Feet. They’re pretty important. They help you get from A to B most days, carry your whole body’s weight on them and keep you balancing. We can jazz them up by painting our nails or choosing fancy shoes and adorn them in various types of socks for both comfort and fashion. There is a lot of thanks that we need to give to our tootsies, and quite frankly, we aren’t doing enough of this. Our feet don’t care if they’re glittery or encased in the latest trends – they need the love and attention that they deserve.
Don’t just think about your hands…
When moisturising your hands, think about your feet too. Your feet probably work a lot harder than your hands do and are definitely under a lot more pressure to perform. When was the last time that you sat down and gave your feet a good once-over with some foot cream? If you look after your feet, they will look after you; cracked heels can be prevented when a little moisturiser is added.
Keep on your toes
When you get out of the bath or the shower, make sure that you are paying special attention to the inbetweens of your toes. If they stay wet they can make the skin between rub and start to wear away, leaving you with sores. Or, even worse, fungus can start to build up and develop into athlete’s foot – not nice to deal with at any stage of its progress.
Feel the burn
If you get the same feeling in your feet on a normal day as you would after dancing the night away, it’s probably time to see a podiatrist. Look for a foot posture centre that offers podiatry, as they will be able to help find the cause and root of the pain as well as taking further measures and precautions to prevent further problems.
Grind away…
Try and remove any dead skin from around your foot before it comes hard to do. A pumice stone will be able to remove the majority, or the innovative Ped Egg can help, but if not a trip to a chiropodist may be required to fully remove the excess. Going for a pedicure often can help as well – not only will it leave you feeling glam, but the therapist will usually remove any hard skin around your foot.
Check the fit
If you are wearing shoes for style rather than practicality, chances are that you are in ones that are poorly-fitted to your size. Not only can this prove uncomfortable in most instances, but it will also provide a great base for the build up of corns and calluses. Again, a trip to the podiatrist may be able to assist in removing these, but prevention is the best form of defence – look after your feet well, get the correct size shoes (go into a reputable shoe shop and ask to be measured) and there will be no need to have the foot doctor on speed dial!