Put your best foot forward

A pedicure without nail polish isn't a pedicure, right?

Well for any sceptics, Bastien Gonzales is here to win you over.

Dubbed the "pedicure virtuoso", he has been making a name for himself with his unique approach to foot treatments which places as much importance in the wellness of the feet and nails as it does in their appearance.

Last week, Gonzales was in Dubai to launch his Révérence de Bastien Lacquer Color Collection nail polish and the Black Diamond scrub at the Atlantis Spa in the Palm. When asked why he chose Dubai to launch his products, his response to tabloid! was simple: "Where else can women wear sandals and show off their feet all year long?"

You are known for being against nail polish. What made you change your mind and launch your own collection?

I was never against nail polish as I have been quoted in the press. I regard nail polish as make-up and therefore I am against keeping it on the nails for more than three days maximum.

Most nail varnish[es] nowadays are based on lots of chemicals — especially to make them dry quickly — which causes the nails to break and discolour. My varnish is a result of two years work with laboratories on choosing colours but more importantly developing a less-aggressive formula in which we took out four harmful chemicals and replaced them with less-aggressive ingredients. But I still insist that it should not be left [on] for more than three days.

Although we're always advised not to do it, nothing is going to stop women from wearing high heels. Is there a way to wear them and not develop foot problems?

You can wear heels all your life with no foot problems. The key is education and understanding that you need to keep stretching the calf. You can do that every day while you're brushing your teeth — one minute on each foot to release all the tension.

The problem with heels is also putting too much pressure on the front, which causes flattening of the fatty cushions at the base of the toes. To avoid that, every night for 20 seconds, fluff the fatty cushions like you do to your pillow to restore their volume so that when you walk you get better absorption and you don't [develop] calluses.

Also, work on each toe for five seconds every day, stretching them, rotating them, working on the elasticity of the skin.

Basically that's the education I offer my clients. We don't impose it, but we help them by explaining how we do it.

Is there a way to prevent bunions?

Unfortunately it is very difficult. You can reduce its evolution, but you can't stop it.

A big part of it is genetic, but also other factors like pregnancy increase them. This is because during pregnancy the body produces hormones which stretch the ligaments, including the ones in your feet.

What you can do is slow down the inflammation — since these bones stick out and create friction — by keeping the toes moving and by stretching the ligaments between the toes to make sure they don't get retracted too much.

I'm working on a jelly "toe-stretcher" at the moment which will help do that. It will hopefully be done at beginning of next year.

What about other foot problems like corns?

Corns develop as a result of increasing friction at the front of the feet when wearing heels.

You can reduce the friction by using talcum powder every night after wearing heels. The finer the powder the better. It protects your skin like a glove and prevents it from burning.

Make sure to put some on the toes and a little bit in the shoes too.

Bastien's Duo manicure and pedicure treatment at Atlantis, The Palm

There are two approaches to nail services: one which is purely aesthetic and aims to cover any ugliness with add-ons like acrylic nails, nail polish and so on. The other is more concerned about the health of the nail itself regardless of trends. When you go for Gonzales' Duo manicure and pedicure treatment, there is no question: you're getting the latter.

From the moment I saw the leather dentist-like chair and the tools — including a small drill and couple of blades — inside my private treatment room, I knew there was some serious work waiting for me.

The treatment consists of three parts starting with the nail itself: cutting then polishing with Gonzales' signature chamois tool. This allows blood to rush through to your fingertips, leaving you with naturally pink nails ending with white tips.

Then follows skincare. Looking at the blades I was a little worried, but my pedicurist explained which parts she's taking out. She decided to leave my slightly hardened soles as they are my skin's natural protection against the heels I wear so often.

Finally, I was given a well-needed massage for my arms and legs.

It should be noted that throughout the treatment, not a drop of water was used. The therapists operate on dry skin to avoid over-moisturising the skin and thus blurring the limit on how much of the skin to smooth.

I initially wanted to finish the treatment with a nail polish, but after looking at my nails, I decided to leave them bare. The ultra naturally-shiny nails looked too beautiful to cover up proving that even in nails, natural is more beautiful — as long as you take good care of them.

• Bastien Gonzales' Duo manicure and pedicure is available at the Atlantis Spa, Atlantis the Palm. Dh720 for 75 minutes. Call 04-4262000