By the time September arrives, most of our clients have had their feet in closed shoes since about May. Socks, boots, work shoes, slippers on the deck. Then the first genuinely warm week turns up, the jandals come out of the cupboard, and everyone looks at their feet properly for the first time in months.
What we see in the chair at this time of year is fairly consistent.
What a winter in closed shoes does
Heels go hard and dry. Friction inside a shoe builds calluses, and the heating that keeps the house comfortable pulls moisture out of the skin at the same time.
Toenails are the other one. If gel polish went on in May and stayed on all winter without a rebalance, the nail underneath often comes off looking dull, soft or slightly ridged. That is cosmetic and it grows out, but it takes longer than people expect. A big toenail takes the best part of a year to replace itself.
We also see nails thinned by removal done at home. Picking or peeling gel off takes layers of nail with it every single time, and by spring that shows up as bendy tips that split before they reach any length.
Start with the pedicure, not the polish
The instinct in spring is to book colour but we would recommend doing the groundwork first.
A regular pedicure with us runs 90 minutes at $79, and that time is what makes the difference. Soaking, cuticle work, callus reduction, shaping, then a proper massage through the foot and lower leg. One appointment will not undo six months of boots. It does reset the surface enough that whatever you do afterwards sits better and lasts longer.
If your feet are in reasonable shape and you only want them tidied, the toenail trim, shape and buff is 45 minutes at $47. That one works well as an in-between through summer.
When nails need strengthening rather than covering
If your fingernails are soft, splitting or peeling at the tips after winter, painting over them is a short-term fix at best. IBX is the treatment we use for natural nail repair and strengthening, 45 minutes at $47, and it works into the nail rather than sitting on top of it.
It suits anyone coming out of a long stretch of enhancements, or nails that have gone bendy and tear before they grow past the fingertip. We often run it across a few appointments rather than as a one-off.
Getting colour to last through summer
Gel polish on toes is 60 minutes at $67 and holds up through a Waikato summer, which is the whole point. It handles the beach, the pool and the lawn mowing in a way regular polish does not.
Book earlier than you think you need to. From late September our diary fills with weddings, holidays and people wanting toes sorted before Christmas. If you have a date in mind, a couple of weeks of lead time gives us room to fix anything that needs fixing first instead of working around it. Current timings and pricing are listed across our pedicure and toe services.
The rest of you has been covered up too
Feet are the obvious one, but the same winter has been working on your skin. Heating, hot showers, wind and a few months of less attention leave most people dry, tight and looking a bit flat by the end of August.
If your skin needs recovery rather than an overhaul, skincare for dry skin is where we would start, and Vagheggi Rehydra hydrating skincare is the range we lean on most for rebuilding the barrier after a cold season. The hyaluronic acid ampoules make a good short course if you want a visible change before your skin is back on show.
Once you are in shorter sleeves and open shoes again, daily sun protection stops being optional. Vagheggi sun care handles the face without the chalky finish that puts people off wearing it.
Book in before the rush
We are in Huntington, with a separate entrance off Huntington Drive and street parking outside, a few minutes from both Chartwell and Rototuna. Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 7pm, and Saturdays by arrangement.
If your feet have had a hard winter, get them in early. Appointments are far easier to find in September than they are in December.