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Consumer
Guide: Pedicures
BY Kelley L. Carter
Staff Writer
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Before
you don those summer sandals, take time for a soak, massage and
nail work
 Summer
is here. The sun is out and so are toes. Toes with chipped paint.
Toes with uneven nails. Toes that could stand some attention.
Simply put, it's time for a pedicure.
The options for pedicure seekers are many. Pampering versus process.
Twenty minutes versus 2 hours. Ten dollars versus $50.
Detroiter Charmion Hines runs for the nail polish bottle quicker
than she does to a nail salon to get her feet done in the summertime.
Mostly, it's because she's a graduate student at Eastern Michigan
University and her funds run low.
But when she can afford it, she prefers to go to a salon to get
pampered.
"I
have this thing about my feet looking nice," says Hines, who recently
had a pedicure at Heidi's Salon in Dearborn. "I'm a shoe fanatic.
I love sandals, and I like the way my feet look in sandals. It
looks cuter when you wear your sandals and have your toes painted.
I'm not into nails as much as a lot of women are, but I like for
my feet to be done."
Hines is a smart shopper because she's very cautious about whom
she lets touch her feet. She has concerns about cleanliness and
the nail fungus that can come from unsafe conditions.
Good thing, says Ashley Shepard, a Detroit podiatrist.
"From a patient's perspective, they need to make sure that they
go to a place where they sterilize their equipment. If not, they
can contaminate patients with fungus infections. Plus, if they
had any breaks in the skin, they can contaminate with the blood
products."
There's a slim chance of this happening, Shepard says, but keep
your eyes open for current licensing and cleanliness when you
choose a nail salon.
BASIC
Price: $10-$15
Where to find this service: Mostly beauty colleges.
Wait time: Appointments are required, but usually you can
get in the same week you call.
What you get: Feet cleaned and soaked in hot water. Cuticles
pushed back. Nails clipped, filed and buffed. A basic pedicure
by a student under the watchful eye of seasoned instructors. Nail
color may cost a few dollars more.
Time spent: Anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.
At beauty schools, you get what you pay for.
In this case, you're paying for trainees who are on the verge
of becoming full-time working professionals.
Art DeConciliis, the director of graduate studies for Pittsburgh
Beauty Academy, says that going to a beauty college for pedicures
is good for a number of reasons.
"There's a double benefit. You know you're going to get a quality
service, and even though it's a student, they're supervised by
a licensed cosmetology instructor," says DeConciliis. "Plus, schools
are only allowed to charge for the services rendered, enough to
cover a reasonable cost of overhead."
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This
is a teaching laboratory where patience is a requirement,
says Peter Lamas, a Hollywood beauty consultant who has
worked on films like "Titanic," "Mahogany" and "The Wiz."
"At the colleges, they do spend enough time with you because
they're learning and they get input from the teacher," says
Lamas, who also runs www.beautywalk.com,
a site where you can get advice. "But you have to be patient.
You have to allow plenty of time for that."
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For
more information about which Michigan schools are accredited,
contact the Web site at www.naccas.org.
MID-LEVEL
Price: $25-$40
Where to find this service: Walk-in places at malls, beauty
salons.
Wait time: Twenty minutes is the longest you'll likely
wait after walking in. If you go to a salon, it's best to have
an appointment, but walk-ins are generally welcome.
What you get: Basic pedicure, plus a foot massage and more
personal attention from a manicurist. Manicurists skilled in nail
art are available for a few dollars more.
Time spent: 25-40 minutes.
"I prefer going to salons to get pedicures," Charmion Hines says.
"I'm really into the massage part of it. At certain salons, they're
going to be more in-depth with the pedicure."
But they're also going to get you in and out quickly. Walk-in
places and salons specialize in completing the process in less
than 30 minutes. It works well if you have to be someplace in
a hurry or don't have the time to schedule one at a day spa.
Lamas, whose clients included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, says
a drawback to walk-in shops is that they don't spend much time
with you.
"They
give you decent service," Lamas says. "They're very quick and
very convenient, and that's why they can't spend a lot of time
with you. If they can do it in 20 minutes, then they're not going
to take 45."
Check out listings in mall directories to find salons and walk-in
places.
TOP-OF-THE-LINE Price: $45 and up
Where to find this service: At day spas and high-end department
stores; appointments are required.
Wait time: Walk-ins almost never happen at these places.
Waiting to get a pedicure appointment can take nearly 2 months
at some spas.
What you get: Basic pedicure, thorough massage and, often,
paraffin dip, herbal soaking and herbal tea. Usually takes more
than an hour.
If you've got the cash and spare time, going to a day spa pays
off with extra perks.
Often, the extras, such as a paraffin wax treatment that softens
the feet, are included in the price. Many offer deluxe packages
that can run close to $100 and can include a leg and foot facial,
cream exfoliation, herbal clay mask, oils and moisturizer.
All include a foot massage.
It's those extras that make Sharon Lee of Detroit spend about
$70 at places like Nordstrom's Spa in Troy or Capelli's in Bloomfield
Hills. She usually goes once a month, and in the interim treats
herself at home with a foot bath and foot creams.
"It's worth the extra money because at a real good day spa, they
massage your feet, relax you and put you to sleep," says Lee,
42. "It takes all of the aches and pain out of your feet. It just
feels so good. And it takes all of the swelling away."
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Lamas
says that if you decide to check out a day spa, the important
thing is to find out who will be giving you the pedicure
and how thorough a job the manicurist does.
"In the high-end salons, that is where you pray that you
get a talented individual," Lamas says. "I have had many
manicures and pedicures done at high-end salons and sometimes,
I've not been satisfied. You have to have the skills and
be thorough. They can't speed up and give you an OK pedicure.
I always feel it is the person who's doing it that makes
the difference."
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"No
pun intended," adds the consultant, who confides, "Titanic is
definately my glory."
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To
find local day spas, check out www.spas.about.com/travel/spas/cs/usdayspasmi
or www.dayspaassociation.com.
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