Our Podiatrist’s Tips For Looking After Your Feet

If you have a problem with one, other or both of your feet, the place you should book an appointment is your local podiatrist or chiropodist. You may suspect you have a verruca or a corn, or are just experiencing pain when you put on your shoes or walk.

But many of these issues are symptoms caused by underlying problems. These can be as diverse as wearing the wrong kind or size of shoes for your feet, to having a longer term health condition that is negatively affecting the way you walk. Your podiatrist will be able to get to the heart of the problem, provide treatment and advise you on how to prevent it happening again in future.

In the meantime, though, there is plenty you can do at home to stop painful foot issues occurring in the first place. Here, we run through some of our top tips.

How to Care for Your Feet

• Make sure you keep your feet clean. You should aim to wash them every day in warm, soapy water to keep them looking and smelling fresh, but soaking them on a regular basis could do more harm than good. Do this and you will wash away the natural oils your body produces, which can lead to dry, cracked skin and other issues.
• Use a foot file or a pumice stone to gently remove any hard skin or calluses that are building up in high pressure areas, like on the balls of your feet or your heels. Do be gentle, though. Excessive filing can work through and damage the new skin underneath.
• After washing your feet, dry them well to avoid moisture lingering. Concentrate especially on the areas between your toes, where constant dampness can help promote the growth of fungal infections, like athlete’s foot.
• Look after your nails. You should always trim them across in a straight line; never try to shape them at an angle or round them. If you do this, you run the risk of the nails growing at an uneven pace and causing ingrown toenails, a painful condition that can result in inflammation, bleeding and even infection.
• If you are prone to dry skin, use a moisturising cream on your feet regularly – but avoid the areas between the toes.

Take Care When Shoe Shopping

One of the biggest causes of foot problems, as we mentioned, is wearing badly fitting shoes or fashion shoes that force your feet into tight toes and the like. But socks can also cause harm. Make sure you buy the right size – too large and they may bunch in areas around your feet and rub. Too small around the ankle or in the toes, and they may result in reducing the blood circulation.

In terms of shoes, always wear the right kind for the type of activity you’re doing – so get specialist advice if you exercise by running or walking long distances, for instance. If you must wear high heels, try and limit the time you spend in them. Varying the height of heel you wear can also help.

Finally, one last handy hint: if you’re going shoe shopping, go in the afternoon! Your feet naturally swell as the day goes on, so afternoon shoe shopping helps you choose a pair that are comfortable all day long.