Try out the Bio Pedicure at the Jean-Claude Biguine Salon & Spa in Mumbai if you have problems related to cracked feet and bacterial infections

How often do you look down at your toes? Not often, probably. When was the last time you complained of aching feet that just couldn’t take you any further on that trip around the mall? And do you always suffer from cracked feet and other minor ailments that strike the part of the body furthest from your brain?

What’s the way to have a softer landing every time you put your foot down on terra firma? Pedicures are ok as they go but they’re not the complete answer. You need to look around for a full-service detoxifying foot massage.

Ok, so you men out there would probably rather have a full-body massage from a sexy masseuse. But failing that option, why not stop by for a foot massage? Several five stars already offer different types of foot massages and neighbourhood foot massage parlours could soon be a short step away.

There are different types of foot massages. Try a hot stone massage or have your feet bathed in natural herbs like mint. Or there’s foot reflexology, which uses acupuncture to activate ‘energy zones’ in the body.

Devdutta opts for a rejuvenating foot treatment at Aura, The Park

Next time you’re in Mumbai, step inside My Foot Reflexology. Says Bhavna Vohra, a reflexology expert who brought this Singapore-based chain to Mumbai: “While spas are in abundance, I targeted only stressed-out feet”.

Treatments here are non-messy, so there’s no need to change while having the treatments. You might try out the 45-minute Hot Stone Foot Therapy (Rs 1,445), which uses volcanic stones to lightly massage strategic parts of the feet to tighten the muscles. If you want more, follow it up with the complimentary upper back and foot reflexology session, effective for deep tissue healing.

Vohra believes that foot massages are a great way of pampering your feet and can also cure certain health problems. “Ideally, one has to take at least five to six sessions for health problems. But if you just want to pamper your feet, a nice massage is enough,” she says.

Ritika goes for a Thai foot massage using traditional Thai reflexology to improve blood circulation at Kaya Kalp, ITC Sonar

Closer home, stop by at Kaya Kalp — The Spa at ITC Sonar, Calcutta, for a rejuvenating Thai Foot Massage (Rs 1,200 for 30 minutes) using traditional Thai reflexology to improve blood circulation.

The Park’s Aura SPA offers another kind of Thai Foot Massage (Rs 2,000 for an hour). Here, Thai herbs tied in small cloth potlis (bags) are steamed and applied to the nerve-endings below the feet. Says Debolina Mukherjee, spa manager, Aura: “Foot therapies are proving to be a huge draw for both young people and stressed-out individuals.”

For traditional Thai massages, you could also check out Mumbai’s Aromathai Foot Spa. Its signature therapies include the Ananda Thai massage (Rs 1,290 for 90 minutes). Here, customers first choose from four types of Thai aroma oils — jasmine, lavender, lemon grass and mint. A quick foot wash using lemon grass salt is followed by an application of the aroma oil along with a Thai clove oil balm, good for joint aches and pains. A dry massage (without oils) on the upper and lower back rounds it off.

Check out Jimmy, a wooden stick that is used on pressure points below the feet. At Kaya Kalp

If you’re up for an hour of Sawadee treatment (Rs 690), you can get a massage from the sole to the knees using aroma oils plus a complimentary 10-minute shoulder rub. You can also opt for the Arokaya (Rs 1,190 for 75 minutes), a traditional Thai compress massage using steamed muslin cloth balls and aroma oils.

Says Khushal Arora, spa manager, Aromathai Foot Spa: “Traditional Thai massage has therapeutic values and involves stretching of the muscles which increases oxygen flow and blood circulation.”

(From top) Aromathai Foot Spa in Mumbai has tantalising footcare treatments like the Ananda Thai massage where you can choose from four types of Thai aroma oils; Ingredients used for the massage

If you have problems related to cracked feet and bacterial infections, go for an invigorating Bio Pedicure (Rs 1,000 for an hour) at the Jean-Claude Biguine Salon & Spa in Mumbai.

Beauty experts reckon that the health benefits of a foot massage can be immense. These include increasing blood circulation, curing insomnia, relieving muscle pains and helping to de-stress. Beauty expert Suparna Trikha Dewan is all for a foot rejuvenation massage. She says: “A good pampering of your feet cures 90 per cent of your health problems. This is because your feet and hands have nerve points, which when lightly pressed can help cure acidity, headaches, joint pains and insomnia.”

Most detoxifying foot therapies begin with the therapist soaking your feet in tepid water mixed with sea salt. The foot is then gently scrubbed with natural herbs or aroma oils that relax the muscles and increases blood circulation.

Next, the foot is gently massaged. The final step is to wrap the feet snugly in a warm towel so that all the active ingredients penetrate the skin quickly. The overall treatment varies between 45 minutes to an hour. And, it’s almost certain that you’ll be stepping lightly after any of these treatments.