Are your feet summer ready?

Summer is here!!

And with the hotter, longer days, most people take the opportunity to bring their feet out of exile and enjoy the sunshine, the feeling of sand and water in between their toes. This all seems all well and good but with so many advertisements broadcasting well maintained, ‘summer ready’ feet, most people end up asking themselves “Are my feet actually ready for summer?” The truth to that question may be a difficult dawning of reality when people realise that their heels are callouses, cracked or the skin on their feet is dry.

I often see people who come to me for both treatment on their hard and dry feet as well as for advice on what can be done at home to keep them happy and healthy. In order to be able to understand how you can get your feet looking their best it is important to understand some things that may be causing your feet to develop dryness and hard callouses.

• Walking around barefoot on hard surfaces.
  • Stresses the soft tissues of the underside of the feet. The constant pressure along at these structures will result in hardening of not just the skin but also of the structures themselves.
• Insufficient moisturising of the feet
  • Often the feet are neglected when applying moisturisers, however when you consider how much work they do, it is easy to see why they would need it.
• Wearing tight fitting or improper footwear.
  • Constant use of heels or unsupportive shoes can expose the feet to pressures which may result in a similar effect on then as if you were walking on tiles barefoot.
• General neglect
  • In some cases, the feet are the last things people think about. The reality however, is that they put up with a lot on a daily basis and require regular TLC. Neglecting callouses for example, can lead to cracks to form in the skin which can become deep enough to become not only painful but also infected.

It does become very worthwhile to see a podiatrist for help in removing any callouses, reducing splits in the skin and for advice on shoes and moisturising creams suitable for your skin type. Podiatrists are able to determine how much hard skin would need to be removed safely whilst also buffing the skin to make it silky smooth to touch and eye catching to witness in a pair of sandals. Outside of seeking professional guidance, there is a number of things that people can do at home to keep their feet looking good.Foot soaks

• A daily foot soak using warm water and salts may not only ease tight foot muscles but can also control the presence of bacteria and fungus. Using warm water will also cause the skin to become softer over time.
• As an addition, try adding marbles in the bottom of the soaking dish/basin and you will have an instant foot massage and soaking machine in your own home.

Filing down of hard skin

• I will often encourage people to regularly use a foot dresser, pedi-egg, pumice stone or even buffing wheels (such as the Scholl wheel) to keep their callouses under control between appointments. The important part to note it callous is a protective mechanism of the body and removing too much too quickly will leave the skin raw and exposed, meaning painful feet. Less is definitely more!
• Filing your feet in the shower or immediately afterwards is preferred as the skin will be softer and more easily treated.
• NEVER ATTEMPT TO USE BLADES OR RAZORS TO REMOVE HARD SKIN. YOU WILL DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.

  Moisturising of the feet regularly    

• Different skins will respond differently to all the creams available. It is important to seek a podiatrists guidance for what will work best for you. In most cases however, simple Sorbolene, Vitamin E or PawPaw creams are good to use. A nice dollop of cream should be applied after a shower or foot soak focusing on the heel borders and underneath the balls of the feet.
• Moisturing the skin will reduce dryness and also improve the skin's ability to resist callouses being formed.
• If your heels are cracked, the skin will need to be treated professionally for best results, however Eulactol Heel Balm creams work really well at reducing these cracks.​

 Avoid walking barefoot on hard surfaces or wearing inappropriate footwear

• Reducing the amount of punishing forces acting on the feet goes a long way to reducing the hardness and dryness that may result.

There is no magic bullet for maintaining healthy feet and in reality it requires work. However, with commitment and the right advice everyone can have feet they will be happy to show off this summer.

Dr Anel Kapur delievers an outstanding clinical podiatric care to all clients. He has earnt himself an exceptional reputation among his clients for his attention to detail, gentle approach and depth of knowledge.
Dr Anel Kapur is available for appointments Monday and Saturday.
Bookings are available online or contact receptions on 9542 3330 

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