Foot Care – guidelines for happy feet!

These are general rules for “most people” to keep your feet healthy.

Wash your feet every day if you can.  A quick wash in the shower or bath is fine, there is no need for long soaks or stewing your feet in very hot water! Regular soaking for long periods will dry your feet out, so if you do like to do this,  (some people find it is soothing) make sure you use a cream afterward.

After bathing make sure you dry your feet well. If this is difficult for you, put a dry flannel on the floor and scrunch your toes on it, then sit barefoot for a few minutes waving your toes about and let nature do the rest of the work.

File rough skin regularly using a pumice or foot file  . Pumice stones are used in the bath or shower, foot files when your feet are dry.

If your feet are dry, or tend to get rough, use a good quality cream  daily. Massage it all over the undersides of your feet, remembering the edges and the backs of your heels. Dont put it between your toes or in the webbing under your toes. Skin on your feet and hands is different to the skin on the rest of your body use a fairly thick cream, not a thin body lotion.  At Parliament Street Chiropody I use CCS cream, available at most chemists. If you feet are very dry, or you suffer with cracking at the heels, try a heel balm containing urea. Flexitol, Gewohl and CCS are good examples of this type of cream. If you find urea cream too harsh, you couls try a very thick moisturiser such as Epaderm or Hydromol. To use these, warm a small dollop on your hand before applying.

Can’t reach your feet?  Many people have problems getting down to their feet, and there is no easy answer. A sponge with a long handle is good for cleaning your feet, and there are foot washers available to put in your shower. For applying cream, try putting the cream onto a large food bag, and hold the edges of the bag using a sawing motion to pull the creamed bag around your feet. Or turn the creamed bag inside out and put your foot inside, Sit and have tea for a few minutes, pull the bag off and have another cup while you wait for the cream to fully soak into your feet (it will!)

Cut your toenails straight across. This means following the line of your toe, rather than getting the ruler out. If you have nails that curl at the edges, you may be tempted to cut down at the corners, but if you do this and leave a sharp edge, you will make the problem worse – so try not to!

If you notice the spaces between your toes are getting too soft and “soggy – looking”, use surgical spirit on a tissue or cotton bud to wipe between the toes. If the area is itchy or burning, it may be athletes foot ( you dont have to be an athlete), so get it checked by your doctor or chiropodist.