Your feet take the weight of your entire body every day, so it’s vital that you take care of them properly. Most people don’t take enough care when it comes to their feet, so when foot problems occur, it can quickly lead to discomfort when you walk, and can therefore even cause knee, hip and back pain too.
Looking after your feet on a regular basis can prevent problems, so make sure you take a look at our tips.
Washing Your Feet
You should wash your feet every evening to prevent your skin becoming irritated and infected. There are more than 125,000 sweat glands on each foot, producing more than an eggcup’s worth of sweat each day. It is therefore very important to wash your feet using soap and water regularly.
Dry your feet thoroughly after washing them, and apply a moisturising foot lotion.
Remove hard skin with a pumice stone or foot file, but try not to be too harsh. Your feet have more than 7,000 nerve endings in the skin, so you have to be gentle when removing skin.
Toenails
Always trim your toenails straight across. This prevents hangnails and ingrown toe nails.
Push your cuticles back, rather than cutting them, as this prevents infection.
Avoid using nail varnishes with formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl in them, as these chemicals dry out your nails and make them susceptible to becoming brittle. You should also avoid using nail varnish remover with alcohol in it too.
Choose Your Shoes
Always buy your shoes in the afternoon. Feet swell as the day goes on, so if your shoes fit in the afternoon you’ll know that they’ll always be comfortable.
If you have a penchant for wearing heels, then try and vary the height of them from day to day. Wear comfortable shoes to and from work, keeping your heels for the office.
Wear the right shoes for the job. If you know you’re going to be on your feet for a long time, wear comfortable shoes – or at least bring them along so you can change into them if you need to.
Wear flip flops in public areas such as swimming pools or gym showers. This will prevent you catching athlete’s foot and verrucas. You shouldn’t wear them all the time, though as they don’t support your feet.
Insoles can make it more comfortable if you’re standing for a long time.
Get a Professional In
If your feet are in pain already, then the best thing to do, before it gets any worse, is to go and see someone like Black Swan Osteopathy who have specialist podiatrists. They can make a world of difference.