How to prepare your feet and toes for summer sandals

Summer is on its way and soon men and women will be wearing sandals which show off their feet and toes.

Now is the time then to prepare your feet and toenails for the summer so your feet look good when they are on show.

Check your feet

One of the first things you should do is check your feet regularly. Have a good look at them to make sure there are no injuries or signs of fungal infection.

Keep feet and toes clean

Wash your feet gently in warm soapy water and make sure when you towel dry them that you rub in between your toes.

Use a foot cream

If you find you have dry skin, then you use a foot moisturiser. Foot cream will help to remove dry patches and treat cracked heels and calluses. If you choose a cream with an ingredient like tea-tree oil, you’ll be giving your feet an extra treat as tea-tree oil is a natural antiseptic and will leave your feet feeling refreshed.

How to apply moisturiser

The best time to apply moisturiser is in the evening, after a bath or shower when your skin has softened. Use a pumice stone to get rid of any rough, dry skin and then massage in the cream and put on a pair of socks overnight.

Keep your toenails in shape

This is also a good time to inspect your toenails. If they need cutting use nail clippers so that they are cut straight across which reduces the risk of in-growing toe nails. You should aim to cut your nails every 4 to 8 weeks as they grow, on average, 2mm a month.

Deal with fungus infections

If when you inspect your nails, they are brittle and discoloured, you may have a fungus condition. In this case, it is best to consult a podiatrist who will recommend the right treatment. A fungus condition can take many weeks to cure so follow the podiatrist’s advice and use the recommended treatment for as long as you’ve been advised to do.

If you feel pain around the side of your nail bed you may have an in-growing toenail. This will need to be treated by your doctor or a podiatrist because if you leave it, the toe may become infected.

Give your tootsies a spa session

If you have a job that means you are standing all day you might want to invest in a foot spa. A foot spa will gently massage your feet which reduces tension and can ease pain.

There are foot spas for most budgets. The cheapest will have basic features while the most expensive will heat the water and feature a jacuzzi experience. You can pay as little as £30 or as much as £200.

Do a foot check if you have diabetes

Living with diabetes means you need to take special care of your feet. This is because people with diabetes sometimes have a condition called neuropathy which causes numbness in the feet.

This means if you develop any foot problems you won’t be able to feel them and you need to look at your feet to check there are no problems so that if there are you can get them treated quickly. People with diabetes normally have a yearly foot check, but it’s still best to check them regularly yourself.

Ask at our pharmacy

There is a wide range of foot treatments available at the pharmacy. Talk to a member of staff about the best products to treat your feet. The basics you’ll need are:

• Nail clipper
• Pumice stone
• Foot moisturiser

And don’t forget when summer is done, and we’re back wearing shoes and socks or tights, make sure you wash your feet daily and change your socks. Socks should be made of a material like cotton or wool so your feet can breathe.