Pedicuring
Setup and sanitation
Pedicures carry higher infection risk because feet are warm, damp, and often colonized. Basin liners or properly disinfected basins are not optional. Whirlpool jets must be drained, cleaned, and disinfected with a low-foaming, EPA-registered disinfectant according to the label; circulating a splash of cleaner is not enough. Foot files, credo blades, and pumice are porous or difficult to disinfect - treat them as single-use or client-owned. Towels and toe separators are single-use.
Procedure
Inspect both feet before starting. Soak to soften tissue, clean under the free edge, trim nails straight across (slightly rounded corners), and file edges smooth. Reduce callus with a sanitized file or paddle, working gently - never shave callus with a blade. Push back cuticle carefully; avoid aggressive cutting on toes, where circulation is poorer. Massage, then polish with toe separators.
Health screening
Diabetes, circulatory problems, neuropathy, and anticoagulant use are referral flags. A client with diabetes may not feel a nick and heals slowly; do not reduce callus or cut tissue without medical clearance. Athlete's foot and thickened, discolored nails are contagious - refer.
Traps and a rule of thumb
Common errors: assuming a foot bath's filter sanitizes the jets, or treating a diabetic client "carefully" instead of referring.
Rule of thumb: anything that touches feet and cannot be fully disinfected gets discarded - and when in doubt about a client's health, refer to a physician.