Can pedicurists give a foot the boot?

April 28, 2005 10:25 PM

How often do pedicurists turn down a really nasty looking foot?

I know someone who needs a pedicure very, very badly (huge callouses, and I don't even know what the nails look like), and I offered to take them to the nail place I love. But I'd be deadly embarassed for them if they got turned down because their feet are so yuck. How often do pedicurists look at feet and refuse to serve them based on how bad they are?

posted by ThePinkSuperhero to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

Maybe they need a podiatrist first? Medically trained people would be unlikely to turn anyone down, unless it was to refer them on to more medically trained people.
I imagine it's a given that people attend a pedicurist with at least reasonably clean feet. It's their business so unless we are talking gross medical or gross hygeine problems, they would likely accept everyone. Or I would have thought so.
posted by peacay at 10:38 PM on April 28, 2005

That's what pedicures are for, right? Cleaning off the callouses and toenails and whatnot. If the foot is clean and there aren't open sores, I don't see why the pedicurist would turn them down unless it was some fancy-shmancy faux-pedicure place that only services people for show and not because they have actual problems.

You could also call the shop and ask.
posted by Anonymous at 12:32 AM on April 29, 2005

As long as their feet don't have an appalling stink, I think you'd find that a professional pedicurist would take it all in stride.

Even if the aforementioned feet were stinky, a professional would handle it appropriately.

Minor personal grooming beforehand as a courtesy, like brushing your teeth before visiting the dentist, is the way to go.

I guess what schroedinger said.
posted by tomble at 4:26 AM on April 29, 2005

According to my ex, a warning call would be appreciated.
posted by mischief at 7:25 AM on April 29, 2005

ThePinkSuperhero, why don't you call your fave nail place first, and try to describe your friend's feet, and see what they think? It'll give them a chance to turn her down without your friend even knowing about it.

Upon preview: Hmph.
posted by iconomy at 7:28 AM on April 29, 2005

Often, pedicures start by soaking the feet, so that may help. As long as the feet are washed beforehand, most of the yuck shouldn't be anything a light soak and towelling can't take care of.

I would imagine that the pedicurist has probably seen worse feet. This would be especially true at this time of year when everyone is starting to wear lighter socks and/or sandals/lighter shoes, and the feet are coming out of hibernation. If your friend's feet are in really bad shape, a phone call wouldn't hurt, but you would have to describe the feet in detail for them to give a good answer. Their version of gross may be different from your version of gross.
posted by melissa at 8:28 AM on April 29, 2005

I've gotten pedicures before with pretty bad scabs and warts and nasty stuff on my feet, and nobody's ever blinked an eye. I once also got a pedicure in a retirement community and the pedicurist spent the entire time telling me about all these old folks who get pedicures because they can't take care of their own feet any more, and sometimes they let their feet get really, really neglected before coming in.

In summary: wash the feet before going in, warn the pedicurist that you need a lot of work, and give them a big tip. They've seen it all.
posted by bonheur at 9:17 AM on April 29, 2005

As long as their feet don't look like this the pedicurist should be fine (caution! don't look at this while eating lunch).

I agree with the advice to make a call to book the appointment, and discreetly mention the issue. Bonheur's got the steps down pat.
posted by seawallrunner at 12:23 PM on April 29, 2005

my mother has this nasty toenail that has calcium buildup under it. it's impossible to cut without taking a hacksaw to it; she's had it her whole life.

we get pedicures together in the summer and they never turn her away, they just always call all the women over and chatter in Korean for about 5 minutes about, presumably, how heinous and weird it is.
posted by playtragic at 1:49 PM on May 5, 2005