Seasonal care

Foot care should be an essential part of your daily routine. When seasons change, it becomes even more important. Thus your feet need the most care during summer and winter. If you look after your feet well you can avoid common foot problems prevalent during these seasons. Here are some indispensable tips on foot care that will help you take much better care of your feet during the summers and winters. Summer Foot Care Tips

Summer is a time for outdoor activities and adventure-filled vacations. It is at this time of the year that your feet undergo maximum exposure. Naturally, your feet are especially prone to develop many foot problems at this time, whether by catching an infection or just an ordinary skin issue. Therefore it is very necessary to take basic precautions if you don't want to go through a lot of pain and discomfort. Listed below are some common summer foot problems along with the ways to prevent them.

Wear comfortable and flexible footwear to avoid blisters - Blisters are the most common foot problem occurring during the summer months. They usually occur because of the way socks and shoes keep rubbing against the surface of the skin. Thus blisters are mainly seen with new or ill-fitting shoes. When your shoes are too tight or narrow, it causes constant friction against your skin while walking. The problem is aggravated by the scorching summer heat and perspiration. The skin responds to the continuous injury by the formation of painful blisters. This can be avoided by wearing comfortable and flexible footwear that allows your feet to breathe. It is also important to alternate between your shoes, sandals and flip-flops to keep your feet clean and dry. This also helps to prevent blisters from forming.

Wear flip-flops and sandals in public pools and showers - Public shower areas and wet swimming pool floors are breeding places for fungi which can cause foot infections. Athlete's foot, fungal toenail, plantar warts and so on are all common fungal infections that are contracted from places like these. Therefore make sure you always wear sandals and flip-flops here to protect your feet. Never walk barefoot in these areas to avoid exposing your feet to such infection. Use waterproof footwear if you have an open wound in one of your feet, or any other foot problem that can expose your feet to such risks.

Take regular footbaths and pedicure - Taking time to have regular foot baths and pedicures in summer helps to prevent a lot of foot problems. A pedicure helps to exfoliate the dead skin and cleanse your feet. Gentle scraping and scrubbing are the two important pedicure procedures that both keep the skin of your feet healthy and improve the circulation of blood in your feet. A pedicure also includes foot massage, which leads to intense relaxation and also stimulates blood circulation.

Taking foot baths will release your feet from the day's exhaustion and stress. After a tiring day, soaking your feet in good warm water with a few drops of essential oil can work absolute magic, driving away every trace of stress and fatigue from your feet. If you have foot pain, try taking alternate hot water and cold-water baths to relieve the pain.

Trim your toenails - During the summers it is very important to trim and cut your toenails short. Since your feet are always in contact with the ground, they accumulate the most dirt and germs. Long nails increase the risk of contracting fungal infections like toenail fungus and foot odor. On the other hand, keeping your nails short and clean is the safest way to avoid such infections. You should also wash your feet regularly with mild anti-bacterial soaps and dust them with anti-fungal herbal powders to keep fungal infections at bay.

Keep your feet dry - Perspiration is an inevitable part of the hot and humid summer months. If your feet perspire a lot in summer, try to keep your feet as dry as possible to avoid foot odors and discourage fungal growth on your feet. Regularly soak your feet in warm water containing Epsom salts or kosher salt since these salts are endowed with special properties to limit the amount of perspiration. Afterwards, dry your feet thoroughly with a towel and then dust some fragrant talcum powder on your feet. If you are going outdoors, then dust some cornstarch powder inside your socks as its high absorbency will help to keep perspiration from accumulating inside your shoes.

Wear comfortable and well-fitting shoes - Wear shoes that keep your feet dry and comfortable during summers. Open top shoes like sandals, floaters, flip-flops and light canvas shoes are the best footwear during this season. Summer activities like cycling, walking, jogging and afternoon beach walks can be enjoyable with the right kind of footwear.

Use a Good Sunscreen - Since your feet are the most exposed parts of your body, they are prone to tanning. The use of a good tanning lotion or a high-quality sunscreen is therefore essential to protect the skin texture of your feet. If you use sunscreen religiously, you can prevent unwanted sunspots, dark patches and tanning of your feet. If you can, wear light and soft seamless socks outdoors, to protect your feet from the direct UV rays of the sun.

Winter Foot Care Tips

Common foot problems associated with the winter season are stiffness, aching joints, leg cramps, cracked heels and fissures and dry skin. It is important to protect your feet from cold as much as you can to help maintain your natural body heat. The feet are the parts of the body which are highly prone to winter damage. Therefore, it is essential to keep them covered and warm at all times. If you suffer from cold feet or arthritic pains, it is even more important to keep your feet warm. Since warmth enhances blood circulation, problems like muscle cramps, stiffness of joints and tendons are less likely to occur if your legs and feet are covered and protected.

Wear socks and shoes all the time - Wearing socks and shoes help your feet to remain warm and comfortable. It also protects your feet from frostbite and numbness. Make sure that you wear socks at bed time too, to keep your feet warm all through the night. If the weather is very chilly, wear thick socks. Use natural fabrics like cotton and wool. Avoid wearing very tight socks, as this will hamper the blood circulation to your feet, and cause them to feel cold and induce leg cramps as well. Loose comfortable seamless socks are ideal.

Wash your feet daily - Keeping your feet clean is also very important in winter. Washing your feet at least once a day with lukewarm water will keep them healthy and hygienic. However, do not use very hot water, as this may strip off natural oils from your skin and leave it dry. After washing your feet, dry them gently but thoroughly, and then apply a good moisturizer on both sides of your feet (but not between your toes) to keep your skin hydrated.

Moisturize your feet daily - Dryness of feet is a common winter occurrence. Dry feet can appear rough, scaly and cracked. Sometimes they are also painful or itchy. The best way to avoid this is a daily moisturizing ritual using a good foot lotion or cream that will help to maintain the pH balance of your skin. Washing your feet, especially during winters, leaves the skin dry; applying a good lotion or cream helps to lock in the natural moisture and keep the skin smooth and supple. The most important areas to show the effects of dryness are the heels and soles. Cracks and fissures often develop in these areas if the skin dries out for a long time. . The earlier a crack is attended to, the better, since delayed treatment allows them to deepen and injures the underlying tissues as well. This can be an invitation to serious foot infections. All this can be easily avoided by the regular use of a good moisturizing agent.

Warm Ups - Exercising your foot muscles is an essential part of foot care, especially during the winter months. Winter causes the muscles and tendons to stiffen up, due to the cold. Therefore, it is important to exercise your feet every day. Exercise warms up the feet, makes the muscles and tendons strong and flexible, and increases the circulation of blood. These beneficial changes in turn protect your feet from sudden injury during rapid movement. Serious foot conditions like diabetic foot or arthritis demand that you make exercise an integral part of your daily winter routine, to avoid joint stiffness and loss of foot sensation.

Use a foot scrub - Use a pumice stone or a foot scrub to gently peel off the dead layers of your skin. Since cracks are common in winter, it is important to remove the accumulated layers of dead skin at regular intervals to avoid fungal infection of the non-viable tissue. Remember to be gentle. Hard scrubbing may peel off living skin and expose the tissue to injury and infection. Once you have exfoliated your feet, apply a good moisturizer that will restore the vital and natural oils of your skin. Wear socks and sandals after every scrubbing session to protect your feet from dirt and cold.

Wear Thick Footwear - Winter is the time when you can show off those burnished long leather boots. Wearing thicker shoes helps to protect your feet from the biting cold. A thicker pair of warm socks will give you more insulation. This will prevent damage to your feet from the chilly weather, by keeping away frostbite, cold sores and stiffness of the legs.