Foot care

What is foot care and what types are available in Estonia?

Foot care divides into a few main types: the classic pedicure (aesthetic foot care — nail shape, polish, softening the skin), the dry or hardware pedicure (done with a rotary tool, without soaking in water — well suited to clients with diabetes or circulatory disorders), the spa pedicure (adding masks, massage, a paraffin wrap and other soothing treatments), and medical foot care in the hands of a podiatrist (correcting ingrown nails, treating nail or skin conditions).

More specific foot care services are the paraffin wrap (paraffin is melted at 50 °C and applied to the feet for warming, soothing and moisturising), long-acting cream treatments for particularly dry skin, treatment of heel fissures, correction of ingrown nails with special braces or clips, and the medical pedicure for people with diabetes.

Estonia also has spa-centre foot care packages — Fra Mare Thalasso Spa in Haapsalu, for example, offers thalasso foot care with seawater and seaweed. Salons such as Lootuse Ilusalong in Tallinn, Fortuuna Ilusalong in Tartu, Aleksi16 in Tartu and Karmen Ilusalong in Rakvere carry every popular type of pedicure.

Foot care prices and what the treatment involves

The price of foot care depends on the type of service, the salon and the extras (polish, gel polish, paraffin, foot cream). A classic pedicure usually starts from 25–40 €, a dry pedicure from 30–50 €, a spa pedicure from 40–70 €, and podiatric foot care (treating ingrown nails, removing hyperkeratosis) from 35–80 €. Gel polish normally adds 10–25 € depending on the salon.

A typical classic pedicure visit lasts 60–90 minutes. The client soaks their feet in warm water with a softening solution, the cosmetologist shapes and files the nails, removes the thickened skin from the sole, cleans the nail folds, softens and moisturises the skin of the foot with cream, and applies polish if wanted. The dry pedicure differs in that no soaking is used — all of the skin softening and nail shaping is done with a special rotary tool and sterile instruments.

A podiatry visit begins with a consultation, where the podiatrist assesses the health of the sole (particularly in people with diabetes) and the condition of the nails and skin. Ingrown nails are corrected using small braces or clips that guide the nail gradually back into the right position — this does not hurt and needs no surgery. Sterilised instruments are used to pare corns and calluses. Experienced salons always sterilise their instruments in an autoclave (not merely in a UV cabinet).

How to choose a beauty salon for foot care

The single most important thing when choosing foot care is hygiene. An experienced salon always sterilises its instruments in an autoclave (hot steam, which kills all microbes and fungi) and uses fresh or properly sterilised tools for each new client. Ask at the consultation, directly, how the instruments are sterilised — a responsible salon will give a concrete answer and show you the autoclave if asked.

In Estonia, cosmetology training and certification are required to perform both the classic pedicure and the dry pedicure. Podiatric work (treating ingrown nails, professionally paring corns) may only be done by certified podiatrists. Check the salon's background — does it hold a cosmetology business licence, do the staff take part in regular continuing education, and on what subjects.

Prefer a salon with a clear price list, individual instruments for each client (sterile packs opened in front of the client), online booking and visible attention to quality — ask friends for recommendations or read the Google reviews. For clients with diabetes or circulatory disorders it is especially important to choose a salon experienced in medical foot care and one that talks openly about possible complications.

Risks, side effects and contraindications

The main risks of foot care are infection (if the instruments are not properly sterilised — this can cause fungal disease of the nails or skin, bacterial infection, even viral infections such as HIV or hepatitis), allergy to the products used (polish, acetone-based remover, cream) and injury to the foot (if a careless technique pares a callus or cuts the nails too deep). In the hands of an experienced cosmetologist, with proper sterilisation, these risks are low.

Contraindications to certain foot care treatments are active fungal disease of the nails or skin (especially before treatment has begun), active bacterial infections on the sole, severe diabetic neuropathy (which calls for particular caution and podiatric care), peripheral arterial disease in the legs, and plantar warts (which can spread to other clients if instruments are not sterilised correctly). Autoimmune conditions (psoriasis, vitiligo) are not a contraindication, but it is worth mentioning them to the cosmetologist.

After foot care, avoid wearing shoes for 2–4 hours (if polish has been applied — give it time to dry) and avoid the sauna and swimming pool for 24 hours (especially if calluses or the nails have been treated). If you have diabetes, check the condition of your soles every day — if swelling, pain or unusual redness appears, contact a doctor immediately.

Foot care in Estonia's most popular cities

In Tallinn, foot care is offered by many beauty salons and podiatry practices, including Lootuse Ilusalong, Felicia Ilusalong, Esimene Ilustuudio and other salons in the capital. Every type of foot care is available in the capital, from the classic pedicure through to medical podiatric care.

In Tartu, foot care is offered by Fortuuna Ilusalong, Aleksi16 and other salons. Pärnu, Haapsalu (where Fra Mare Thalasso Spa offers thalasso foot care) and Rakvere (Karmen Ilusalong) also offer a wide choice of foot care services. Salons in the county centres (for example Bonare Ilusalong in Räpina or Iluva Ilusalong in Kärdla) cover the most common foot care needs. Choose a salon that is geographically convenient, since foot care is recommended every 4–6 weeks as routine maintenance.