CareTips for Toes
Summer Care Tips for Toes
toes that have been kept well covered for
many months start to make their
appearance for the first time.
Many people wonder how to get their toes into tiptop condition
for the summer. The American Podiatric Medical Association
(APMA) offers these summer foot care tips:
• Treat your feet well:
Massage them, soak them in lukewarm
water and keep them elevated for ten minutes
a day to take some of the stress off your
circulatory system.
• Trim toenails straight across,
leaving nails slightly longer than the ends
of your toes. It is best to trim nails every
three to four weeks after a shower or bath.
• To moisturize the feet, apply vitamin E
cream at the end of the day.
• Remember your feet when applying sunscreen
—especially the tops. Apply a broad spectrum
(UVA/UVB-blocking) sunscreen with an SPF
of at least 15.
• If you get a professional pedicure be sure
the establishment that you are visiting is clean
and has licensed technicians.
• Bring your own equipment/ tools, including
emery boards, pumice stones, cuticle clippers,
buffers, etc. Using your own equipment will
ensure the tools are clean and will decrease the chances of fungus infections.
• DO NOT have the technician scrape your feet.
It is against the law to use razors/credo blades
/callus blades to remove dead skin from the bottom
of the feet, heels, toes, etc. If technicians go too deep, they can cause serious infections.
• If you have pedicures frequently, have toenails
filed rather than clipped.
• If you are polishing toenails to disguise thick
or discolored nails, you are likely making an existing
problem worse. Nail polish does not allow the nail to
breathe. If nails are thick and discolored, consult
with a podiatric physician.
• Keep nail polish on for a short period of time.
For more information on foot health,
visit the APMA’s Web site at www.apma.org or call 1-800- FOOTCARE
to request a free brochure.
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