However, most people tend to neglect their feet when it comes to personal hygiene. There are actually a number of reasons for this, but it’s important not to overlook our feet because we put them through a lot more stress than other parts of our body. Whether it’s exercising or walking around, our feet sweat a lot more than you think and these problems can be amplified during hot seasons. If we disregard the hygiene of our feet, it can lead to some serious and often painful issues if we’re not careful.
So in this post, we’ll be taking a look at why you shouldn’t neglect your feet and what to do if you want to take better care of them.
The risk of athlete’s foot
Athlete’s foot is one of the most common issues caused by a lack of proper foot hygiene. Also known by its medical name tinea pedis, it’s an infection caused by foot and nail fungus that often starts between the toes and is caused by sweaty and dirty feet. Since sweaty feet create a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, failing to keep your feet dry and clean will result in infections that cause rashes, blisters, ulcers or even pain. If you expose your feet to contaminated surfaces, like walking around barefoot on dirty surfaces, then you’ll make things worse and drastically increase the chances of developing athlete’s foot.
Taking good care of your feet hygiene is one of the best defences against athlete’s foot. This is a condition that can occur more often if you exercise on a regular basis or walk long distances with your socks and shoes on. If you have athlete’s foot, then it can actually spread to other parts of your body if you pick at the rashes or fail to clean your feet.
Preventing athlete’s foot is simple since it relies on basic hygiene tips that you should be following regardless.
Proper toenail care
Toenails grow much like the nails on our hands. As such, it’s important to take good care of them by trimming them at least once every two weeks and cutting them properly. Ideally, you should cut your toenails straight and not on a curve. This will reduce your chances of developing ingrown toenails. You can file down edges later if they’re too sharp and causing discomfort. Proper toenail clippers should also be used to speed up the process and ensure that you’re getting a nice clean cut.
In addition to cleaning your toenails on a regular basis and trimming them properly, you should also be sanitizing your toenail clippers. You should ideally have your own pair instead of sharing with others, but if you do, then you’ll need to sanitize them between uses by immersing them in a cleaning alcohol solution and being left to dry.
Much of these conditions can be alleviated by proper feet hygiene. When you take a shower, you should be examining the top and bottom of your feet. What you’re looking for is any patches of dry skin, lumps, blisters, bruises, cuts or cracked skin. Once you identify any issues with your feet or your toes, you can start to identify the problem and work towards remedying the issue.
If you’re unsure what’s causing you pain or why a certain condition won’t go away, it’s best to consult a physician for expert advice. Keep in mind that any issues you don’t deal with will only get worse over time.
Good practices for better foot hygiene
So to conclude, let’s cover some important foot hygiene care tips.
- Wash your feet thoroughly on a daily basis – You should ideally be washing your feet as soon as you come home from work. You might also want to wash them when you wake up in the morning if you’re prone to sweating throughout the day. Use a mild soap and remember to wash the entire foot including between the toes.
- Dry your feet properly before putting on socks and shoes – Since moisture creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, you should be drying your feet thoroughly before putting on any kind of socks and shoes. You should also consider moisturizer if the skin of your feet gets dry quite easily, or powder to help keep them dry throughout the day.
- Don’t wear the same pair of shoes for too long – You should be swapping your shoes every day if you walk for long periods of time or exercise in them. If you’re only doing a bit of light walking then it’s fine to wear the same shoes, but make sure you give them time to air out.
- Change your socks regularly – In addition to swapping your shoes, you should also be changing your socks on a regular basis, especially if you sweat a lot. This means between workouts, when you come home from work and after you’re finished working in the garden. If your feet feel damp, it’s probably time to swap your socks.
- Avoid going barefoot, especially in public areas – If you absolutely have to go bare feet, make sure you clean your feet thoroughly immediately afterwards to clean off any bacteria from them. Cleaning dirty surfaces will also help ensure that your feet don’t pick up harmful bacteria.
As you can see, taking better care of your feet hygiene isn’t difficult. All it takes is more awareness of the conditions that you could face as a result of poor hygiene. It also helps to understand the common things that we all do which could negatively affect our feet hygiene and what to avoid. Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll have a much better understanding of how to take good care of your feet and improve your overall personal hygiene.
This is a collaborative post
