TikTok user @sheisher shared her recent experience at a nail salon after a pedicure caused her feet to harden, specifically her heels.
“I actually feel like pedicures ruined my feet,” she says in a post that has garnered over 787,000 views.
@sheisher usually opts for a simple color change. However, this salon only offers full-service pedicures. Pedicures often include a foot soak, massage, scrub, and sometimes a foot file—also known as a cheese grater—to shave off dead skin.
The foot file is supposed to make your feet softer, however, @sheisher had a different experience.
“Before I was actually getting full-blown pedicures my feet were actually soft. Like my heels, I didn’t have that like hard skin,” she says. “And when I started getting pedicures I feel like they were shaving too much of the skin off of my heel and then it would grow back calcified or hard.”
The Daily Dot reached out to @sheisher via TikTok messages and comments.
However, @sheisher is not alone in her experience. Numerous other women in the comments expressed similar results when getting pedicures including a foot file.
Why is this nail salon tool banned?
One user was appalled by @sheisher’s post. “The cheese grater is illegal,” they said. “They’re not supposed to be using that!”
She’s correct.
However, nail technicians can use a variety of tools to shave the bottom of your foot. According to WCNC Charlotte, the specific tool banned across the majority of cosmetic boards is a callus shave.

The callus shaver, or credo knife, is a small tool used by medical professionals to remove calluses. It is banned in the majority of states in the United States. The few exceptions include Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
On the other hand, the foot file or cheese grater is legal and can be used in nail salons.

Nevertheless, there’s a high risk of bacterial infection using sharp and potentially unsanitary tools at your local nail parlor.
Mayo Clinic reported that bacterial and fungal infections are the two most common infections acquired from nail salons.
“Don’t be afraid to ask to make sure the spa cleans all equipment between customers,” says Dr. Rachel Miest, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist.
For example, a North Carolina resident concocted a bacterial infection called cellulitis after getting nicked by her nail tech who used a foot rasp, a tool similar to the foot file or cheese grater.
Should you scrape the bottom of your feet?
The answer to that question is yes and no.
“The thickening of the skin on the feet is protective and can help keep out fungus and bacteria,” said dermatology-certified physician’s assistant, Lana Pinchasov, in an interview with Well & Good. “Grating this thickened skin is basically opening up that area to bacteria, fungus, and yeast.”
While scraping the bottom of your foot heightens your risk of injury and infection it can also be a good way to exfoliate your skin.
What’s an alternative?
Instead of using a harsh and abrasive tool like a foot file or cheese grater, you can opt for something a little softer like a pumice stone.
A pumice stone is a type of lightweight volcanic rock that resembles a sponge. The stone can treat corns, calluses, and dry skin. And unlike the foot file or callus shaver is less likely to produce cuts or injury.
However, you can damage your skin with a pumice stone if used improperly, like rubbing it on sunburn or an open wound, according to WebMD. Avoid overusing it as well, as harsh exfoliation can lead to dark spots and redness, especially if you have sensitive skin.
@sheisherrrrrrrrrr ♬ original sound – Sheisher
If you do decide to use a pumice stone, make sure to soak your feet for 5 to 10 min beforehand. Then rub the stone against your skin using light, short strokes.
Or you can opt not to instead.
As user @sheisher said, “I stopped getting [pedicures] for a while and I feel like my feet definitely went back to normal.”
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