Manicure vs. pedicure: All you need to know (and then some)

One thing that manicure and pedicure have in common is that they’re both beauty treatments for your nails. What are the differences between a manicure vs pedicure?

Let’s face it: your hands and feet are the most exposed to extreme weather conditions, dust, germs, and pollutants in the air. So, it goes without saying that you need to take good care of them to avoid infections. Besides, who would turn down a long and relaxing session if it means taking your mind off stress and emerging feeling rejuvenated?

Beauty treatments like manicures and pedicures exist exactly for this purpose: to keep your hands and nails as well as your feet and toenails neat and healthy. If you were wondering what is different between the two, we’ve given you a detailed manicure vs. pedicure breakdown, so you can understand better and make informed choices.

Manicure vs. pedicure: What is the difference between the two?

Quite simply, manicure is a beauty treatment for the hands and fingernails whereas a pedicure is a beauty treatment done for the feet and toenails.

The process of a manicure and pedicure varies depending on the treatment you pick. The most basic one includes a cut, file, and polish of your nails while an immersive treatment includes exfoliation, massage, and more. The price range also varies accordingly.

Depending on what you need, you could opt for a treatment that gives your nails a sparkling new look or just have them cleaned with a coat of nude polish.

Now, let’s look at the difference between manicure and pedicure.

Manicure vs. pedicure: The procedure

The first step in a manicure and pedicure is pretty much the same.

In a manicure, you soak your fingernails and during a pedicure, you soak your toenails in lukewarm soapy water. This is done so that they soften and it becomes easier for the beautician to trim or file them.

Next, your nails are trimmed, filed, and shaped as per the length you would like to maintain.

The third step is pushing your cuticles back and trimming them to remove excess dirt and dead skin cells. Then, your hands and feet are soaked in the water to clean them thoroughly once more.

After this, an exfoliation scrub is used to remove tanning and dead skin on your hands and feet. This bit might feel itchy owing to its rough texture, but it’s extremely relaxing and gives your skin a healthy glow.

Then comes the moisturiser or body butter, which is massaged onto your hands and feet to keep them silky smooth.

Lastly, you could pick a nail polish of your choice to keep your nails looking pretty!

There might be slight variations between a manicure vs a pedicure, depending on the service you choose, but the above is a step-by-step procedure on both these treatments. If the treatment you get fits the description above, rest assured, you’re in good hands.

Manicure vs pedicure: tools and techniques 

The tools that are used in a manicure vs. a pedicure would vary since the techniques for your hands and feet are different in these treatments.

A manicure-pedicure tool kit typically includes:

1. A nail clipper, nail filer, nail buffer, cuticle pusher, cuticle trimmer, and a pumice stone to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells
2. Cuticle oil/gel to moisturise and hydrate the nail bed
3. A scrub or exfoliator to remove dead cells from the surface of the skin
4. A de-tanning mask or pack to remove tans and lighten skin
5. Body lotion or body butter for moisturisation
6. A nail polish set to apply nail polish at the end of the treatment
7. Finger and toenail separators to use when the nail polish is drying

Manicure vs. pedicure: benefits

While both a manicure and a pedicure are extremely rejuvenating treatments, they come with a bunch of health benefits. The common benefits are that they remove dead skin cells, keep your skin feeling soft and smooth, enhance the appearance of your hands, feet, and nails and improve nail growth.

With manicures, you could prevent issues such as hangnails and ingrown nails from occurring, whereas with pedicures, you could solve common foot problems such as calluses and cracked heels.

Since both these treatments involve cleaning and cutting of nails, proper sanitation practices must be ensured to prevent the potential risk of infections. Therefore, ensure the salon/spa you visit or the professional you welcome home for these treatments maintains strict hygiene standards by deep cleaning and sanitising their tools after use. Also ensure fresh towels, wipes, and cotton pads are being used each time.

Now that you have a detailed understanding of a manicure vs. pedicure, ensure to pass on the knowledge to the uninitiated. But if you still find yourself wondering what’s different between a manicure and a pedicure, you can find out first-hand. Incidentally, you can book yourself an appointment right here.