Take care of feet the right way
TORONTO — With sandal season upon us the instinct to pretty up your cracked heels, leathery soles and unpainted toes is a natural one.
But there are definite dos and (mostly) don’ts to consider when you set off for some foot pampering. Here is some advice from podiatrists: DO: Br i ng you r ow n instruments.
Dr. Joseph Stern, president of the Canadian Podiatric Medical Association, says nail bars should have lots of sets of tools so they can sterilize them between uses. But not all do. The way around that concern is to bring all your own equipment.
“For any type of instrument that cannot be sterilized, it is especially important to bring your own stuff to the salon, such as pumice stones or the wooden sticks for your cuticles, nail files, nail buffers, foot files. Any of that stuff should be your own, that no one else uses,” says Dr. Jacqueline Sutera, spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medicine Association. DON’T: Get your calluses shaved.
Sutera says cutting is surgery and should be done only by someone trained to do it.
Both Stern and Sutera say they advise patients that if they need calluses tended to, they should get that work done by their podiatrist. DO: Time your pedicure strategically. There is a risk that when a salon is really busy, instruments and foot baths won’t get properly cleaned between clients, says Sutera. She suggests people get a pedicure early in the day on a weekday. DON’T: Soak whirlpool.
Whirlpool foot baths need to be thoroughly cleaned between uses, including the drains where sloughed-off skin can get trapped. And there have been reports of people picking up bacterial and fungal infections by immersing their feet in whirlpool foot baths. DON’T: Shave your legs before going for a pedicure.
Shaving leaves micro-tears in the skin — perfect portals for bacteria which might be floating around. DO: Give your toe nails a
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the breather. Nail polish should be removed at least every two to three weeks, says Sutera. Otherwise the nails get dehydrated. DON’T: Cut your cuticles.
The skin surrounding the nail is a form of protection, Sutera says. She suggests people can soften the skin with oils or creams and push it back gently. But it shouldn’t be trimmed unless you have a hangnail.w