Story by Deb Peterson | Photographed by Deb Peterson.
Debra Johnson went to school to become a nail technician and only then discovered how much she enjoys helping people with their feet.
“I find it very rewarding,” she says. “I had no idea how good it would make people feel.”
Now in her own salon, DJ’s Nail Spa, DJ aims to be the Pedicure Queen of Mountain Home. Her specialty is paraffin wraps—single-use gloves and boots that infuse hands and feet with vitamins and the mineral selenium, nourishing and detoxifying the skin.
Judy Marshall of Norfork is sold on the treatment. So is her husband, Ron. They both have standing appointments every month.
“It hasn’t always been easy for me to be good to myself,” Judy says. “This is something I do for myself that is really good for me, and oh, it smells so good.”
Judy says Ron falls asleep as soon as DJ puts the warm neck wrap on him and starts to massage his feet.
“It destresses him,” she says.
DJ’s manicures and pedicures include a spa soak, nail trim and shape, removal of dead skin, massage, paraffin treatment, and polish. Ron skips the polish.
DJ cautions people to pay attention to sanitation methods in the salons they visit. Spraying and wiping equipment isn’t enough, she says. “They need to run hospital-grade disinfectant through the jets. Tools also must be sanitized.”
She wants people to know that pedicures are not pampering, but should be part of your hygiene. Properly trimmed nails can keep your feet healthy.
Judy has the perfect description of her pedicure appointment: “It’s that space in the middle of the day that’s peaceful.”
M! April/May 2011.
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