Walking into the Margaret Dabbs Sole Lounge with its pristine cove lit corridor, flawless fixtures and endless nail lacquer options, one could be fooled into thinking that this is a standard, albeit very luxurious, mani/pedi salon—but you would be very much mistaken. Launching for the first time outside of London, celebrity favorite and renowned foot specialist, Margaret Dabbs, has brought her expertise to the Level Shoe District in Dubai Mall to offer both female and male clients the chance to experience a distinctly different concept in foot therapy and nail care.
“I absolutely love it when people come in and say, ‘I really hate my feet!'” exclaimed Margaret, explaining her passion for podiatry. “What people don’t realize is that there’s so much we can do to make you embrace your feet.”
As obvious as some of her concepts may seem, in an industry in which the importance of nail polish color and nail art are often more highly regarded than foot health, Margaret’s foot philosophy is perhaps somewhat unconventional. She notes that feet go through the same aging process as the face; the skin thins, fat is lost, and the sweat glands reduce in effectiveness. “You’ll never find that someone walks in in high heels and we tell them they have to wear flat lace ups, which is what you hear from so many traditional podiatrists. We look after your feet so you can wear the shoes you want to wear, from orthotics to nail care to bunion and callous removal.”
I have had a considerable amount of pedicures and novelty foot treatments in my time but what I was about to undergo was substantially more advanced and enjoyable. The Ultimate Luxury Foot Therapy, as it’s called, begins with the shaping of the nails (always square and never round—as Margaret notes “I abhor round nails! They can cause so many problems. In my spa, round toenails are not an option.”). Next, the feet are filed and excess cuticles are removed using a drill-like machine with various heads. To my joy, the podiatrist avoids the use of a cuticle cutter. Surprisingly, the use of water to soak feet or hands before the treatment is also frowned upon. Margaret informs me that working on wet skin means not being able to see the areas of dehydration; furthermore, wet skin tissue is weaker and water can be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungal infections.
Next, the feet are massaged with Margaret’s own brand of Intensive Treatment Foot Oil and Nourishing Nail and Cuticle Serum is rubbed onto each toe. Afterwards, the feet are placed in a Hydrating Foot Soak and while the skin is still wet, the Exfoliating Foot Mousse is used to smooth the skin. After drying thoroughly, the massage component of the already very comfortable electric lounger was switched on. For twenty heavenly minutes: a full body kneading and vibration massage from the neck downwards; a circulatory lower leg and foot massage; and the use of a headpiece which provided pure oxygen directly into the nose and mouth.
Finally, a slick of nail-friendly color is applied. Gel color is a “nasty” that Margaret advises against, and considering that I am still recovering from the effects of two consecutive gel applications, I can empathize with her sentiment. “Have you ever seen how gel is removed? They have to soak nails in really high strength remover and then use a metal object to scrape it off. It’s awful! Not to mention the use of UV light. There was a study recorded in the British Medical Journal of people in Australia who had gel manicures every two weeks for two years and they had cancerous tumors under their nails.”
Margaret’s team uses a brand called Rococco, which doesn’t contain formaldehyde, toluene, or Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP). She leaves me with a tip about how to determine the quality of a lacquer. “When you’re removing it if the color smudges everywhere you know it’s not a good polish. If it wipes off cleanly then it’s of a high quality. Also, the deeper the color the more dehydrating it is.”
The Verdict: This treatment is an effective balance between podiatry and pampering relaxation. Regular visits can keep problematic feet in shape with an added touch of luxury.
