As we are finally beginning to get into the warm temperatures of summer and prepare our feet for wearing thongs and sandals at the beach, it is important that we protect our feet for the upcoming harsh conditions that come with Australia's hottest season.
Due to this winter being a particularly colder one than usual, we have had to wear our thick socks and cozy slippers for a prolonged period of time. Although we do appreciate the warmer weather, some bad habits than can arise in the summer include: being barefoot at home, not moisturising your feet, poor nail care and achy feet from lack of supportive footwear..
Here are some tips below on the best ways to prepare your feet for the Summer!
MOISTURISE. MOISTURISE. MOISTURISE.
One of the most common, most notorious conditions we see at the clinic are dry and cracked heels. Especially over the summer, the environment tends to dry out our skin much quicker. In addition, we start to walk around with unsupportive footwear or barefoot, which puts even more pressure on our heels.
Therefore, using a suitable heel balm or cream - any that contains the active ingredient of Urea will greatly improve the condition of your feet by hydrating and maintain the moisture balance in your skin. We recommend any cream that contains Urea of 25% and above to prevent cracked heels. We love our Lux 30 cream and Urea 25 cream which we have on our online store and instore for you to purchase post your treatment.
NAIL CARE
Fungal toe nail infections and ingrown toe nails begin to be increasingly prevalent this time of the year. As our feet become more moist/sweaty with wearing shoes all day and hotter climate, fungal infection can be more opportunistic on our feet and lead to some discoloration of the nail and skin infections. Therefore making sure you change your shoes and socks daily, doing some preventitive care such as applying a refreshing foot spray or fungal topical cream earlier on at the first sign of fungal skin infection can be a great way to help reduce the chance of fungal infections from reaching to your nail, and also getting your feet checked by a podiatrist.
Moreover, making sure your nails don't get too long, clearing the corners, leave the cuticles and don't leave nail polish on for too long are all great ways to help fight ingrown and fungal toe nails.
PROTECTON FROM THE SUN
With Australia's very high UV ratings, it is vital that you regularly apply adequate SPF protection on your feet. As our feet are the furthest body part away from our head, it can be very easy to neglect them when applying sun screen. However, on those beach or park days, when we whip
out the thongs and sandals, making sure we apply an SPF cream to avoid any skin cancer or sun spots is crucial. Melanoma under toenails and soles of the feet can occur, so sun protection is important.
GOOD FOOTWEAR IS IMPORTANT
Having good footwear is one of the most important factors in looking after your feet in the Summer. As we tend to be barefoot at home and wear thongs with very little support all throughout the day, we can over use certain muscles in the feet and cause extra pain or strain our ligaments. Ensuring that you are wearing supportive thongs if you have to wear them at all to reduce the overuse of muscles i.e. Archies or thongs with arch support built in on those hot beach days and then switching to wearing supportive, breathable shoes during activities such as walking or running errands. Where you can, alternative footwear to avoid moisture and bacteria build up.
WHAT CAN A PODIATRIST HELP?
At Foot Body Sole, we provide you with education about the feet, various treatment options for the previously discussed foot health issues and offer products that can help prepare your feet for the Summer.
Below are some ways we can help you out in the clinic:
Clearing, cutting and filing your nails
Anti-fungal treatment options
Biomechanical and footwear assessments
Australian made creams and sprays recommended by podiatrists such as Walker's Urea 25 cream, Luxe 30 cream and Walker's Foot Spray
Footwear education and assessments
If you need help or know someone who may benefit from our advice to prevent common Summer feet issues, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Contact our lovely team on (03) 8648 7678 or click below to make an appointment.
Foot Body Sole
108 Bridport Street
Albert Park 3206
Victoria, Australia