I am not a pervert. But lately, I’ve been stripping off my socks and begging people to touch my feet.
This compulsive behavior was ignited by a recent pedicure at CleanSpa, a podiatrist-owned nail salon tucked into the Feet for Life Center. The minimalist white, dove gray and soft green space is immaculate: even the floor corners glisten. “We practice stringent sterilization techniques to protect our clients, and medical and cosmetic areas are kept separate,” said spa and corporate development director Denise Baich. She eased me into a sleek Italian air-massage chair, which didn’t so much vibrate as emanate gentle waves of motion. Lulled by a dreamy New Age soundtrack that sounded like elevator music for exalted beings, I opted for the $75 Winter Wonderland pedicure, a seasonal treatment that blends “the wintry aromas of spruce and sweet orange with exfoliating enzymes, essential oils and organic fruit and plant agents to smooth, soften and exfoliate.” At that price, it better make my feet whistle The Star-Spangled Banner, I thought.
“There are 7,200 nerves in your feet, and they’re connected to everything else in your body,” Baich said, immersing my tootsies into a fragrant tub of bubbling water. “If your feet aren’t healthy, you’re not healthy.” She then proceeded to bathe, buff, anoint and massage all 7,200 nerves into a state of total bliss. I’m not sure what transported me from mere relaxation to complete nirvana. Maybe it was the deeply hydrating moisturizing mask, or the brown sugar scrub followed by a soothing application of pomegranate enzyme, or the velvety layer of lotion she applied after wrapping my feet in hot towels, or the way she trimmed and filed each nail to perfection.
Luxe bells and whistles aside, what really set this pedicure apart was the technician’s expertise. Throughout the experience, Baich gently educated me about foot care and health. (Each CleanSpa nail tech is a certified ANT, or advanced nail technician, and MNT, medical nail technician. If they detect an infection or other health issue, they’ll whisk you over to the medical side for immediate treatment.) Noticing the sides of my toenails have a slight tendency to curl under, she didn’t clip them as short as other techs had: “It could lead to ingrown toenails.” She correctly guessed I’d suffered a severe injury to my left leg many years ago: “I can tell from your callus patterns and the build-up of lactic acid crystals in your foot.” She advised me on how to keep my feet in great shape: “Don’t wear heavily cushioned athletic shoes—they can cause unhealthy movement patterns. And the single most important thing you can do is moisturize your feet every night!”
Not only did Baich kill my calluses with kindness, she also restored the nails of my baby toes, darkened by exposure to shoe and sock dye, to a pristine state. My toes hadn’t looked that good since I was 10 years old. And as I floated out the door, I swear I heard my feet whistling The Star-Spangled Banner.
Photo by Bill Barrett
