6 tips for working feet

Practiced on a daily basis, these small gestures of foot care make it possible to avoid many inconveniences and to stay... hard at work.

The beautiful days are back and with them, the time of sandals, mules and flip-flops that reveal our feet. Hiding most of the time, they are much more than a simple extension of the leg. Without them, it is impossible to walk, run, jump or dance. "During a lifetime, our feet allow us to travel nearly 2.5 times around our planet," exclaims Djamel Bouhabib.

We take care of it regularly.

To avoid dryness and calluses of the skin, but also cracks in the heel.

Tips : sand off the excess skin layer at the heel with a pumice stone or a grater (manual or electric). And this, after a lukewarm bath and only once every 10 days, because frequent sanding stimulates the production of stratum corneum. Then, at least 3 times a week, apply a moisturizing cream , "special for the feet", specifies Djamel Bouhabib. Or "vaseline, or even olive oil", underlines Dr. Tulio Sarron, doctor specializing in foot and ankle pathologies in the rheumatology department of the CHU La Pitié-Salpêtrière (Paris).

Important : do not put it between the toes to avoid maceration. If you suffer from diabetes , do not sand yourself and consult a podiatrist.

Wash them and dry them carefully.

To avoid mycosis and warts.

Advice : "Use lukewarm water and soap. No foot bath for more than 5 minutes, so as not to weaken the skin, explains Djamel Bouhabib. Wipe them well with a personal towel - mycoses are very contagious -, without forget between the toes to avoid maceration. And wait at least 5 minutes before putting on your shoes."

Other actions against fungal infections: take off your shoes as soon as possible, do not wear the same shoes for more than two days in a row and put on socks made of natural fibers (cotton, wool).

Don't cut your nails too short

To avoid the various traumas that can affect them as well as the ingrown toenail , the main cause of which is a bad cut.

Advice : "So that the nail does not sink into the flesh while pushing back, it is important to cut it straight by very slightly rounding the corners, without digging deeply into the grooves. And let it protrude from the edge of the toes on 2 or 3 mm. Use disinfected nail scissors. Do not alter the thin skin around the nails, the cuticle" describes Cyril Marchou, pedicure-podiatrist and posturologist, delegate of the French Union for foot health (UFSP) .

We wear good shoes

To avoid most foot ailments: corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, hallux valgus , claw toes, plantar aponeurosis, tendinitis , etc.

Advice : opt for shoes made of leather or synthetic materials that are flexible and breathable, without internal seams, with a space of 1 cm above and in front of the toes, and outsoles equipped with a steel shank (part elongated in the thickness of the sole). For women, avoid heels higher than 4 cm, for a good distribution of loads on the foot. “Buy your shoes at the end of the afternoon, in order to try them on feet that have swollen a little”, recommends Dr. Sarron.

They are inspected regularly

To avoid the development, or even the aggravation, of various skin, nail or "architecture" disorders.

Advice : "Consult at the first alarm signal, such as the appearance of a crack between the toes, a sign of a mycosis, or a corn that is not yet painful , explains Dr Sarron.

Be extra vigilant if the feet are weakened by age or by a chronic pathology such as diabetes, which can lead to a reduction or even a loss of sensitivity.

Consult once a year from the age of 75, as well as in the event of diabetes or visual disturbances.