Foot Care

Why does a foot massage leave us with an amazing sense of well-being?

Neuroscientists have mapped the feet. This means, the area of the brain that foot careconnects with the foot is adjacent to the area connected to the genitals. The two feet contain a quarter of all the bones in the body. So, this is obviously an important part of you that can’t suffer neglect.

No wonder it’s hot!

Foot care has gained prominence in the West. Fashionable cities in Europe and the US are dotted with salons and centers dedicated to foot care, much like hair salons and hair-care products that have become a separate segment in the beauty and cosmetic market. Pedicures, foot spas, refloxologists, chiropodists or podiatrists and an entire range of foot pampering products are catering to this rising demand for foot care. “Foot care and foot beauty have become the fashion of the day in India too,” says Mr. Arthur. VLCC, a popular chain of slimming centers and beauty salons, has introduced a new range of foot-care products and foot treatments.

How you can take care

A study conducted by the Royal College of Physicians released in 2002 found that foot problems among women ages 50-70 stood at 83%. According to the US Census Bureau, the number of 50-plus women is expected to increase by 12.6% between 2006 and 2011. There are many reasons that are forcing women to take better care of their feet. The demand, thankfully, is being met with a number of cosmetic and medical options to choose from.


Stepping into the wrong shoes At a Mintel/Greenfield Online survey, the largest proportion of respondents with foot discomfort cited lifestyle as the reason for their pain. Seventy to 80% women insist on wearing uncomfortable shoes. To many of foot carethese consumers, the pain may not be bad enough to warrant the purchase and application of a specific product. But the UK study cites the types of shoes that women tend to wear as a reason for bad foot health.

Foot Rx If you stand on your feet for long ensures you do that wearing the right footwear.

Foot Alert the burden on your feet every day your feet carry you some 10,000 steps and bear several hundred tons of impact.

Foot Rx Listen to your feet. Research shows that most people wait until they’re in extreme pain before seeking medical attention for foot problems. If your feet ache, fix an appointment with a podiatrist now.

Foot Alert Age-related foot problems. Foot care is for all. The elderly and the diabetic can benefit from pedicures. Diabetics, dermatologists warn, need to take utmost precaution that equipment used for a pedicure is sterilized to avoid infection. Carry your own kit to the salon (see Diabetes Campaign). Foot Rx Make regular foot care—either at home or salon—a habit from an early age. (See DIY foot care).



The essentials for a home foot spa regime

1. Soak your feet in warm water. Add a few drops of disinfectant. Scrub your toe nails with a fairly stiff nailbrush. Scrub off any hard skin with a pumice stone. Never try to cut hard skin as this can be dangerous. Dry the feet carefully, especially between the toes.

2. Massage the feet with a foot cream containing menthol, since it is cooling. Try Aroma Magic’s Mint Foot Cream and Body Shop’s Peppermint Cooling Gel.

3. Apply cuticle softening cream around the nails.

4. Using an orange stick wrapped with a twist of cotton wool and dipped in cuticle remover, gently press the cuticle back. The cuticle should never be cut unless the foot careedges are ragged.

5. Cut the nails straight across and then smooth the edges with an emery board. The nails should not be so short that the soft flesh at the ends of the toe is exposed.

6. Use a little varnish remover on cotton wool to dry off the nails and remove any cream.

7. Place cotton wool pads between toes while applying nail paint to avoid smudging.

Feet fashion and foot-care essentials

Like the rest of the body, seasonal approaches to feet are gaining popularity with sun tan lotions and sun proof moisturizers. Summer is also the season to show off your toesies and keep your feet looking good in open sandals and strappy summer footwear. During the winter months, the feet deserve thicker creams and lotions to keep them moisturized and prevent painful cracks and bleeding.

A complete regimen for good-looking and healthy feet includes:

Quality shoes and footwear that have been approved by a podiatrist. Ask for details at branded shops selling reliable footwear.

A fortnightly pedicure, either at home, with a home kit consisting of foot spa material including filers, clippers, scrubs and creams or at a professional salon.

Cotton socks for summer and quality woolen socks for winter. Open sandals allow feet to ward off fungal infection or warts and keep them dry in summer.

Pedicures are for all seasons for me?


n the West, the hottest trend in cosmetic surgery is looking down. Women are known to be plumping up heels with collagen, erasing ageing signs with lasers and bleaches, shortening toes and even trying liposuction to fit into those tall stilettos.

Stepping up with reflexology

If pedicures provide instant cleaning and pampering, reflexology is also gaining foot careground as a complementary therapy which works on the feet to help heal the whole being. The ancient Egyptians believed that stimulating pressure points in the foot could cure ailments in other parts of the body. Modern studies suggest that reflexology relieves headaches, stomach ailments, back pain and PMS. It correlates various areas of the feet to the many organs or zones of the body. Pressure on particular zones of the feet through massage are said to help heal affected areas of the body. “Reflexology and pedicures are different procedures.

It takes a foot spa to put the spring back in your step!

Get the right footwear

* Killer heels tilt the body forward so the balls of your feet bear the brunt of your weight. The front of the foot is not designed to absorb that shock and can cause back and knee problems. Wearing high heels alters posture, forcing the hips to tilt back and the spine to arch forward. It can even compress the spinal discs.

* Ballet flats and flip-flops can also be damaging. Without support, the arch of the foot suffers extra strain, causing tiny tears in the tissue around them. With time, the tears can lead to searing cramps with each step. This is caused by a condition called plantar fasciitis; the number one reason women visit the podiatrist.

* Before buying shoes, hold one by the toe and the heel, and try to twist it and fold it in half, advises podiatrist Christine Dobrowolski, author of Your Aching Feet. Footwear should flex only in the toe area. If it folds completely, it can give you tendonitis.

* Look for shoes with cushioning, arch support and a heel that won't collapse when squeezed. If not, then you could buy footwear accessories (try Scholl's) like air pillows, heel cushions and odor-control insoles that are easily available at any good shoe store.