You may think you’ll be too busy watching Bowl games or entertaining to think about anything as mundane as foot care, but we believe you can do both this holiday weekend as we ring in the New Year. Your feet are often neglected, but they’ll reward you if you take the time to spoil them a little, or even just to practice daily habits for healthy feet. Here are some basic foot care tips to get you started—feel free to embellish them as you go along!
Basic tips include:
- Wash your feet every day to get rid of dirt and bacteria and leave them less vulnerable to infection or foot odor. Use warm water and mild soap, and dry well afterwards.
- Moisturize your skin to keep it supple and prevent calluses and dry, cracked heels. Use a heavy lotion before bed and wear socks as you sleep to let it work all night.
- Air out your feet. Go barefoot for a while each day, and take shoes off for short periods when you can. Feet that are too sweaty and warm make a great home for fungi and bacteria.
- Wear the right shoes. Make sure they offer the right support for your foot arch, don’t cramp your toes or slide around on your heel, and have low heels to balance your weight evenly.
- Care for nails regularly. Keeping your nails properly trimmed and cleaned is a useful step in preventing a nasty fungal infection. In addition, wear foot protection when you are in public areas where the microorganisms thrive, like pools, saunas, and showers.
These tips apply equally to women’s and men’s foot care. So guys, if you are just going to sit around watching the games anyway, why not get out a tub, put some warm water with a handful of Epsom salts dissolved in it, and enjoy a soothing foot soak for 20 – 30 minutes? Dry off, use a pumice stone to get rid of callus buildup, and slap on some lotion. Once you have this relaxing experience, you’ll understand why women love going to a salon to have their feet pampered!
For more foot care tips, or to deal with foot pain that is impacting your lifestyle, call Southern California Foot & Ankle Specialists today at (949) 364-9255 (WALK) and set up a time to have your problem evaluated. We are here to help.