SANDAL season will soon be with us.
Your feet will spend a long winter crammed into thick woollen socks and heavy boots and very soon they will be visible.
Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Okay, but you don’t want to send small children (or anyone else) running at the sight of your discoloured toenails or flaking callouses.
The answer is a pedicure.
Every single one of us should be getting a pedicure on a regular basis.
A lot of diseases actually manifest themselves in the feet.
If you don’t take care of your feet, and you lose the ability to walk without pain, it can really impede your life.
Those diseases range from the uncomfortable to the life-threatening.
Fungal infection, for instance, can cause your toenails to become discoloured or even fall off.
Ingrown toenails can lead to bacterial infection or painful open lesions.
Athlete’s foot can lead to itching, blisters, and pain.
Some people can even develop dangerous skin cancers like melanoma and basal cell carcinoma (which can be deadly if left untreated).
Regular foot care can help prevent and control foot-related health issues and keep your feet looking sandal-ready in the process.
Here is what to do:
Inspect your feet daily
A casual inspection in the shower is enough.
What you are looking for is anything different or weird, like changes in toenail colour, redness, bumps, or blisters.
Always check between the toes.
Make sure you are drying between them and don’t leave creams or lotions between them either since fungus and bacteria thrive in moist environments.
If you notice something strange, call your doctor before trying to deal with it yourself.
Be careful where you walk
Always be aware of where you are walking barefoot, especially on carpet.
Carpets can hide tiny objects that you can step on and hurt your feet.
And if you have cuts or open sores, carpets hold bacteria that can cause infection.
Cut your toenails straight across
Never cut too deep into the corners, since that could potentially cause an ingrown situation leading to infection.
Always cut them straight across and not too short.
Your toenails should go right to wear the skin ends.
You can give yourself a pedicure
If you can’t find an hour out of your schedule to get a professional pedicure, you are missing out.
But you can do it yourself if you are so inclined.
Here is how to do it:
Soak your feet for at least 10 minutes in warm water and Epsom salts.
This will help soften and hydrate dead skin and dry patches for easier removal.
Scrub your feet with a foot scrub.
Then put them back in that water for a few minutes.
Clip your toenails straight across using a straight-edge toenail clipper.
File the freshly-clipped nails using an emory board to smooth away any rough edges.
Slather on some foot cream and make sure you rub it in well, especially between your toes.
Put on some slippers before you walk around to protect your newly-clean feet from debris. – Online.
