Foot Care

When we think about our self, which part gets often ignored the most. No doubt It’s the most strained and worked out part of the body “Our feet”. But we don't find to pay attention to it. We believe that beauty lies in our face. Timely care and affection has to be given to our feet. Any signs of trauma such as redness or blisters, cuts, cracks, swelling or color changes should not be taken lightly.

1. Wash your feet daily. Rinse off all soap and dry thoroughly, especially between toes.

2. Nail Care: Always Trim nails straight across, not too short and then smooth the edges with an emery board. Don't cut out or dig at corners. For ease in cutting toenails, trim them after your bath or shower.

3. Wear clean well-fitting, well ventilated (not synthetic) socks or stockings.

4. Wear shoes that fit: Shoe size change with you age so always have your feet measured before buying shoes. The best time to measure your feet is at the end of the day when your feet are largest. Most of us have one foot larger than the other, so fit your shoe to your larger foot. Do not select shoes by the size marked inside the shoe but by how the shoe fits your foot. Select a shoe that is shaped like your foot. Ideal shoe size needs to be half inch longer than your feet. Make sure the ball of your foot fits comfortably into the widest part of the shoe. Soles should give solid footing and not slip. Low-heeled shoes are more comfortable, safer, and less damaging. Do not buy shoes that feel too tight, expecting them to stretch to fit.

5. Keep Circulation Flowing: Walking is the best exercise for your feet. It also contributes to your general health by improving circulation, contributing to weight control, and promoting all-around well being. Try not to cross your legs when you sit down for long.

6. Prevent Cracking: The skin on the soles of your feet does not have any oil glands to soften them. At the end of the day, apply cream and flex the feet from the ankle, press the toes, move them up down, this relaxes the feet and improves circulation. If your skin is dry, apply cream or petroleum jelly to feet and heels, but avoid the area between your toes. If cream sits in the crevices it can waterlog the skin and make it more susceptible to infection. Avoid walking bare foot on harsh soil; this might crack up your feet.

7. Keeping It Moderate: Protect your feet from extremes in temperature. Protect your feet from temperatures that are too cold, as well. Prolonged cold can decrease circulation even more.

8. Do not smoke.

Some common problems of foot:

Cracked sole:
Dry skin , Prolonged standing, Obesity, Wearing shoes with an open back, Flat feet, High arched feet, Improperly fitting shoes, Athlete’s foot, Psoriasis, Thyroid disease and Diabetes are some common causes of cracked sole.

The different remedies available for cracked soles are:
1. Apply any shortening or hydrogenated vegetable oil after washing the feet on dry and cracked areas of the feet overnight
2. Apply the pulp of a ripe banana on the dry or cracked area of the heel. Leave it on for 10 minutes and rinse it clean.
3. Soak the feet in lemon juice for about 10 minutes. Follow this therapy on a weekly basis until one finds a change.
4. A daily regime of cleaning and moisturizing is a good cure for dry or cracked heels. At the end of the day, soak the feet in warm soapy water for about 15 minutes. Rinse feet and pat dry. Make a healing mixture comprising of: one teaspoon Vaseline and the juice of one lemon. Rub this mixture onto the cracked heels and other required areas of the feet till it is thoroughly absorbed. This can be done daily until visible results are obtained.
5. A regular application of a mixture of glycerin and rosewater is known to soothe and cure cracked heels.
6. Another result oriented solution is to melt paraffin wax and mix it well with little mustard oil. Apply on the dry or cracked area of the heels. Rinse it off in the morning. Continue daily until visible results are obtained

Diet for Cracked Heels: Consume a diet rich in calcium, iron, zinc and omega-3 fats
1. Cracked heels are also caused by deficiency of vitamins, minerals, zinc and omega 3 fatty acids. Therefore it is essential to have a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and zinc.
2. Vitamin E rich foods: vegetable oils, green vegetables, cereals, wheat germ, whole-grain products and nuts are good source of Vitamin E.
3. Calcium rich foods: milk, cheese, yogurt, fortified soya milk, ice cream, cereals and broccoli are excellent sources of calcium.
4. Iron rich foods: Green vegetables, beans, meat, chicken and fish are good sources of iron.
5. Zinc rich foods: Oysters, chicken, crab, kidney beans, yogurt, brown rice, spaghetti, black-eyed peas, Cashews, Chicken, Eggs, Fish, Lentils, mushrooms, Peanuts-roasted are good sources of Zinc.
6. Omega-3 fatty acids: flax seeds and walnuts are excellent sources. Very good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids include cauliflower, cabbage, cloves, mustard seeds, soybeans and tofu.

Corn of sole:
1. The corn is a raised hyperkeratosis with a central core.
2. Corn occurs as a result of friction of the toe against the too tight shoe or against another toe.
3. Corns located between the toes are usually soft and those located on all other areas are hard to touch.
4. Pressure against the corn causes it to press against the skin and nerve endings, which results in pain.
5. The individual should avoid drastic methods of removal such as the dangerous razor-blade.
6. The corn occurrence can be prevented by avoiding pressure by using soft footwear or using soft padding
7. The safest and most effective nonprescription intervention is the use of salicylic acid in the form of plasters or apply corn cap. Before use of salicylic acid, the person should soak the corn for five minutes.
8. A fresh slice of lemon tied over the painful area at night to be kept whole night is beneficial for corn.
9. Half a teaspoon of raw papaya juice applied three times a day is beneficial.
10. For corns between the toes, dab on vitamin E oil and place a 100% cotton ball over it. Put on clean white cotton socks leaving them on overnight.

Callus:
1. Callus is also a result of pressure or friction against the skin. However, the callus is a diffuse thickening of the skin overlying the area where pressure has been applied.
2. Example is repeated use of an engraving tool can cause hand calluses.
3. Weight-bearing areas like heels and balls of the feet are most prone to developing calluses.
4. Unlike the corn, which serves no purpose, the callus protects underlying skin from the continued friction.
5. Callus is rarely painful because it has no central core.
6. Treatment is purely cosmetic.
7. It is preferable to allow the calluses to remain in place.

Ingrown Toenails:
1. Ingrown toenails occur when a piece of the nail breaks the skin commonly as a result of improper cutting of your nails.
2. Ingrown toenails are very common in the large toes. A doctor can remove the part that is cutting into the skin or whole of the nail. This allows the area to heal.
3. Ingrown toenails can often be avoided by cutting the toenail straight across and level with the top of the toe.

Fungal, bacterial and viral conditions: including athlete's foot, may occur due to a warm, dark, humid environment as a result of prolong wearing of shoes. Salons and spas featuring nail services, if not adhering to the sterilization precaution for the tools can be source of fungal, bacterial and viral infection of foot. During a pedicure small breaks in the skin can occur. When nail tools such as cuticle pushers or nippers are used on these breaks, or on paper cuts and other open areas in the skin, they can transfer blood and/or bacteria from one customer to another, if the tools are not properly sterilized between procedures.

Home Remedies for foot care:
• For pedicure at home: take a tub of mildly hot to lukewarm water; add in some salt and any shampoo, and put the feet in. Remove and now clean the heels with a pumice stone; this removes dead skin and keeps them clean and healthy. Dry the foot and lastly apply a moisturizer or cream, this also treats cracked heels.
• Rose water and glycerin mixed together and applied to feet heals cracks.
• Don’t forget to use the pumice stone to remove dead skin from time to time.
• Crushed strawberries with a teaspoon of olive oil and sea salt mixed together can be used as a natural scrub to exfoliate dead skin. Rub the paste a trifle hard on the heels, let it stay for 10 to 15 minutes and clean with warm water, pat dry and apply a foot cream.
• Rubbing olive oil regularly before going to bed makes feet soft and supple and also makes the toe nails stronger and healthy.
• Mix in a tsp of turmeric powder to a handful of crushed neem leaves and apply to cracked feet, gives immense relief.
• Tsp of honey with sesame oil applied on cracked feet is another way of treating them.
• Do not neglect any sort of pain in the feet, if home remedies do not work, consult your physician immediately.