My first pedicure was a gift from my brother, of all people. I was 8 months pregnant, and he gave me a gift card to a local spa for a full pedicure. I remember I had horrible sciatica that pregnancy and could barely walk. I figured I would have the appointment before the baby came. I had a calf message (heaven, as I also had leg cramps), reflexology on the feet, paraffin, as well as the pedi part. Heaven! And I went into labor the next day. Boy, did my feet feel on cloud nine! and looked good, too.

Five years later, DS was past due, so I figured a pedicure was in order to bring him on. But, I didn’t book the full thing, but at least my feet looked good. DS was finally induced.

I went a long time before another. I would get them from time to time with my mom when she couldn’t do her own anymore. Now, the last few years, a friend introduced me to a local salon with online booking, Monday specials, and the tech is nice and gives a good foot massage, and the footbaths are lined, and my toes look good after. I even wear sandals sometimes! Come to think of it, I could use one for this summer before it ends.

I wish I had done them more! Haven’t had the paraffin in awhile though, maybe I should consider that. I love the foot massage.

Once I had my eyebrows done. The women at church had a rare fellowship outing to an Elizabeth Arden, we each chose one service! I was surprised how much brighter my face looked! That was easily 20 years ago, I should do it again, too.

Yes! Im not a regular client of either manicure or pedicure because I find polish makes my nails brittle.

I do them for special occasions. I have a baptism coming up this weekend. Yesterday I ,had my eyebrows thredded and had a pedi without the polish. I’m wearing closed toe shoes.

Friday, I’ll get my nails done.

The only thing I remember from the first and last Pedi is that I walked out of there bleeding because I was stabbed in a toe from one of the sharp tools. My sister treated me to a manicure the day before my wedding. Good thing I chose clear polish because it was chipped by the time ceremony began the next evening. I guess I'm not good PR for either of those services.

I won’t have a gel again. Had it on the fingers. and it lasted, but the removal process was, well, I won’t do it again.

My regular pedis last long, but then I’m not gardening in sandals or swimming at the beach.

I get one every 2 months but I get the very basic Pedi. My feet are very tender so I have no real skin problems but I live in Crocs & need to keep my feet looking presentable. I have never had a manicure, gardening prevents me from indulging in that.

I'm too allergic to the smell of nail polish to go into a mani pedi salon. However, I do like a good reflexology session. Have not had one in over a decade. Sounds like you might enjoy it too.

I have a terrible back and have only been able to wear hokas for nearly 10 years. Talk about a fashion limiting lifestyle! I can wear heels every once in a while if they are 4" - nothing shorter. Pretty hard to walk in. It is a once a year event. I'll get dressed, wear my hokas to wherever I'm going and then slip on my heels before I enter the event. These choices really changed how I dress. At first it made me really angry but as my pain got worse, I realized that some people with my condition are wheelchair bound. I'm lucky I can wear shoes and even walk!

My wife has been trying to get me to get a pedicure since before we were married. Not because I have gnarly feet but because she thinks I’d love it.

Reflexology. I’ve been wondering what happens in all those foot spas! The ones that don’t make the news and get shut down, that is. That I’d go to with her. And with her fasciitis she might really benefit from it.

I used to enjoy my pedicures, but I've moved away from my favourite salon and now they're not as enjoyable an experience - but I still get them about 4 times a year because I love what they do for my calluses and nails. I don't get manicures, but I usually have toenail polish on (whether people can see them or not).

I get both a pedicure (no polish) and a manicure (gel) every 3 weeks. It's my small moment of bliss.

I get a pedicure every now and then. I'm not sure why. Maybe my nails are like an ornamental shrub that needs a professional trim periodically. The ladies I encounter (both the customers and the staff) typically all smile when they see me. I think my being there is as funny as they seem to think it is too.

No corns, no callouses or rough spots, no nail polish, and I decline the massages.

I don't know if it's true everywhere but these salons in my area seem to be predominantly owned and staffed by Vietnamese women. They're always friendly and nice.

The very first pedicure I had was when I had a broken leg. My cast exposed half my foot - the toe part - so that’s why I wanted to try a pedicure. Those poor toes were exposed to the elements 24-7 so I thought they needed some attention. The lady in the salon wasn’t too sure about it, but it turned out fine. So I’ve gotten pedicures regularly after that EXCEPT I get fewer in December - February. The rest of the year I get them about every 6 weeks so.

I don’t get polish in the winter.

“I don't know if it's true everywhere but these salons in my area seem to be predominantly owned and staffed by Vietnamese women.”

A lot if not a majority. Sadly I think there’s some human trafficking/forced labor in the industry. There was some buzz in the news about that here a few years back; don’t know just how prevalent it was or how well it’s been addressed.

You can thank actor Tippi Hedren, known as the Godmother of Nail Salons, for introducing Vietnamese refugees to the business in 1975.

https://vietnamesemuseum.org/details/ms-tippi-hedren/

Actually, there is an Asian-owned nail salon here in my small town in rural Missouri. I used to go there until I had a young male nail tech who said, while he was trimming my toenails, ”I can’t see this very well. I think I need glasses.” 😳😳😳

I don’t go there anymore.

That's quite interesting. It leads to a different question- if, as it seems, the proliferation of salons was fueled by a tidal wave within the Vietnamese immigrant community, why has this service sector remained so heavily Vietnamese? If the business opportunities represent low hanging fruit for small scale entrepreneurs, why haven't others also started such businesses?

The article says 45%, so it’s not like they’ve got a lock on it. And maybe it’s not that lucrative? Or maybe some are owned by white people and still worked by cheap imported labor, customer none the wiser? Is there some stereotype that Asians are more artistic at these sorts of things? People with better options not wanting to work in toxic fumes all day?

Just some thoughts and possibilities, off the top of my head.

" The article says 45%, so it’s not like they’ve got a lock on it. "

It also says it's 80% in my state. That's a lock. Other states don't have nearly as many people of Vietnamese ancestry, but for it to be just under 50% nationwide is a big number. I can't think of another business type that has such a high presence of people of one national origin. Don't be a wise guy and suggest Chinese restaurants.

But we have high populations of many other ethnic groups too, just as NY has. Here's another - more people of Armenian roots live in California than in any other state. Why don't Armenians run nail salons?

Here's another business that seems to have predominantly owners of one national origin. They're everywhere you look, phenomenally popular. Sushi restaurants. The owners of which, at least in my area, are predominantly .......what? Any ideas?

Absolutely!!!!

debra

I get my nails done every two or three weeks, especially during sandal season. I always bring my own polish so I can do touch-ups in between. The pedicure lasts; I re-do my own manicure between visits. I don't like the foot scrubbing and have them skip it. (I like to have some callous because I walk a lot.) When they park me at the dryers, they give a bit of shoulder massage.

I just get regular polish and I keep my nails short. Actually, they keep themselves short because they aren't very strong.

Most of the manicurists are Asian, not many Vietnamese but a lot of Chinese and Korean. I rarely make appointments and just do walk in. I choose the salon by cleanliness and price. I've had a mani-pedi for $35 up to $85 before tip, and I haven't noticed much difference in how long the polish lasts.

I can't think of another business type that has such a high presence of people of one national origin.

Gujarati Patels in the motel business: https://madrascourier.com/insight/how-gujarati-patels-took-over-americas-motels/

Gujaratis own over forty-two percent of the hotel business in the United States, and Patels own eighty to ninety percent of the motels in American small towns.

There is a PBS documentary The Donut King, about the Cambodian refugee who started a spread of Cambodian-owned donut shops.

My dad didn't have a manicure or pedicure until he went into a care home (other than the Medicare podiatrist who came to their house every 6 weeks or so). He was not sure about it at first, but grew to appreciate them, even the clear polish.

My brother gets manicures with (clear) polish to improve the appearance of psoriasis-affected nails.

These new ones are interesting examples. I had heard of a Patel clan in the hotel business and once met one socially. I forgot about them.

For those curious, my experience in the Bay Area and especially in SoCal is that an unexpectedly high percentage of sushi restaurants are owned and operated by folks of Korean origin. Again, in California, once common migration to the US from Japan has not seemed to keep pace in the last 50 years with migration from other Asian countries. Operating food businesses has long been a common occupation path for new immigrants.

Descendants of immigrants from past generations have an easier time of assimilation and obtaining education/training to presumably have more options for work.

I get a manicure every three weeks. I absolutely love pedicures, but I usually try and use that money for donations to the low income senior apartment complex I volunteer at instead. I just hate to spend too much money on myself, but that’s just me. My DH and kids do gift me with gift cards for pedis every once in a while, though. I have small feet (6.5) and very high arches. My podiatrist tells me they’re the highest of all his patients. So, foot massages during pedis are wonderful for me!