Estelina Says File Feet Twice

Estelina’s Spa Products founder Estelina often gets quite a reaction when she tells nail techs to begin each pedicure with a dry filing of the feet. “Sometimes my students look at me like I have two heads,” she says.

When a pedicure client sits down, don’t immediately immerse her feet in warm water. Instead, counsels Estelina, examine the feet closely while you can still see the dry and callused areas clearly, then exfoliate with a dry file or pumice stone. “If you really sand it down you can see the results. The dry skin flies off,” she says. “Then when you put the feet in water, the skin will absorb better and become even softer. Right after the feet come out of the soak, the skin is so soft you may actually hurt the client by filing at this time.” Continue with the pedicure as usual — trimming the nails, tending to cuticles, and finally drying off the foot.  “At this point, you can apply a foot scrub and file the foot again. Now you are just smoothing the area,” she says.