Strappy shoes are an all-year-round trend, and cracked heels, dry skin, and unkempt toenails will ruin the look of any feet-revealing shoes or sandals. It’s easy to take your feet for granted and forget they’re under pressure almost daily. Even if you are sitting down, just wearing shoes can cause friction, which leads to hard, dry, and cracked skin on your feet.
If you're looking at your feet and wondering what causes hard, tough skin, which can crack around the heels and become sore or infected, there are a few common reasons. But don’t stress. You don’t need an expensive pedicure. You need some know-how to get beautiful feet.
In this post, we have put together five easy steps to find out how to get nice feet after neglecting your heels and toenails.
DEAD SKIN AND CRACKED HEELS
You can get a build-up of dead skin from dry skin or friction caused by socks and shoes. This dead skin becomes thick and hard when you don’t remove dead skin cells. Also, high heels can cause thickening of the skin on your heels, as the pressure triggers keratin production. Additionally, if you get blisters, they can lead to hard skin developing. You can easily counteract most of these causes with a regular foot care routine.
If you notice your heels are cracked, this is generally due to a lack of moisture, resulting in dry skin. Cracks can be painful without being an infection if the calluses tear the healthy skin beneath. However, we recommend speaking with a health professional if your skin is very sore or cracks on your heels look red and irritated as this could be a sign of an infection or skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or athlete’s foot.
Taking care of your skin and removing dead skin and calluses from your feet can help to prevent skin from cracking and becoming infected. If you have ever wondered how to get nice feet and keep them looking great, read on.
HOW TO GET BEAUTIFUL FEET
Here are our top five steps for removing calluses , repairing cracked heels and shaping toenails at home.
- Soak feet — if you don’t have a foot spa, you can use a washing-up bowl filled with warm water to soak your feet in. But don’t soak them for longer than 10 minutes, or your skin might get too soft, and it can be easy to remove too much skin. This can lead to sore and cracked skin, defeating the purpose of removing dead skin in the first place!
- Pumice stones — are made with natural lava and are one of the best inexpensive and gentle ways to remove damp, dead skin. Use circular motions and rinse the pumice stone regularly with warm water. But don’t be tempted to be too aggressive. If you remove too much skin, there is nothing you can do. However, if you don’t remove enough skin, you can always repeat the process. And never use a pumice stone on sore, red or irritated skin.
- Exfoliating scrub — after using a pumice stone rinse and then apply exfoliating scrub. Rub it into your skin, wait a few minutes and rinse off. This will help to remove any flaky skin left behind from the pumice stone for super soft skin.
- Foot cream — after removing your dead and flaky skin, lather your feet in foot cream and pop on some fresh socks before bed. When you wake up, gently dry your feet and continue to step five (if still needed).
- Heel files — you should only ever use a heel file on dry skin. This will prevent you from filing away too much skin and make it easier to target smaller patches of hardened skin and small corns. When done, repeat steps three and four.
TOP TIPS
- Epsom salts can be added to warm water before soaking feet or mixed with coconut oil to make an exfoliating scrub.
- Vinegar is great to help heal cracked heels. Add one part vinegar to two parts cool water before soaking feet.
- Coconut oil is amazing for softening hard skin. Rub it into your feet before putting on your socks before bed.
FOOT PEELS
Don’t have time to soak your feet? Hate wearing socks in bed? Not getting the results you want from foot creams?
Footpeels offer an alternative way to soften hard skin on feet fast. The amount of time you will need to leave them on will vary. Some foot peels work as quickly, and some will need to remain on your feet for around an hour.
Depending on the brand, you may also need to wear special socks for around an hour after applying the peel. Regular use of foot peels will also help to prevent a build-up of dead skin cells and hard and cracked skin.
PERFECT TOENAILS
Toenails often get neglected, but when it comes to beautiful feet, your toenails matter. You can use toenail scissors or toenail clippers to cut toenails. Don’t use scissors or clippers designed for fingernails, as they tend to be smaller. Additionally, use separate tools to cut your fingernails and toenails to help prevent any cross infections.
Whatever tool you prefer, what is key is making sure you cut toenails straight across. Don’t cut right back to the pink of the nail, or try to shape toenails into a curve, as this can lead to ingrown nails. You can gently file off sharp corners, but do not file away too much. You should aim for a slightly rounded, square shape rather than a semicircle.
FIVE SIGNS OF A TOENAIL FUNGAL INFECTION
- Toenails that are black, brown, yellow or green
- Unusually thick toenails that are difficult to cut
- Pain, especially when applying pressure to the nail
- Nail lifting from the nail bed
- Brittle or flaking toenails.
If you think you may have a nail fungal infection speak to a doctor or a podiatrist for advice.
YOUR FEET MATTER
Feet deserve care. If you want nice feet all year round, you need to incorporate foot care into your routine. Our LOVASKIN foot peel kit is one of the easiest and fastest ways to keep feet looking beautiful.
Your feet matter - take good care of them!
LOVASKIN foot care products and kits are a fast way to eliminate dead, thick skin. Make sure you’re always ready to show off your feet without worrying.