“My mother Nadica Fajfer had been running the salon since 1974, whereas I got involved in the business in 2007 and eventually took over the salon in 2015”, Ivana Buterin tells us. Being a member of the family’s third generation of pedicure specialists, she explained that her grandmother worked as a pedicure specialist in the footwear store “Bata” in Ilica. Back then this was a highly sought after service as is the case today. “Precisely due to the fact that only a good pedicure specialist can remove a painful corn or an ingrown toenail quickly and efficiently, pedicures are not purely aesthetic contrary to popular opinion, but rather a basic necessity and an important part of human hygiene. Considering the amount of time we spend standing on our feet and the decreasing quality of footwear sold today, the pedicure specialist is the one who take care of feet and makes sure they’re well groomed”, Ivana points out just how important this profession is.
Image: Tomislav Miletić/PIXSELL
“Every good pedicure specialist should be able to clean callous feet skin using the classic method, i.e. a scalpel”, she points out and adds that the number unqualified pedicure specialists who’ve only finished a course is on the rise. “They give our profession a bad name because they use sharpeners and files which are easier and safer to handle. By doing so, they permanently damage the skin thereby opening the door to bacteria and fungi”. Moreover, Ivana feels that good pedicure specialists have to know how to properly trim thickened nails, scrape them out and provide advice to their clients if they’re dealing with a fungus infection or any other problem, such as flat feet in which case wearing insoles is required. “You wouldn’t believe how many pedicure specialists who take the master exam at our salon have a hard time recognising a foot problem”, Ivana confides in us.
“Good pedicure specialists have to take care of the hygiene of their work place”, she emphasises and adds that she started doing this out of sheer curiosity. “As soon I started, I knew that was it. Helping people to alleviate their problems and seeing them walk out of our salon happy is the biggest reward”, she adds. She believes that the salon wouldn’t be where it is today if it weren’t for her love of tradition, her grandmother and mother. “I think that, if you do something honestly, out of love and from the bottom of your heart, you needn’t worry about whether you’ll have work. People feel that vibe and they always keep coming back. Guiding young people and apprentices, teaching them how to do their job properly is important in order for our profession to preserve these traditional methods, which have been around since my grandmother founded our salon 80 years ago”, Ivana Buterin says in conclusion.
