A facial on, well, your face, is a kind of treatment that is basically intended to remove dead skin, to moisturise, and to encourage oxygen to the blood cells under the surface. Sometimes, lasers or other tools may be used to remove the top level(s) of skin in certain areas, where there may be wrinkles, dark patches or scarring, to improve its appearance.
It’s clear what the medical benefits of a facial are, and most clients, after they’ve had this kind of beauty treatment, report feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. There are different kinds of facial, which vary depending on the massage technique used, the tools involved, and the creams or oils applied during the process.
We recently came across the term ‘foot facial’. Whilst these two areas of our anatomy are as far away from each other as can be, we were intrigued as to what the process incorporated.
A podiatrist in New York, Dr Suzanne Levine, has coined the term to describe the treatment she applies to her clients’ feet. Perhaps she refers to it as such because she uses a lot of the same techniques and products that a beautician would use on a client’s face.
Firstly, she addresses the visual appearance of the feet, starting with dermal sloughing—in other words, the brushing away of dead skin cells, particularly across the heels. Then, she clips the toenails appropriately; if they’re allowed to grow without regular trimming, they could stray into the nail bed (an ingrowing toenail), or simply extend outwards like mini horns growing from each toe. Toenail trimming is especially important amongst older people, as they often find it hard to reach their feet to do this themselves. Ingrowing toenails or nails that have become more like talons can be incredibly painful to walk on and can negatively impact a person’s mobility.
Once the feet are looking trim and healthy, Dr Levine then applies creams and lotions that will add moisture and lustre, beginning with a face (read: foot) mask that adds fluid to the skin.
Dr Levine finds ingredients such as tea tree, shea butter and aloe vera beneficial, as well as various vitamins, which she works into the feet. The motion and pressure applied in her massage stimulate the client’s circulation and helps to relieve any tenderness they may feel.
It’s clear that a foot facial isn’t too different to one you’d have on your face; however, there will be some differences. The skin on parts of your feet will be much harder than it is on your face, and there may be flaws such as blisters, bunions or callouses to avoid or treat with great care when handling your appendages. In our last blog, we talked about energy points within the feet, that reflexology is based on; it stands to reason that the massaging of these would help blood flow and encourage relaxation.
Whilst people may not see a podiatrist as someone who provides beauty treatments, a foot facial is essentially a service that we happily offer at Treat Your Feet. Our feet take a lot of hammer over the course of our lifetimes, and we don’t always think about them until there’s a problem—though your feet aren’t on show as much as your face, for this reason, they deserve the same nourishing treatment. Book your ‘foot facial’ today: contact us on 01226 492412 (for our Wombwell clinic) or 0113 238 0330 (Morley clinic).
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