Lifestyle

Step into summer

Useful tips for keeping feet fancy and pain free

Story by Kelly May

Did you Know? The human foot is made up of 26 small bones, more than 150 ligaments and an intricate network of muscles, nerves and blood vessels.

Captions: Photograph courtesy of chiva som academy

Chiva Som Academy students learning how to take proper care of their feet.

Photograph courtesy of dpa

A regular foot care routine can help prevent ingrown toenails, hard skin and calluses.

It�s not easy being a foot: walked on all day, squeezed into ill-fitting shoes and rarely pampered or properly cared for. It�s only when the weather heats up and people start to wear sandals that feet are given the attention they deserve.

But pedicures and other foot care shouldn�t only be limited to those summer days when feet are on public display, explained Sorat Panchee, academy director at Chiva Som Academy. 

�People should care for their feet all year round,� Sorat advised. �Feet are so important but tend to be ignored when it comes to a weekly care routine. People tend to concentrate on facial skin care and forget about their feet.�

A weekly pedicure can improve the condition and health of feet, reducing the likelihood of ingrown toenails, hard skin and calluses. Such complaints can cause pain and discomfort and in extreme causes lead to surgery. Thankfully, a simple pedicure can be done at home and will help keep feet beautiful year round.

Foot loose

Before starting a pedicure you�ll need to make sure you have the right tools: a bowl large enough to fit both your feet, some small pebbles, an antiseptic solution, a pedicure kit and some cuticle cream.

To start things off, place the pebbles in the bowl and fill it with warm water and the antiseptic, Sorat explained. �By pressing lightly onto the pebbles, the feet will receive a gentle massage,� she said. �This will relax the whole body and stimulate various organs. The antiseptic will kill any bacteria that may cause infections like athlete�s foot. People can also put a few drops of essential oil into the water for a calming effect.�

Soak your feet for 10 to15 minutes and you�ll be ready to move on. With a clean towel, massage and dry the entire foot, especially in between the toes where bacteria grows. Next, use a nail stick to apply cuticle cream to the edge of each nail. Leave that on for a few moments and then gently remove the excess skin with a pair of clippers.

Nail care

Once the dead skin has been removed, take a pair of nail clippers and cut straight across each nail. Nails that are curved can lead to ingrown toenails, Sorat warned. �One of the most common mistakes people make is that they cut the nail too short, this can also lead to problems as the nails grow back incorrectly.�

After the nails have been cut, take a nail file and file each nail making sure that you only move the file in one direction. �Filing in a backward and forward motion causes heat friction and this can weaken the nail,� Sorat explained. �A one way, smooth motion is much better for the nail.�

After the nails have been cut, scrub your feet with a pumice stone to get rid of hard and dead skin. Then rinse and dry the feet one more time to make sure all that nasty old skin is washed away.

Top things off with a final massage with moisturising cream, which will keep the skin from drying out, and you�re ready to put your feet up and relax.

Avoiding foot problems is as simple as a little attention. �The bottom line is: Take care of your feet and they will take care of you,� Sorat smiled.

Vocabulary

rarely (adv): not very often
pamper (v): to take care of somebody or something very well and make them feel
as comfortable as possible
sandal (n): a type of light open shoe that is worn in warm weather. The top part  consists of leather bands that attach the sole to your foot
concentrate (v): to give all your attention to something and not think about anything else
ingrown (adj): (of the nail of a toe) growing inwards into the skin
callus (n): an area of thick hard skin on a hand or foot, usually caused by rubbing
pebble (n): a smooth, round stone that is found in or near water
cuticle (n): an area of hard skin at the base of the nails on the fingers and toes
stimulate (v): to make something develop or become more active; to encourage something
soak (v): to put something in liquid for a time so that it becomes completely wet; to become completely wet in this way
friction (n): the action of one object or surface moving against another
pumice (n): a type of grey stone that comes from volcanoes and is very light in weight. It is used in powder form for cleaning and polishing, and in pieces for rubbing on the skin to soften it