Dad and have to take scissors and dremmel tools to his skin. :boggle:

*shudders* no...that does not sound fun.

My dad would do similar stuff I know and it always grossed me out

[FeetR2C]

Lots of you guys want toe rings. DON'T buy the pinch kind! Buy the fitted ones! They are like way hard to get on, you like SO have to spray Windex on your toes to make the skin slippery, so the ring can be rocked back and forth and literally FORCED onto the toe. It even hurts a little, but once it's on, it is totally freakin awesome! They are so comfortable that most people leave them on ALL the time until they are ready for new ones. I even swim with 'em on! Oh....if you DO want to take them off - though I cannot imagine why - they come off a LOT easier than they go on. The best source that I have found is http://www.onceuponatoe.com Their prices are very reasonable and the rings rock! I wear a total of seven rings on three different toes! Of course some of them are designed to be stacked.

[Scarlet]

Funny, but I was just thinkin' that my feet needed an overhaul.
I was visiting my SIL last week and used her pumice stone. My heels are completely gross...dry and kinda cracked. I wear socks to work, so I don't worry about it too much until it's the weekend and sandal time. I do keep my toesies painted, usually slutty pink or trampy red, which even deflects my attention from the rest.

I do believe a pedicure is in order this weekend, just to get the ball rolling.
:lafhard:

[Liluri]

I do keep my toesies painted, usually slutty pink or trampy red, which even deflects my attention from the rest.

:lol: I think I know exactly what types of pinks and reds you use, but this still cracked me up :)

[LisaJaney]

NailGuide,
You are new here. As much as I'd like to welcome you, it seems that your ONLY agenda is to push your lime-green, hard-to-read site and make-known its existence, because that is the ONLY thing you've contributed in your posts. It's called "Spamming", and we don't like it. Even if the info is good (and I am not conceding that in any way) it's still spamming.

Straighten up and quit spamming, or go away.

Signed,
LisaJaney, a concerned member here who doesn't LIKE your spamming of a nice site like this.

[justgreen]

Hey ladies! *and gents, if you are inclined that way* It's footie season almost! I vote we have try doing different things to our tootsies this year. The little daisies on each toe sounded so cute! I want to paint mine black and use white to make a little crescent moon on my big toes, with a tiny star, with a rhinestone. I hope I can bend over that long!

[Phantasmagoria]

My feet have been dry for ages, peeling, but not cracking. I bought this cream at wal-mart called Udderly Smooth specifically for this, and it's already working. $4 at wally world, I'm thinking this is what LJ was talking about on the first page? Good stuff!

[Rae~]

I'm going to go back and read the posts in this thread from last year shortly.

I am a permanent-red-toenails sorta gal, and I have been for the last 10 years or so. I often put (very small) white or silver nail art on just my big toes. But I do worry about the health of my nails and nailbeds, being painted 24/7 all year... so the last couple of years I've tried to leave them uncoated for a couple of months over winter. It's coming into winter here now, so I recently stripped off the red and am walking around naked. ;) It's such a shock to catch glimpses of my bare toenails - I am so used to them being red! :lol:

I'm trying to make winter the time I focus on foot scrubs, moisturising, cuticles etc etc instead of the colour. So I'm reading here for lots of good tips! I've recently started rubbing a couple of drops of jojoba oil all over my feet just before I go to bed.... we'll see if it helps or not. :)

ETA: Seeing as it will be a while until I have anthing to show this thread, I'm adding a photo from just before I took all my colour off. They are looking a little long, and tatty around the edges :blush:, as they're a couple of weeks old at this point. This is a little more "tomato red" than I usually like... I prefer more of a blood red colour.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2091/2520143450_25bc9f83be_m.jpg

[justgreen]

It's toe season again ladies....anyone feel artistic? I've been using Eucerin cream, in the big tub, usually right before bedtime. If I've showered and plan to wear sandals for the day, I slather the stuff on then put on a pair of socks for a few minutes so I don't slip and slide in my shoes!

[kimberlily]

I recently got myself a PedEgg. Not sure if I like it or not. Time will tell, since I've only used it once.

I need to do my nails. Badly. I've been wearing sandals for a couple of months already and my nails are a mess. Bad, bad girl.

[justgreen]

I try to keep up with my feet all year round, it really helps in the long run. I don't change polish as often in winter, but I continue with my eucerin after every shower, and more at bedtime.