Your feet need self-care too
Self-care routines are a wonderful way to pamper ourselves and give our bodies a little extra TLC (tender loving care). Most self-care routines will often focus on the face, neck, hair or fingernails. It’s often everything above our shoulders that gets the self-care devotion. Our lower limbs and feet are generally forgotten, sometimes intentionally….I’ve had plenty of patients tell me that they don’t like the feeling of moisturised heels on their bed sheets. Another few common reasons for leaving the feet out of the self-care routine; they’re too far away, nobody sees them, or I’m never barefoot anyway. It’s true, our feet are hidden in socks and footwear most of the time. But perhaps it is time we show them off more.
There are numerous ways to give your feet a little extra attention. Firstly, start with a clean pair of feet as they undergo extensive perspiration throughout the day. Did you know that each of our feet have 125,000 sweat glands (LaFee, 2017)? Be sure to dry your feet and between your toes well.
Next, we moisturise. The feet are very susceptible to dehydration, dryness and sensitivity due to the significant amount of sweat glands and absence of oil glands (Eske, 2019). It is recommended to use a moisturiser that contains at least 5% urea as an active ingredient. Urea is a keratolytic that aids in the softening and peeling of the outer most layer of the skin. Depending on your moisturising solution, apply a generous amount to your heels and any callused or visibly dry areas. Massage the moisturiser gently into the skin to encourage additional blood flow and soothe any tension in your feet. This is a beneficial daily practice that results in notable improvements to skin integrity and fatigued muscles in your feet.
Once you’ve finished moisturising it is time to move on to your toenails. If your nails need cutting, be sure to cut them straight across and file in one direction. If you are experiencing any peeling or brittleness – it may be worthwhile to apply a nail protector or strengthening polish. I recommend using reputable brands that do not contain common toxic chemicals such as; Formaldehyde, Toluene, Dibutyl phthalate, Formaldehyde resin, and Camphor.
Next on our foot self-care routine is – cuticle oil application. Similar to the skin on the bottom of our feet, our cuticles can get quite dry and hard. I recommend applying a drop of cuticle oil to each of the toes and gently massaging the cuticles until absorption occurs. The massage application also benefits the health of our toes and toenails as it stimulates vasodilation (additional blood flow) to the extremities.
Now, it’s time to put your feet up and relax. By elevating your feet and keeping them above heart level, we are able to work with gravity and reduce excess fluid and swelling.
Hopefully, these tips expand on your regular self-care routines. It’s essential to practice self-care for your feet regularly between podiatry visits. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask at our Podiatry Beyond clinic.
