TOE THE LINE

THIS TREATMENT PROMISES A QUICK FIX ... BUT HERE’S THE UGLY TRUTH

After a summer of barefoot beach escapades, hot-tailing across cumulative kilometres of molten tarmac and a four-day camping festival over New Year’s Eve, my feet needed a little TLC. Or a lot.

They’re the part of your body that gets a little neglected, maybe because they’re so easy to hide (even from yourself). If you’re anything like me, you feel guilty burdening a professional with them, but heed my cautionary tale: there is no quick fix if your hoofs are badly worn. I tried and failed.

You see, there are these Korean foot masks that I caught on late-night television once. They’re this amazing plastic sock full of a “miracle” solution.

You pop on the socks, go about your life for half an hour or so, and then rinse. Shortly after, all the dead skin and ickiness sheds from your feet like magic, revealing soft, perfect feet underneath.

I was sold. I purchased a pair and followed the instructions to a tee — OK, I looked at the pictures because the instructions were in Korean.

The process was simple, non-invasive and mess free, but results were set to come over the next week. I shed like a lizard lady. But not in the easy, mess-free way the ad showed. I left a trail of dead skin wherever I walked. If I was scheduled to see someone who might see my feet, I gave them pre-warning. If anyone noticed, I’d get a, “SALLY what is wrong with your feet?”.

It was ugly, uglier than before. It was more than two weeks by the time things had settled down and, while the foot mask had indeed eradicated a whole layer of my foot, new damage had already begun by that time, leaving me back at square one.

So, like we’re taught our whole lives, the easy way out isn’t always the best one.

If your feet are giving you grief, regular maintenance is the key. It’s also relatively cheap, easy and non-invasive.

Find a daily foot cream that works for you. Usually the best way to go is a night cream that you apply before bed.

If they are already in bad shape, upgrade to a specialist balm for cracked feet.

Try a file or pumice stone when you’re in the shower to help the cream do its thing.

As appealing as a shortcut sounds, take care of those feet to avoid the a-peeling situation I found myself in.