What is the Difference Between Spa Pedicures and Regular Pedicures?

Skin Care
What is the Difference Between Spa Pedicures and Regular Pedicures?

Getting a regular pedicure at your nail bar to touch up your cuticles and shape your toenails is a healthy routine to maintain the condition of your toes.

Many corner nail bars nowadays offer great service for regular maintenance of your toes and a cup of tea for a reasonable price that won't break the bank. But how about going up a notch to a spa pedicure?

 

You get your regular cuticle touch up and toenail shaping but wait there's more! Comfy chairs, essential oils, foot massage and exfoliation, paraffin wax dips and the list goes on. Don't forget you get the full pampering experience!

Yes, it will cost more. But if you prefer to go above and beyond taking care of the condition of your feet and toes, this investment will be worth it.

In this blog post, we will discuss the qualities that make spa pedicures stand out compared to regular pedicures because as the saying goes, quality over quantity.

woman getting a foot massage

Ambiance

When it comes to ambiance, spa pedicures take the cake.

Once you walk into a spa, the atmosphere is relaxing and calming compared to a nail bar.

The pedicure lounge is more spacious and has a slight floral fragrance as opposed to the tight space and fumes of nail polish remover at a nail bar.

Most often, you will be seated in comfy lounge chairs and offered refreshments such as herbal tea, biscuits, chocolate, fruit-infused water or wine if asked. Magazines, music in the background and pillows are always appreciated during a spa pedicure.

Cleanliness

In a spa, cleanliness is very important because it adds to the ambiance of the spa pedicure experience.

For example, clean white towels are fresh with every customer, the pedicure chairs are sanitized after every use and the washroom is sparkling clean. This makes a huge difference! Both spas and nail bars do an excellent job at keeping the environment tidy and enjoyable for the customer.

Quality

Spa pedicures are longer in time than regular pedicures because they come with additional services such as a foot soak, a foot massage and exfoliation, a hot towel rub, and a paraffin wax dip.

These add-ons may or may not be included in the pedicure itself, but they definitely contribute to an enjoyable experience.

The quality of the pedicure itself is exceptional because you have highly trained staff doing what they do best. The professionalism also comes with what tools, products, and techniques they use on your feet.

Normally, the tools are stainless steel and sanitized in a sterilizing device to kill bacteria and dead skin cells.

After the usual clipping of the cuticles, shaping of the nails and brushing away calluses, a spa pedicure will give you a foot massage using a foot cream (for example, Footlogix) followed by an exfoliation on the feet and the upper leg using a salt scrub.

This helps to remove dead skin and smooth the surface of the skin.

A paraffin wax dip may be included to moisturize the feet. After the paraffin is completely cooled and removed, the skin becomes soft to the touch.

Much thought is taken into consideration in a spa pedicure because it's main focus is to maintain the wellness of the whole feet as opposed to a regular pedicure that focuses on regular maintenance of the cuticles and toenails.

A spa pedicure will also give you the pampering experience for the amount of service you get and the price you are paying for.    

foot massage

Post Treatment Care

After you are fully pampered and relaxed in your pedicure chair, your service provider will recommend a product to protect your feet, not as a means to make sales but to help care for the condition of your feet.

Since spa pedicure is on the higher price point, it is ideal to be done twice a month followed by regular application of foot cream to prevent fungal infection, odor, dryness and cracking.

Many spas will have foot creams available for sale and your service provider will choose the best one for your skin type and condition.

The Bottom Line

The main difference between a spa pedicure and a regular pedicure is quality. A spa pedicure is more detail oriented and luxurious and keeps the standards high when it comes to technique and care.

However, if you are looking for simple touch ups on a regular basis, a regular pedicure may fit you better. That being said, the bottom line is personal preference. But once in awhile, it doesn't hurt to pamper yourself after a long work day.

We offer six different spa pedicures for your choosing! Read more about it here. Interested? Book an appointment with us!