3 Massages for Pressure Points in Your Feet

Whether you spend all day standing or complete hard workouts daily, your feet really take a beating. But did you know that all that walking doesn’t just affect your feet? It affects your whole body. Targeted foot massages can ease tense areas that cause problems throughout your body, lower stress, aid digestion, and improve sleep through reflexology.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is a type of alternative therapy that involves applying varying pressure levels to the feet, hands, and ears. It is believed that pressure points in these areas correspond to different parts of the body. By releasing tension in the trigger points, reflexology helps restore balance and encourage healing in other places.

Pressure Points in the Foot

Here’s a general guide for corresponding body parts on the foot:

• Toes: The head, specifically the brain, side neck, and sinuses
• Inside surface (along the arch): The spine
• Outer edge: The shoulders, arms, hips, knees, and legs
• The entire bottom of your foot corresponds with various organs.
• Top third (near the ball of your foot): Chest organs, including the lungs and heart.
• Middle third (near your arch): Abdominal organs, like the stomach, spleen, liver, and intestines
• Bottom third (near the heel): Pelvic organs, such as the bladder, colon, reproductive organs, etc.; the sciatic nerve

Three Foot Massage Techniques

1. For Anxiety

Stimulating the cardiovascular system can promote relaxation and ease some effects of anxiety.

• Curl your toes and identify the small dip between your 1st and 2nd toe right beneath the ball of your foot.
• Use your thumb to massage the area in a circular motion.
• You can also firmly press down on the area for 10 to 15 seconds.

2. For Lower Back Pain

Some people report that reflexology on the foot can relieve lower back pain even better than an actual lower back massage. You’ll want to focus on the arches along the inside of your foot for this massage technique.

• Move your thumb in short strokes from your heels to your toes.
• You can also walk your thumbs along the arch.

3. For Full-Body Reset

This technique doesn’t focus on one area. Instead, you will use a tennis or golf ball to identify areas of tightness all over your foot and release them. This method is one form of myofascial release therapy, similar to what you’ll experience during massage therapy in Bend.

• Roll your foot around over a tennis or golf ball until you find a sensitive spot.
• Press down to apply pressure until you feel it soften.
• Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds.

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Why Do I Need a Top Coat ?

 

A top coat is a polish used as a last layer for a manicure routine. It is generally transparent and applies on top of the colored polish coats. This final step adds a layer of protection to your look and helps your manicure resist chipping, smudging and budging.

Top coats can add the perfect finishing touch to the appearance of your manicure. Choose a finishing effect like Matte or Glossy… Top coats can therefore transform the appearance of your polish so it is just up to you to choose! In terms of resistance and durability, a quality top coat can also help to protect your polish from chipping or fading too quickly and as a bonus, most top coats will help your manicure to dry quicker.

To take advantage of these benefits you need to of course apply your polish properly… including coating the top edge of your nail to lock the polish to the nail. Lastly, always make sure your manicure is completely dry before returning to your activities.

6 Reasons to Use a Top Coat

• Provides optimum protection against scratches;
• Extends the life of your manicure;
• Improves polish resistance;
• Seals in Nail Art and designs;
• Accelerates manicure drying;
• Finishing effects that enhance the final manicure look.

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How to Avoid Damaging Your Nails

 

Beyond their aesthetic appearance, our nails play a fundamental role for our hand health and their quality can be influenced by all kinds of different external and internal factors. This is why it is so important to take care of them, and look for ways to nourish and strengthen them on a daily basis. Doing so will also ensure polishes and nail art will last longer which is another reason to get started!

Avoid Nail Damaging Risks!

Like the hair, the nails are composed of about 90% keratin, a strong protein produced by the Nail Matrix located at the base of the cuticles.

Put through daily stress, our nails are exposed to numerous factors that can make them fragile and more susceptible to damage. Breakage, splitting, yellowing, softening… These are just a few of the signs that can alert you to the degree of fragility of your nails.

Prevention and proactivity is always better than reactivity, so here are some situations to avoid if possible when considering nail health;

•  Exposing your nails to chemical products or aggressive solutions (usually found in household cleaners for example) can damage your nails. Protect them with gloves or opt for gentle, natural, non-toxic formulas.
• Over-exposing your nails to humidity can also make them soft and or dry. That is right! It is a common misconception that our nails are waterproof, in fact our nails are porous and water can pass through the fibers, and over exposure to moisture can make our nails extremely fragile and soft which will cause polish to not adhere as strongly as needed for a long-lasting mani.
• Biting your nails is never a good idea! Other than being a bad habit due to hygienic concerns and risk of injury or infection, it also makes nails deformed and can increase damage by splitting, eventually making nails more flimsy and fragile. Better to find other ways to manage stress! In additional to nail biting, using your nails as tools to scratch or open objects is never a good idea!
•  Incorrect methods for nail filing. Beware of back and forth motions and ill adapted tools. Giving your nails a beautiful shape while respecting their integrity is about all done with a file made specifically for natural nails with adapted grains and above all in one direction to avoid splitting and weakening them. 
•  Continuous application of gel and acrylics with acetone removals is notorious for creating weak, brittle and damaged nails. Risks associated with gel and acrylic have been a looming concern, especially recently as the rate of gel and acrylic manicures have risen. Acetone removal is horrible for the nails as it dissolves the natural fat layer of the nails that protects them. Nail fibers and keratin continue to be dissolved and nail health continues to deplete with each gel application and removal process. Additional scraping and drilling done after acetone soaking then furthers the damage to the nails.

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Cancellation Policy

We ask that you please reschedule or cancel at least 2 days before the beginning of your appointment or you may be charged a cancellation fee.

Cancellations will be charged half of the service price if not canceled or rescheduled at least 48 hours before scheduled service. Your card will not be charged at time of booking.

536 Main Street

Vacaville, CA 95688

(Inside Jon Edwards Salon & Spa)

Tel: 707.208.7646

Expectations For My Clients

As previously stated on my page, a great appointment isn’t one-sided. While you should absolutely have expectations, there are a few things your nail tech should be able to expect from you, too. We are a team! Let's work together to achieve a successful appointment/service...

• Come prepared — Arrive on time and ready to make the most of your appointment.
• Respect appointment times — Life happens, but providing proper notice when you need to cancel or reschedule helps protect both your time and your nail tech’s.
• Keep your nail tech informed — Share any changes to your health, medications, allergies, or concerns that could impact your service.
• Speak up — If something feels uncomfortable or doesn’t feel right during your appointment, communicate it. Your comfort matters.
• Trust professional recommendations — There may be times when a service needs to be adjusted, postponed, or declined to protect the health and safety of your natural nails and skin.
• Respect policies and boundaries — Policies are in place to create a consistent, respectful experience for everyone.
• Do your part at home — Proper aftercare and maintenance play a big role in achieving and maintaining healthier-looking nails and skin. I can help assist you in the right direction if you are not sure where to start at home for in-between your appointments with me.
•  Stay consistent — One appointment can make a difference, but healthy nails and long-lasting results are built through routine care and maintenance.
• Know the scope of the service — A nail professional can recognize certain concerns and make recommendations, but they are not a medical provider. Some conditions may require evaluation or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.

And MOST importantly…Communication. Life happens, Things happen, Open communication is key!

536 Main Street

Vacaville, CA 95688

(Inside Jon Edwards Salon & Spa)

Tel: 707.208.7646

Happy Labor Day

 

“You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.” — Lionel Messi

Happy Labor Day! Enjoy your weekend. 

536 Main Street

Vacaville, CA 95688

(Inside Jon Edwards Salon & Spa)

Tel: 707.208.7646

How Often Should You Clip Your Nails?

 

How often should you clip your fingernails? According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, fingernails grow about 2.5 millimeters each month. If you injure your fingernail and it falls off, it takes about 6 months to grow back. If you want to keep your nails a certain length, trim them once every week or two.

Here are some tips for trimming your nails:

• Soften your nails by taking a bath or shower, or soaking them in lukewarm water.
• Use a nail clipper or nail scissors for your fingernails, and a toenail clipper for your toenails.
• Disinfect your tools monthly.
• Cut almost straight across the nail. 

If you don't trim your nails, dirt and germs can get under them, causing infections. Long nails can also break more easily, and can lead to hangnails, tears, or fungal infections. Source

Join our waitlist or schedule regular appointments to avoid the hassle of trimming your own nails! Let UpKept help! Contact us today.