image: throughthesole.com
Article by BR Fiona
Women (and men) have been taking care of their appearances for thousands of years so it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that the pedicure is NOT a new invention. The Ancient Egyptians inventors of the pyramids, paper and also high heel shoes, also invented the pedicure (no surprise really if you invent high heel shoes, you're going to need a pedicure!).
A carving found in Egypt depicts a pharaoh receiving a combo deal - both a manicure and pedicure. Egyptians also coloured their nails with red being used to show the highest social class - perhaps this is where our love of red nail polish comes from? Nail polish was also used in China in 3000BC, once again to symbolise one's standing in society.
The Egyptians weren't alone in their grooming habits, noblemen in Babylonia around 4000 years ago would use solid gold tools to give themselves a pedicure or manicure.
The word pedicure itself comes from the Latin words for foot, 'pes' and care 'cura'.
Pedicures were immortalised in art when in 1873 the great artist Degas painted his version of a pedicure in a painting named 'The Pedicure'. Throughout the recent decades pedicures and manicures have grown in their popularity and their accessibility with most malls containing several salons. So next time you sit down to have your feet pampered and polished think back to Ancient Egypt, Babylonia and China and choose the red!!
Thank goodness for these people, pedicures are my most favourite thing.