Sweet Feet

It’s just about that time again, time to break out your sandals!  There are lots of things you must do to go from winter feet to spring/summer feet.  In the winter our feet are wrapped up in socks and are left to hibernate for several months.  Since feet aren’t seen as much people forgo proper maintenance such as scrubbing dead skin, applying lotion and keeping cuticles from building up.  I, myself haven’t applied a single coat of nail polish to my feet all winter long.  So sad, yet so true.

But luckily enough, it’s pretty easy to whip your feet back into shape.  It’s as simple as purchasing a pumice stone, an orange stick and some ultra thick moisturizer for your feet.  A few weeks of pampering will bring them right back to their natural state of fabulousness.  But, what about other problems that can creep up?  Your poor feet have been cooped up for months, stuffed into shoes and not given the chance to break free.  This can lead to many foot ailments, such as ingrown toenails.  Ouch!

Ingrown toenails can happen to anyone given the right circumstances.  The biggest culprits are wearing too tight of shoes and hosiery and most of all, cutting your toenails wrong.  Who knew?  The best way to prevent ingrown toenails is to cut your toesnails straight across.  By doing this you can reduce the risk of your nails growing into the skin.  If you start to feel pain and you think you’re developing an ingrown toenail, you can prevent it by following a few steps.  Soak your feet in warm salt water for about 10 minutes, apply a mild antiseptic to the infected area and bandage the toe to reduce further pressure.  Another solution is purchasing ingrown nail clippers, they help to remove ingrown nails quickly and easily. 

We all want to show off our toes and reintroduce them back into society, but proper maintenance and grooming are essential.  If you treat your feet right and show them a little extra TLC, you’ll have beautiful feet to show off in your new sandals!! 

Here’s a lovely picture demonstrating the correct way to cut your nails.