When to Get a Pedicure Before Vacation, and How to Keep It
Book a pedicure before vacation a day or two before you leave. That’s close enough for the finish to look fresh on the beach and far enough that classic polish has hardened before it goes into a suitcase shoe. Skip shaving or waxing your legs for the 24 hours before the appointment.
Gel cures under a lamp and is hard when you leave the salon, which makes it the easier choice for a trip. Classic polish feels dry within 10-20 minutes but takes 1-2 hours to dry through, and longer to harden fully. On the beach, sun, salt and chlorine slowly fade the color, and light shades show it first.
Timing: a day or two before you fly
The last day before a trip is usually the busiest one. A pedicure 1-2 days ahead gives you a buffer if something runs late, and it gives classic polish a full day to set before closed shoes, socks and a long flight.
Gel doesn’t need that buffer. Each coat cures under the lamp in about 30-60 seconds, and the finished set is hard before you put your shoes back on. If the only free slot is the evening before your flight, gel is the safer booking.
Skip shaving the day before
Don’t shave, wax or use hair removal cream on your legs for 24 hours before a pedicure. Fresh shaving leaves tiny cuts and nicks, and bacteria in foot bath water can get in through them. Bug bites, scratches and scabs work the same way, so if one is still open on the day, move the appointment.
Shave after the appointment instead. Your legs will still be smooth for the first beach day.
Gel or classic for a beach week?
For a week of sand, pools and sandals, gel is the easier pick. It’s cured hard. It won’t smudge in a shoe on the way to the airport, and it doesn’t need hours of careful sitting after the appointment.
Classic polish makes sense if you’d like to switch colors mid-trip, since nail polish remover takes it off at home. Give it time to harden. Pack a small bottle of the same shade in case of a chip.
What do sun, salt and chlorine do to a pedicure?
They fade it over the days of the trip. UV light breaks down pigments in both regular polish and gel, and light shades turn yellowish first. White, pastel and sheer colors are the most likely to discolor after days of sun and pool water. Chlorine bleaches color too, and a day in and out of the pool can also loosen gel at the edges.
Sunscreen plays a part. Some chemical sunscreens, especially high-SPF formulas, can dull polish or make it discolor.
Sunscreen on the tops of your feet
The tops of the feet face the sun directly in sandals. They burn easily, and they’re one of the spots people most often miss. Dermatologists find skin cancers there too, on skin few people think to protect.
Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, and cover the tops of your feet every time you do your legs. Reapply about every 2 hours, and after swimming or sweating. A burn there also makes closed shoes painful for days.
After the trip: taking gel off
When the set grows out, have it soaked off rather than peeled. Gel should come off by soaking in acetone. Picking or peeling it takes the top of the nail plate along.
If a corner lifts mid-trip, leave it alone and keep that toe as dry as you can until you’re home. Pressing it back down with glue traps water under the gel.
Booking a pedicure in Miami
If Miami is the trip, a pedicure on your first day sets you up for the week. Our beach salon on Collins Avenue is open daily from 9 am to 9 pm, which leaves room for an evening appointment after a day of travel. The menu there has classic and gel pedicures and a Gentleman’s Pedicure. Doral, open daily from 9 am to 7 pm, does a Russian gel pedicure.
If you live here and you’re flying out, the same timing works the other way round: book a gel pedicure a day or two before you leave, and the finish travels with you.
Pedicure in Miami
See the serviceQuestions we get asked
What should I wear to a pedicure appointment?
Open sandals or flip-flops, especially for classic polish. Even when the top coat feels dry, pressure from a closed shoe can dent or smudge the layers underneath for the first few hours.
Can I book a manicure and pedicure together?
Yes. At the beach salon the menu has a manicure and pedicure combo, and in Doral you can book a Russian gel manicure alongside the Russian gel pedicure. Doing both in one visit saves a trip in a busy week before you fly.
Which polish colors hold up best in the sun?
Deeper and brighter shades hide the change better. Save whites, pastels and sheer nudes for a city trip, and take the bold color to the beach.
