Believe it or not, pedicures have been used as a treatment to rejuvenate and beautify the feet for several thousand years.  Along with the cosmetic and therapeutic appeal of the centuries-old procedure, a host of health benefits, including the prevention of nail diseases and disorders have been recognized since ancient times.
                  
The term “pedicure” is derived from the Latin words pedis meaning ‘of the foot’ and curare meaning ‘to care for.’

The Ancient Pedicure

The practice of foot care is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt in the royal palaces of the Pharaohs, who were known to take special care of their legs and feet. Bas-relief carvings dating back to 2400 BC at the entrance to Egyptian Physician Ankhmahor’s tomb depicted noble men and women receiving beauty treatments resembling modern day pedicures and manicures.
 
The nature and type of foot care they received reflected a person’s social standing in the ancient civilization.  Rejuvenating and beautifying pedicures accompanied by the use of scented oils, herbal tinctures, and adornments were reserved for nobility, while medical attention to corns and calluses using rudimentary skin scrapers was reserved for the lower classes.
 
However, Ancient Egypt wasn’t the only early civilization known for advanced body care practices. It’s believed that nobles in Ancient Babylon later created luxurious solid gold tools specifically for manicures and pedicures.
 
By 425 BC in Ancient Greece, skin scrapers were refined, and pedicures involving the removal of corns and calluses followed by rehydration of the skin actually date back to this period and have remained essentially the same through the centuries.
 
Eventually, the use of more sophisticated and refined scalpels and scrapers in combination with the pumice stone was customary in pedicures performed during the Medieval era in Europe.  In the 1400s, medieval healers obsessed with magic created salves and pastes formulated to rehydrate the skin on the feet using an eclectic array of ingredients from swine dung, to the ash of the willow bark, to the intestinal fluid from a calf’s stomach.

By the early 1800s throughout much of Western Europe pedicures were regarded as the surgical care of the feet, and Europeans embraced the notion that regular foot care was essential to one’s overall health and well-being. It was only towards the end of the century that pedicures were considered a beauty treatment for the first time thanks to their growing popularity among ladies of wealth and refinement.
 
While foot care practises have evolved significantly since ancient times, the tools and techniques used today in many countries throughout the world have remained the same for the past 100 years.  In South Asian countries for example, pedicures are typically a family-run business, and the skills and product knowledge have been passed down from generation to generation leaving little room for change or innovation. 
 
Pedicures are really only new to North America, and as recently as 70 years ago were sought after primarily to address specific medical foot-related concerns requiring professional attention. 
 
One of the most significant game-changers in the beauty industry – as well as Hollywood – was the introduction of Technicolor in movies in 1922.   A dazzling spectrum of shades replaced the dull grey, and beauty trends grew as rapidly as the popularity of the stars who embodied them. 
 
Following the end of WW II, Revlon became one of the first beauty companies to begin making tools specifically for pedicures.  The rapidly growing television industry was the perfect medium for Revlon’s leading edge creative advertising depicting the allure of their products, and pedicures became synonymous with the glamorous celebrity lifestyle.  The desire to emulate screen sirens like Marilyn Munroe and Tippi Hedren jettisoned pedicures in to the spotlight. 
 
Since then not much has changed in the pedicure industry – until recently.

Modern Day Pedicures

During the last 10 years, thanks to our fast-paced, high stress lifestyles, foot care needs have changed dramatically. Add excessive screen time, poor nutrition and the aging population to the mix and it’s easy to pinpoint the sources modern day foot woes. The good news is, pedicures have become the mainstream in North America, and as a result, Footlogix is poised to change the entire industry.
 
Footlogix® is the next generation of foot care. As the world’s first and only Pediceutical® foot care company, we are addressing the needs of the feet keeping in line with today’s changing lifestyles. The market place is shifting and consumers’ demands are constantly changing.
 
Our innovative products formulated with revolutionary technologies give effective and transformational results for a variety of foot-related skin conditions. Consumers today want fast results! And our products deliver incredible results can be seen in as little as 24 hours. Easy to use – Footlogix products are rapidly absorbed into the skin to restore feet to a healthy state. Our motto: Just Apply and Go!
 
From the past to the present and on to the future.  Footlogix® is leading the way!

Copyright Footlogix 2018

History of pedicure