Pedicure, is it worth it?

[GreatDogsbody]

The Short: I'm going away on holiday and wondering whether a pedicure is worth it, or whether I should just get gel toes OR just paint my toenails myself?

The long: I've never had any kind of pedicure/gel toes before, normally I just paint them myself, but I love the look on other people. At the same time, I don't know if my nails and feet at just unpretty in general and a pedicure wouldn't help much. My feet are big and flat, and my nails short and stubby. I also don't "enjoy" a massage- so the pedicure would be purely functional (making my feet look lovely, well that's my aim anyway), not a relaxing treat.

I also want a bikini wax and gel fingernails with extensions/acrylics. I've had these before. Anyway, everything adds up, so I wonder whether i should save the £50 it will cost me for a pedicure by just getting gel toes (approx £30) or painting my toes myself and just using a pumice stone (free) - which is what I always do.

Would appreciate any advice/tips.

I love a good gel pedicure. If done properly, it won't chip and it lasts ages.

I’ve never had a pedicure. Mid 30s and think people would see me as reasonably glam when dressed up. What do you need the pedicure for? Is DH having one?

The heel scrub/ skin shave alone makes it worth it
DH always says I have ‘tidy toes’ when I have a pedicure, and they’re not shabby the rest of the time 😂

Thanks @Didntask it's nice to hear a pedicure is something you really enjoy.

@countdowntonap DH actually says it's a waste of money and not to do it 🤣 so he definitely is not having one. "No one will be looking at your feet".

I just see everyone else on holiday with pretty feet, and I feel mine are big clodhoppers in sandals with short stubby nails, when I want them to look nice.

It feels similar to hands (well in my head at least): nails with a professional manicure vs nails painted yourself vs nails that are chewed and stubby. Or a professional blow dry vs done at home vs a bird's nest. Normally I'm in the latter categories, and I look pretty scruffy in my everyday life. Sometimes I do a half-arsed at DIY job for a special occasion.

I would love "tidy toes", but I worry about the quality of my nails. Do you find it actually makes your toes and nails look better?

The heel scrub makes sense!

I have very unpretty size 8 feet but a good shellac pedicure makes them look SO much better! I have them done every 3-4 weeks in the summer months when my feet are on show and would definitely recommend it.

I'm also a size 8! This is so encouraging to hear.

Do you get a full pedicure, or just shellac? It feels like there are a lot of different options to chose from with different prices: e-pedicure, mini, thermal etc

No one will be looking at your feet WRONG! On a beach holiday or anywhere you are wearing sandals, open toed shoes or barefoot, people would absolutely notice feet! It might be a fleeting glance, but I'd notice nice toes vs manky ones!

Toe nails grow far slower than finger nails, so only need doing every 2mths or so. Personally, I'd pay for toe nails, because they re harder to reach, they get the dead skin off and harder to correct if you get the varnish everywhere. I don't have a pedicure for 'the massage'! There barely is one where I go and its more about removing skin, trimming nails and adding the varnish.

The upkeep and infills every 2 weeks for acrylic finger nails is alot more time and money IMO than a pedicure! I use to have acrylic finger nails, but when covid hit, I bought stick on ones from amazon and use nail glue. If one pops off, I just stick on another. Mine are French style and majority of people think they are my own nails or acrylic. I pay about £10 every 3mths for a pack of nails and glue and no longer spend time in a salon for fingers.

Love a pedicure. Always get gel, and change every couple of months. Can usually stretch out to 6/7 weeks before I remove at home

I like getting shellac on my toes but I don't have a pedicure. I see a chiropodist every 6 months or so and I don't have crusty heels or feet. The hygiene of a lot of nails salons doesn't look great so I wouldn't be keen on having my heels scraped

I also hate having my feet touched. Painting is just about bearable

I’m not keen on people touching my feet, but pedicures are essential! I’m not in the Uk and spent most of the year in thongs/flip flops, so my heels get really dry. I don’t bother with manicures most of the time. Your feet will definitely look better in sandals.

I don't enjoy getting a pedicure as I have ticklish feet and they cost around $60 here and I'd rather spend the money on other things. (I give myself a DIY pedicure instead).

I have a traditional pedicure with ordinary nail polish at the start of every summer. It's lovely and helps me keep my toenails well.shaped for the entire summer. Ordinary polish lasts for three weeks on my toes and comes off with nail varnish remover for me to do again.

100% worth it, and I am not a manicure or salon type of person at all otherwise. Gel toenails look so polished and it lasts for ages.

I’ve had salon pedicures in the past but now have a chiropodist appt every few months and paint them myself. My feet and nails are beautiful now and he’s sorted a corn I didn’t know I had. I leave it a couple of weeks after my appointment to paint my toe nails because they look so pretty post appointment. It’s expensive (£60) but worth it. The hard skin removal is phenomenal,if you like that sort of thing( I love it & always admire my shavings🙂)

I get the full pedicure. Partly because I hate dealing with cuticles and hard skin myself, partly because the place I go to has amazing massage chairs so I want to stay in them as long as possible! 😁

What are your feet like?

My vire is that nobody notices nice feet but everyone notices bad feet.

So do what you need to to avoid the dreaded cracked heel (closed shoes help massively)- if that means a pedicure, so be it. Otherwise just pop some polish on and take the bottle to top up halfway through to cover up any chips.

Definitely, I have a pedicure every 2 months with a gel polish, dark in the winter, french in the summer. Nails are a good shape, no hard heel skin and little corns are removed before they get a chance to grow.

@GreatDogsbody yes, definitely worth it I have one every few months.