Yes, in some way's Runner's, looking for a pedicure, should be treated differently, not in a bad way of course. Nail-technicians should be thoughtful and conscious about the anatomy of a runners foot, let me tell you why.
Have you every found yourself running your feet into the ground, with no idea of the consequences to the skin. The skin and nails on our feet are exposed to a lot of shoe action, that means plenty of room for skin related issues, more-so with runners and anyone in high-impact sport.
Whilst trainers provide
cushioning, our feet were naturally meant to roam free. The callus developed on the feet provides protection, without compromising tactile sensitivity.
That means your feet are adapting to your life-style and therefore, it's quite important to have callus on the feet. As it creates a hard surface, helping you build tolerance to blisters and any other nasty skin injuries on your running journey !
Other issues you can run into (no pun intended !) include ingrown toenails, blackened toe nails from trauma and fungal infections.
So ...
What should a nail technician AVOID:
Callus are good for runners and if they don't cause any issues, then they shouldn't be heavily tampered. (However if you suffer with any medical condition such as Diabetes, please see your GP)
Cuticles very important, as it protects the nail from infection, and whilst that's important for everyone, it is more-so for your runner. Nail tech's should avoid cutting cuticles, but they can definitely push them back.
Ingrown toe nails should never be treated by a nail-technician, we're not medical professionals, but we can certainly help prevent them, with the right techniques.
We can't treat you if you have any type of skin infection - we will refer you onto a GP so you can seek professional medical advise.
If you have a blackened toe nail, this will need to be fully assessed, as to whether it's minor trauma, or something related to a medical condition or fungal infection. The nail-tech will need to avoid if it is anything other than minor bruising.
That being said, there is absolutely no reason why a runner shouldn't treat themselves to a pedicure. What should a nail technicians DO:
Cut and file toenails - It's important that the nail-tech avoids cutting the nail too short as this can cause ingrown toenails. There is a misconception that, the shorter your nails, the less likely you will be to get ingrown. That is the very opposite as the nail needs to be long enough that it no longer digs into the distal portion of the toe, before the nail can be properly trimmed.
Soak your runners feet into some lovely Epsom salts, to relax muscles
Gently push back cuticles, but don't cut unless he skin is hanging and tear.
Gently exfoliate the skin of the feet with a soft foot scrub
For Calluses that flap about, it it worth taking those off, as they will eventually come off and can tear your skin. Only in those circumstances would we ever actively remove callus, using a natural Moroccan foot scrubbing tool, fancy...
We then massage the feet and lower legs gently, to relieve tension
Finally, we add a luxury treatment onto the runners service, by adding either foot-mask or paraffin wax
Finish off with some polish and cuticle oil.. (for gel polish, we complete that before the massage).
Why not book in for a Runners Service, your feet deserve it and our nail-techs are trained to keep your feet going for a few more miles.
Kat xxx