Have Healthy Feet All Summer Long!

The season of flip-flops and cute, strappy sandals is here, and pedicures aren’t getting any cheaper. Your feet have been in hiding, and now it’s time to show them off! However, they aren’t looking their best. Having healthy feet is more important than you think. Why wouldn’t you want to take care of your feet, something you use every day? Here are a few tips to make your feet gorgeous, healthy, and feeling fine.

Wash and Moisturize

Don't assume your feet get clean just by the soap and water you step in while in the shower. Bend over and run a washcloth over your feet and in between your toes. After you get out of the shower, make sure to dry your feet and toes. This will decrease your chances of getting athlete's foot, odor, and fungus. Then, lather them up with a basic lotion or cream. If it's a drier season, you may need to moisturize a few times during the day. 

If you have diabetes, checking your feet for cuts, sores, swelling, or infected toenails is important for your feet' health. Having diabetes increases the risk of sores and infections in your feet because you are more prone to infection.

Give Yourself an At-Home Pedicure

Avoid sketchy salon pedicures. Not only can they get expensive when you go every month, but oftentimes, the instruments that were used on everyone else aren’t properly sanitized and spread bacteria. Feet are very sensitive parts of our body and they don’t respond well to infections. And, for some of us, we don’t respond well to other people touching our feet!

Before getting rid of the thickened skin on your heels, soak your feet in a bath of warm black tea. Black tea contains tannins, which is an antibacterial that can help you to avoid athlete's foot. Do not use Epsom salts to your feet soak, as the salt can dry out your skin. After you've soaked your feet for about 10 to 15 minutes, use a sanitized pumice stone or foot file to wipe away the dead skin. Again, if you have diabetes, be careful with how much you do this, as it’s easy to accidentally cut yourself and risk infection.

When the time comes, cut your toenails straight across. This is really vital in avoiding ingrown toenails, which often have to be removed by professionals. Avoid trimming your toenails down too close to your skin or rounding the corners with your clippers. It’s important to never try to remove an ingrown toenail by yourself. 

Polish your toenails if you'd like, but keep in mind, if you're covering up your toenails because they're "ugly", this could be a big problem. Make sure you check your toenails when they're free of polish. If you notice they are discolored, unusually thick, cracked, or crumbling, this could be a sign of a nail fungus. Adding polish to your toenails could make the infection worse.

Try to avoid those extreme exfoliates and peels like Baby Foot Peel, and leave them to the professionals. These usually aren’t safe for non-professionals and can leave your feet more damaged than they were before. While the results you typically see may look oddly satisfying, over-exfoliating can cause painful blisters due to the chemicals inside the products.

Wear Shoes with Support

If your shoes are completely flat, don't make it a habit to wear them. Completely flat shoes do not provide any arch support, which can lead to the development of painful flat feet. You don't have to wear heels every day, but limit the amount of time that you wear unsupportive shoes. Even though it’s summertime, and we’d love to live in flip-flops, it’s really bad for you and your feet. If you're wearing the proper shoes, you shouldn't ever feel pain in your feet. If you do feel immense pain every day, seek medical attention, as this could be a bigger issue. 

Always wear the proper shoes for whatever activity you're doing. For example, if you're going out for a run, don't wear sandals. In this situation, you'd want to have running shoes to ensure that won't develop foot problems. In addition to this, make sure to always wear socks. It’s recommended to change your socks often to keep your feet fresh and dry. 

It might be time to ditch the sky-high heels, as wearing heels over 3 inches can put immense pressure on the feet, which causes balance issues, along with stress on the ankles and knees. If you’re having trouble figuring out what kind of shoes would be best for your feet, ask your podiatrist for advice. 

It’s best to shop for shoes in the late afternoon. By this time, you'll be carrying more swelling in your feet. This means when you wear your shoes later on, they will be comfortable and you won't have to "break them in."

Protect Your Feet

Summertime is near, which means you'll probably be taking more trips to beaches, water parks, and pools. Never go barefoot in public areas, and always bring extra shoes to places you'll be rinsing off or showering. Showers at the gym and locker rooms, beaches, water parks, and public pools are all filled with opportunities for a fungal infection. To avoid it altogether, wait to shower until you get into the comfort of your own home. 

You can also risk getting a fungal infection from borrowing shoes. Make sure when you head to the bowling alley that you're wearing socks, or bring your own bowling shoes. In general, wear shoes that will avoid giving you sweaty feet. You don't want your feet to be trapped in moisture. If you don't wear breathable shoes, you could also risk an infection due to perspiration.