Happy Feet: The Healthy, Pretty, Pain-Free Foot Care Guide

3 Steps to a Perfect Pedicure

You can get a salon-quality pedicure at home. For feet that look polished without the actual polish, from Roxanne Valinoti, who handles education for Creative Nail Design.

1. While you're in the shower or bath, exfoliate the bottoms of your feet with a foot file. Don't miss spots like the sides of your big toes, where calluses tend to form. Gently push cuticles back with a washcloth.
2. Hop out, dry off, then trim and file your nails. Cut them straight across, then clip the very edges at a 45-degree angle. This helps prevent ingrown toenails by softening the corners, says Valinoti. Use a three-way buffer with different grits to polish nails to a high shine.
3. Slather your feet with a super-thick lotion and slip on a pair of socks for an hour or, better yet, leave them on overnight. The combination of body heat and moisturizer will repair any cracks or roughness in your skin and make your feet sooo soft.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, June 2007.