Love thy feet
May 29, 2009
THEY do a lot of donkey work yet we neglect them. From dawn to sunset, yet sometimes we fit them in unsuitable shoes. Now, imagine if you woke up without them. Not a good imagination, is it?
THEY do a lot of donkey work yet we neglect them. From dawn to sunset, yet sometimes we fit them in unsuitable shoes. Now, imagine if you woke up without them. Not a good imagination, is it? MAUREEN NAKATUDDE brings you tips on how to take care of your feet
THE LOW-DOWN ON FEET
Grill Cox in his article Your Feet says: “The foot has 26 bones, numerous ligaments, tendons and muscles, and the ways they interact determines not only how the feet function, but also has implications for our body. Problem feet can lead to problems in the back, knees, neck and shoulders; weight gain and depression.â€
Eunice Nakato a beautician at Beauty Tips on Buganda Road says many times people punish their feet by wearing, tight or plastic shoes that many times cause corns on them. She adds, as if that is not bad enough, some people have a poor diet, which makes their feet stink. They eat junk foods and do not take enough water.
Other times, people ignore their feet until they acquire athlete’s foot. Cox says the contagious fungal infection can lead to toe nails becoming thick, yellow and hard. On top of that, athlete’s foot causes intense itching and scaling skin, which can crack and blister. While the fungus prefers warm, moist areas, it can also occur in dry areas such as the heel.
Feet with nail varnish, which is cracked and fading off often cause a ghastly sight. Sometimes they imply that you are unconcerned about your personal hygiene.
A GOOD PAIR OF FEET
Fortunately, there are solutions to every foot problem, just dig in and find out.
Athlete’s foot no more!
To avoid getting athlete’s foot, Cox advises you to properly dry out your shoes, especially trainers, between wears. Dusting the shoes with athlete’s powder and wearing cotton socks and avoiding tights are also crucial in preventing athlete’s foot. You can also wash your feet daily in cold water with tea tree oil, thoroughly dab dry and apply some surgical spirit to dry out the area.
Banish the same varnish
You can’t keep the same colour on your nails all the time. It makes you boring. Nakato recommends you change your nail vanish every week to improve your look and boost your confidence. Mind the salon you go to for your weekly coat of varnish. Ensure that their equipment is sterilised. Insist on your nails receiving a base coat and top coat treatment. The nail hardener should also be in calcium and in garlic form to ensure your nails are not damaged, explains Nakato. When nail varnish takes long on your nails, they become dark. If you have been prey to cracking and peeling off nails, just know you have been using the wrong nail varnish. Nakato says some nail vanish contains thinner which is used in the paint of the cars. As a result, when this nail vanish which is mixed with thinner is applied to human nails, definitely they crack.
Breathing space
Kick off those closed shoes once in a while; allow your feet room to breathe and improve circulation in your body.
Cracked heels... yuck!
According to Cox, bid farewell to those ghastly cracked heels by mositurising your skin. Apply rich foot creams and file back hard skin.
Pamper your feet
Nakato recommends a pedicure once or twice a month. And do not let the nail varnish spend the whole month on your nails. Each week your nail should be treated to a fresh coat of colour.
Curb the calluses
To remove calluses (thickened skin, which develops in response to the pressure of walking or standing and is painful) Cox advises one to regularly use a pumice stone or foot file followed by a massage with some moisturising cream. To remove corns, which are cousins of calluses, Cox advises against using corn plasters because they can burn health tissues around the corns.
Eat up
And finally, eat up your healthy foods; take plenty of water and avoid junk food because as Nakato says, it is not good for your feet.
THE LOW-DOWN ON FEET
Grill Cox in his article Your Feet says: “The foot has 26 bones, numerous ligaments, tendons and muscles, and the ways they interact determines not only how the feet function, but also has implications for our body. Problem feet can lead to problems in the back, knees, neck and shoulders; weight gain and depression.â€
Eunice Nakato a beautician at Beauty Tips on Buganda Road says many times people punish their feet by wearing, tight or plastic shoes that many times cause corns on them. She adds, as if that is not bad enough, some people have a poor diet, which makes their feet stink. They eat junk foods and do not take enough water.
Other times, people ignore their feet until they acquire athlete’s foot. Cox says the contagious fungal infection can lead to toe nails becoming thick, yellow and hard. On top of that, athlete’s foot causes intense itching and scaling skin, which can crack and blister. While the fungus prefers warm, moist areas, it can also occur in dry areas such as the heel.
Feet with nail varnish, which is cracked and fading off often cause a ghastly sight. Sometimes they imply that you are unconcerned about your personal hygiene.
A GOOD PAIR OF FEET
Fortunately, there are solutions to every foot problem, just dig in and find out.
Athlete’s foot no more!
To avoid getting athlete’s foot, Cox advises you to properly dry out your shoes, especially trainers, between wears. Dusting the shoes with athlete’s powder and wearing cotton socks and avoiding tights are also crucial in preventing athlete’s foot. You can also wash your feet daily in cold water with tea tree oil, thoroughly dab dry and apply some surgical spirit to dry out the area.
Banish the same varnish
You can’t keep the same colour on your nails all the time. It makes you boring. Nakato recommends you change your nail vanish every week to improve your look and boost your confidence. Mind the salon you go to for your weekly coat of varnish. Ensure that their equipment is sterilised. Insist on your nails receiving a base coat and top coat treatment. The nail hardener should also be in calcium and in garlic form to ensure your nails are not damaged, explains Nakato. When nail varnish takes long on your nails, they become dark. If you have been prey to cracking and peeling off nails, just know you have been using the wrong nail varnish. Nakato says some nail vanish contains thinner which is used in the paint of the cars. As a result, when this nail vanish which is mixed with thinner is applied to human nails, definitely they crack.
Breathing space
Kick off those closed shoes once in a while; allow your feet room to breathe and improve circulation in your body.
Cracked heels... yuck!
According to Cox, bid farewell to those ghastly cracked heels by mositurising your skin. Apply rich foot creams and file back hard skin.
Pamper your feet
Nakato recommends a pedicure once or twice a month. And do not let the nail varnish spend the whole month on your nails. Each week your nail should be treated to a fresh coat of colour.
Curb the calluses
To remove calluses (thickened skin, which develops in response to the pressure of walking or standing and is painful) Cox advises one to regularly use a pumice stone or foot file followed by a massage with some moisturising cream. To remove corns, which are cousins of calluses, Cox advises against using corn plasters because they can burn health tissues around the corns.
Eat up
And finally, eat up your healthy foods; take plenty of water and avoid junk food because as Nakato says, it is not good for your feet.