Category Archives: Body Care
Starting on the right foot each day isn’t just a figure of speech—it’s a literal must! Beyond our slight foot fetish and the desire to keep our trotters looking like they belong in a sandal ad, did you know your feet are biomechanical marvels? If feet were skyscrapers, they’d definitely snag an architecture award. With their 26 bones, 33 joints, and a web of over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, it’s clear they’re built to impress and built to last.
Speaking of impressive, let me tell you about the time I really felt those ‘award-winning’ features… the hard way. There I was, barefoot and unsuspecting, staying at my cousin’s house filled with little Lego architects. You guessed it—I stepped on a Lego brick. Ouch! Why the theatrics? Well, each of our soles is home to as many as 200,000 nerve endings, making them super sensitive and great at sending urgent ‘ouch’ memos to your brain about your surroundings.
But let’s move beyond the reflexive jump and sharp intake of breath that comes with unexpected Lego encounters and talk about why keeping these sophisticated extremities in tip-top shape goes way beyond aesthetics.
The Foundation of Foot Care
Proper Washing:
Sure, washing your feet might not sound as glamorous as a midnight masquerade
ball, but think of it as the unsung hero of your daily routine. Bathe them
gently with lukewarm water—hot water is a no-go as it can dry out your skin and
nails. Tickle the spaces between your toes (a bacteria hotspot) with mild soap,
and maybe serenade them with a foot soak. Add a sprinkle of Epsom salts, a
tablespoon of baking soda, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil to
elevate a simple soak into a luxurious spa-like experience.
After the soak, pat your feet dry with a soft towel, ensuring no moisture remains, especially between the toes, to prevent any potential skin issues.
Mastering Moisturization:
After your feet are squeaky clean, it’s time for some moisture magic. Slather on a thick, foot-specific moisturizer to tackle the naturally dry skin, particularly on the heels. Without proper care, this dryness can lead to painful cracks and fissures. For an extra boost, consider blending a lactic acid skin cream with your regular lotion at night. This powerful combination can soften callouses and keep the skin on the bottom of your feet soft and crack-free.
Want to take it up a notch? Pull on some cotton socks overnight and let your feet marinate in moisture—it’s like a sleepover mask for your feet, ensuring they wake up soft and supple.
Nail It Every Time
Perfecting the Nail Trimming Technique: Keep your toenails in check with straight cuts—no curvy business, as that’s just asking for ingrown trouble. Use proper clippers, then smooth any rebel edges with a nail file, always moving in one direction.
Polish with Purpose: Flashy colors on your toes? Fun! Just remember to let them breathe. Keep polish to a two-week stint and let your nails enjoy some downtime between colors to prevent any fungal fashion faux pas.
Inspecting Feet: Detective Work Down Below
Those tootsies can tell tales of more than just where you’ve been—they’re veritable storybooks of your health. They can whisper hints of diabetes, wave flags for circulatory issues, or even sound alarms for skin cancer. A regular sleuthing session with your feet can catch these clues early.
What should you be on the lookout for? Start with any
discolorations, cuts, blisters, or unusual markings that weren’t there last
week. Check the soles for peeling or scaling—classic tell-tale signs of an
uninvited guest, athlete’s foot. Observe any changes in your nails, which might
be broadcasting a fungal infection. Remember, the cozy, dark environment in our
shoes is like a five-star resort for bacteria and fungi.
So, next time you’re kicking up your heels, give them a little once-over. It’s
not just about keeping them pretty—it’s about keeping them healthy.
And here’s a pro tip: when you’re seeing your dermatologist for your annual mole audit, make sure they take a peek at the bottoms of your feet and in between your toes. It’s the often-overlooked spots that need the most attention.
Stepping Up: Why Happy Feet Mean a Happier You
An orthopedic surgeon once told me that many falls, especially in the over-fifty crowd, stem from neglected feet. Proper foot care isn’t just about looking good—it’s about keeping you upright and strutting confidently at any age.
So, whether you’re avoiding Lego landmines or just strutting through life, remember caring for your feet is caring for your freedom to move, explore, and dance through life’s adventures.
Want to step up your foot care game? Visit us at SkinSense Wellness, where we treat every foot like it’s about to walk the red carpet.
📞 Call us at (323)
653-4701
💌
Email us at skinsense@skinsensewellness.com
📍
Visit us at 8448 W Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048
“I just rescued a pair of shoes. They were trapped in a store.”
I must have been Cinderella in my past life because my go-to fashion accessory is always shoes… those tall, skinny three-inches (or more) high heels. They may be painful to wear but my shoes have gotten me cool jobs, allowed me to meet amazing people, taken me to awesome places, partied with the well-heeled crowd, impressed my dates, and so much more. But at the end of the day, I’m exhausted. My dainty, little feet are just begging me to take those killer shoes off and give them a break.
Pretty as they are, those sky-high heels when worn too long can actually cause long-term pain not only on the feet but also on the knees and back which then leads to discomfort when standing and walking. Stilettos challenge the body’s ability to balance, and all of the muscles of the legs must work to stabilize the ankle.
Walking is split into two phases. The swinging phase and stance phase. Any shoe that inhibits the weight from falling where it should as we walk, can lead to pain. Clearly high heels are the main culprit because both ‟push-off” and ‟heel-strike” happen mainly on the ball of the foot with little or no support at the ankle. But even those cute little ballet flats, mules, or sandals that don’t offer support to the ligaments of the arch, toe joints, or ankle will throw off the rhythm of your natural gait.
Bunions, hammer toes, and pump-bump (that bony enlargement at the back of the heel bone) can make even the prettiest of shoes lose their luster and let’s face it, when your feet hurt the whole body hurts. So, it’s important not to tiptoe around the importance of looking after your feet not only for aesthetic purposes but for overall health.
Here are some tips to avoid foot pain when wearing high heels:
- First off, buy shoes that are the right size. There is no shame in a size 11 except when it is crammed into a size 8 and there are toes falling over the front edge. It’s best to try on shoes after a full day because your feet are already hot and swollen. This will give you a much more realistic idea of how those shoes will feel long-term.
- Try to look for 2 to 2 1/2-inch heels. This is about the elevation when we stand on our toes therefore our body can still find it’s center of balance.
- Look for a wider toe box with a shape that matches your toe shape — the more pointed the toe of the shoe, the more the toes are crowded together, with more pressure on the ball of the foot.
- Wear those spiky, pointy numbers for as little time as possible with down time in between. Let’s call those dinner shoes — you wear them to the restaurant and kick them off under the table until the meal is over.
- And if you know a pair of shoes becomes uncomfortable after a few hours, have a back-up. It seems quite customary now for flatter shoes to be worn at weddings after the main ceremony is over and the eating and dancing has started.
- And to make dressy heels more comfortable, invest in foot accessories that cushion body weight inside the shoe.
When you get home and can finally give your tired feet some attention, sit down, take off your shoes and swing your ankles in slow circles. Gently massage your arches and Achilles tendons on both feet.
A foot soak is also a great idea. Start with cool water for about 10 minutes. This will diminish any swelling and discomfort. Then add hot for another ten. Follow that with more circular stretches. Then reward yourself with a light layer of any foot cream with Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Bayberry, or Juniper. Aaaaah!
Here’s a few foot-pampering soak recipes
Fill a bowl with enough hot water to cover both feet to ankle height. Add ½ cup Epsom salts and 1 cup of Baking soda then select one of these three recipes according to your needs. Add about 10 drops of oil collectively to each soak.
For Aching feet:
4 drops of chamomile, 4 drops of lavender, and 2 drops of peppermint.
For Foot warming:
5 drops of rosemary, 3 drops of clove bud, and 2 drops of ginger.
For Cooling swollen feet:
6 drops of peppermint, 1 drop of rosemary and 3 drops eucalyptus.
So, go ahead, wear those gold lamé sling backs with the singular sequined strap around the big toe and the lime-green fur along the insole. But also remember to take care of your feet before and after. That way when you say that your dogs are barking, you’ll be talking about the one’s in your backyard!
For more skincare and wellness tips, call us at Skinsense Wellness at (323) 653–4701, or check out our other blogs on Medium. And for skincare services, please visit us at 8448 W. Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048. We have re-opened our doors and are happy to welcome you all back.
“Nature itself is the best physician.” — Hippocrates
I always look forward to hikes with my dear friend, David, along with his dogs every weekend. Aside from bonding with him and getting my dose of puppy love, it brings me closer to nature. Something about nature always soothes whatever ails me, takes away my stress, rejuvenates my body and makes me feel somehow stronger. And I truly believe a healthy body and mind leads to fabulous skin!!!
So, when I first heard about this natural health trend that has taken over Instagram chatting about Adaptogens, I just had to find out more.
What are Adaptogens?
Adaptogens are herbs and plants with special properties that are naturally occurring in nature and can help the body resist emotional or physical stressors.
The medicinal practice of using these herbs can be traced back to 3000 B.C., in Ancient Chinese and Ayurveda practices. Russian toxicologist Nikolay Lazarev, who coined the term, defines an adaptogen as a plant that increases the “state of non-specific resistance” when applied to stress. Meaning it can help protect the body against a range of stressors.
The idea that a pill could improve mental and physical performance in healthy people was devised during World War II with various stimulants given to pilots and members of submarine crews. For instance, the first studies on the stimulating and tonic effects of Schisandra chinensis were published in Soviet Union WWII military journals.
How do they work?
They work by targeting the body’s three stages of stress: Alarm, resistance, and exhaustion (which is what happens when the stress alarm stays on). As their name suggests, adaptogens support and adapt to the body in its present state rather than imposing a new remedy that may or may not work.
How do you take adaptogens?
Adaptogens can be taken in several ways — powder, capsule or tincture. They can be added to a beverage or yoghurt to make it easy to get them into your daily routine.
If you decide to incorporate adaptogens into your health care regimen, start slow — a little at a time. Consult your doctor if you’re on any prescription drugs and maybe talk to a homeopathist for guidance. That will help you craft a plan that is specifically for your needs.
Always follow instructions in terms of usage and be patient with your body’s response. It can take a few weeks to feel the difference in your energy level. When using tinctures, it is sometimes recommended to hold them in the mouth for a few seconds before swallowing.
Here are some popular adaptogens to research. All of them are powerful antioxidants that help to fight free radical activity but there are many additional benefits.
Schisandra: Boosts memory, focus and mental performance and helps calm irritated skin.
Ashwagandha: Protects the body against stress and anxiety, acts as a humectant and has antimicrobial and skin lightening benefits.
Tulsi/ Holy Basil: Reduces anxiety, stress and inflammation and can be used to treat acne and itching.
Maca Root: Boosts mood and energy levels and fights free radical activity.
Reishi Mushroom: Helps the body create a healthy sleep pattern allowing the Circadian cycle to repair and restore balance to the skin.
Cordyceps Mushroom: Balances hormones and reduces breakouts.
Turmeric: Can help with uneven texture and dark spots.
Nettle Leaf: Acts as natural astringent, tightens and firms the skin, regulates natural sebum production, treats acne, promotes flawless skin. accelerates the healing process of wounds and burns.
Licorice: A powerful antioxidant that has been shown to lighten dark spots.
Passionflower — Helps to stimulate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source of living cells, and has anti-aging benefits.
Ginseng — Has been shown to help increase collagen production.
Goji berry — Excellent for wound healing and reducing scarring.
Chaga — Protects the cells against DNA damage.
Adaptogens have not been approved for use by the FDA, and some question the methodology of the studies that have been done on the subject. But these ingredients have been used for centuries and there is a lot of empirical evidence to show that they work.
For more wellness and skincare tips, check out my other blogs on Medium or call us at Skinsense Wellness at (323) 653–4701. We offer a virtual consultation, in-salon treatments, and home service facials to our valued clients.
“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” — John Lennon
Ten months and counting… that is how long I have been unable to work, after owning my business and being busy running it for thirty years. Skincare has been my lifelong career and I really enjoy it… and miss it! For me, nothing beats the power of the human touch.
The prevailing emotions throughout this lockdown have been shock, disbelief and fear at the start, then determination to survive somehow. I’m sure, for many reading this blog, it has been a similar experience.
But I am also aware that for many others the pandemic has been a lot worse. While for some it may have brought opportunities and offered a better way forward.
As the saying goes “Same storm, different boats!”
I have experienced many moments of frustration, anger and helplessness. I didn’t always take the best care of myself. I didn’t reach out for support when I needed it. I wasn’t prepared for all the changes.
But as we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I reflect on where I am today, I count myself very fortunate on so many levels.
In the larger scope of things, I am in awe at the way the global health community has worked together to produce vaccines that will save so many lives. I feel so indebted to the doctors, nurses, frontline, and essential workers for their sacrifice and commitment to just keep going.
And I have come to appreciate the gift of time… the silver lining behind the COVID cloud. It has allowed me to do things that I love but could never find time to do more of, things like…
- Appreciating my health, never to be taken for granted.
- Reaching out to my wonderful clients who have made continual product purchases and regular calls to make sure me and my staff are okay.
- Write more, read more, and discover new tools to use in my treatment room for when we reopen the business.
- More networking, albeit virtually, to expand my business community.
- Daily/weekly chats with friends and family both here in the U.S. and abroad. The conversations have kept our spirits lifted and hopeful.
- Regular hikes and walks, in particular with one dear friend along with his dogs, who add to the joy. At the same time appreciate nature and the fresh air during the trek.
- Meditation and more rest.
All these activities have somehow helped me preserve myself during these trying times — physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s no surprise that it has improved the appearance of my skin too.
Taking care of your skin goes beyond the products you use or the skin care routine you follow. Practicing self-care is vital to improve your appearance and keep you healthy and radiant, and skin mirrors that wellbeing.
Here’s a few self-care routines, I suggest adding to your day-to-day activities.
- Eat well — proper nutrition is essential for healthy skin.
- Pamper yourself — light a sweet-scented candle and take a long warm bath, focus on keeping your stress hormones in check. Too much stress makes your body produce hormones like cortisol that stimulate your oil glands to produce more oil making your skin more sensitive, reactive, and prone to breakouts and skin problems.
- Meditate — bring more peace into your body and mind. This restore balance to your skin.
- Exercise — moving your body every day increases lymphatic circulation, improves digestion, and delivers oxygen to your body. These all help your skin be healthy and radiant.
- Practice gratitude — Starting your day with gratitude will lower your stress, help you set intentions to love your skin and the way you look.
When I finally return to work full-time, I will keep doing these self-care routines.
And whatever the future holds, whatever challenges may present themselves, I am determined to make this last year’s lessons a road map to help enrich the journey, proceed with appreciation for everything and to help the less fortunate whose time has not been so kind.
For more wellness and skincare tips, check out my other blogs on Medium or call us at Skinsense Wellness at (323) 653–4701. We offer a virtual consultation, in-salon treatments, and home service facials to our valued clients.
A significant majority of men do not even care about how thick their eyebrows are. They do not spend a lot of time fussing over them–plucking, shaping, or waxing. But brow shaping is big business. Women spend millions each year to get that perfect brow.
For instance, according to the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology, in 2014, the eyebrow industry in the UK was worth about £15.5 million (US$20 million). The figure reflected a 53% increase over the previous year. By 2016, the industry grew to £20 million (US$25.8 million).
In recent years, however, the brow shaping industry grew exponentially. The growth could be tied to the popularity of social media and influencers. You only have to type
”brow bar near me”
or
”best eyebrow waxing near me”
to get millions and millions of results. Then you will understand just how serious the industry is.
Nevertheless, there are still myths surrounding the brow shaping industry. Here are some of those misconceptions:
1. Waxing or plucking makes them thicker when they grow back
Two of the more popular brow shaping methods are waxing and plucking. For one, you get the most value for your money because the results are smoother, and they tend to last longer before growing back. However, one common myth about waxing is that your eyebrows will grow thicker when they grow back. When you pluck, you remove the hair follicles from their roots. But they would not grow uneven, and some do not grow back at all.
2. All eyebrows should be shaped the same
Unfortunately, even if thicker eyebrows look great for model Cara Delevingne, it might not be the best shape for you. That is why you should always leave brow shaping to professionals because they know which shape complements your face. For example, for a rounder face, you need an angular-shaped brow that arches and with longer ends. If you have a diamond-shaped face, you need a more linear shape to your eyebrows.
3. Eyebrow color should match the drapes
Another common myth about brow shaping is the color of your brow. Some beauty clinics are often asked to match the color of their client’s eyebrows with the hair. But any professional will tell you that it is not true. You only have to look at Asians who have jet-black hair but have brownish undertones to their brows. Of course, contrasting colors will likely not end well. The crucial thing to remember is to match the color range of your hair’s dominant hues. You also have to match your brows with the tint of your skin. For example, if you have darker skin, go for brown or light brown eyebrows.
4. Stick to one brow shaping method
Women tend to stick to one brow shaping method for fear that they would grow back unevenly. But the concern is unwarranted. Tweezing will pluck the hair from the roots, but it grows back after about a month. However, when you do waxing on your own, the ensuing trauma can cause the hair follicle to stop growing. It’s great if you love the results. But what if you end up with uneven eyebrows and they are not growing back?
The trend of fuller or thinner brow seems to change over the years. Nowadays, it seems everybody is jumping on the fuller eyebrow bandwagon. Brow shaping is dedicated to achieving fuller or thicker eyebrows, just like what they see stars and models wear. Again, you have to consider the shape of your face before mimicking your favorite celebrity. You do need to allow professionals to shape your brow since there is the right and wrong way to do it.
Brow shaping is the grooming of the eyebrows either through plucking, pulling, cutting, trimming or removing the hairs to create a particular form or shape that’ll better suit the facial structure and enhance facial beauty.
Brow shaping is undeniably a sure way to enhance facial beauty, little wonder; people pay large sums to have their eyebrows professionally shaped to perfection by expert beauty therapists. In brow shaping precision is key; any little blunder could ruin the overall results leaving you with an unsightly and badly shaped brow, instead of accentuating your looks.
Like most things, there is no one way of shaping the brow, there are different methods that can be used to achieve perfect brow shaping.
Here are some popular brow shaping methods, along with their pros and cons to look out for:
TWEEZING
Tweezing involves using a tweezer to trim and cut the eyebrows into a desired size and shape, it’s one of the easiest and oldest brow shaping techniques. The best time to pluck is after a shower as the pores are open; making it easier to remove hair.
Pros: Tweezing is known to deliver plucking that guarantees a neat, beautiful arch.
Cons: It is time-consuming and requires precision. A tiny mistake could spoil the whole thing.
WAXING
Eyebrow waxing is a technique that involves spreading hot or cold wax on the hairs around the desired shape of the brows. The wax is then pulled quickly to remove hair and produce the desired brow shape.
Pros: The method delivers a clean, neatly defined shape and long-lasting results.
Cons: It is not a good option for people with sensitive skin as skin irritation may occur, or in extreme cases; the skin will peel off with the wax.
THREADING
Eyebrow threading is a brow shaping method that uses cotton threads looped together, to trap and pull out hair strands. It’s more precise than waxing and usually less painful. It’s also faster than both waxing and plucking and costs less. However, you might need some practice before threading your brows to avoid doing it poorly.
Pros: It’s less painful, inexpensive, and unlike tweezing, which removes single hairs, it removes several hairs at once.
Cons: The technique requires that a part of the thread is held with the mouth; which is unhygienic.
ELECTROLYSIS
An aesthetician inserts electrical current into the hair follicles through a small needle, this destroys the hair and prevents it from growing back.
Pros: It’s a more permanent brow shaping solution because the hairs are killed off at the roots.
Cons: The brows usually thin with age, leaving you with an almost bald brow as you get older, plus it’s nearly irreversible.
Brow shaping is a fashionable way to improve looks, elegance, glamour, and make you feel good about yourself. But, the processes of achieving a flawless arch and shape that perfectly aligns with the contours of the face; can be a tedious (and sometimes painful) process – though the results far outweigh the troubles.
If you’d like to have professional brow shaping service anytime soon; we’d be more than happy to treat you to our excellent range of services, and at reasonably low rates. Feel free to contact us here now.
Skin Sense Wellness Customized Facials You Don’t Want to Miss
At Skin Sense Wellness our customized facials are the most relaxing treatments imaginable. If you would like to give your loved ones the perfect gift, or give yourself the pampering you deserve, book a reservation at the Skin Sense Wellness. We can make anyone’s troubles melt away with our facials!
Your face and, more importantly, your skin is one of the main things people notice when they meet you for the first time. It can make or break an initial impression. So why not show your best self?
Proper skin care is essential for staying youthful. Basically, there’s no better way to keep your skin happy than with our many Skin Sense customized facials.
Where to get a facial near me
Skin Sense Wellness is the go-to place for all types of facial treatments. Our customers get to choose from:
- Deep cleansing treatments
- Lunchtime treatments for those short on time.
- European style facials that include a face, neck and shoulder massage.
- Customized peels.
- Deluxe treatments, using electrotherapy.
The best facial spa near me
If you’re in a rush, but you want your skin to glow try Le Petit deep clean facial. It is fast yet thorough and will leave you looking fresher than ever!
For teenagers battling acne, we customize every treatment and give nutritional and lifestyle counseling.
Getting ready for a big event? Don’t sweat it. The Glow & Go Treatment is just the thing to make you look like a million bucks for any occasion. What’s more, it only takes 45 minutes.
For a more intensive treatment try one of our deluxe facials. These include facial rejuvenation and firming protocols and we get amazing results, which is why they are so popular. Just make sure to book in advance.
Gift certificates
If you would like to purchase a gift certificate for customized facials, we also have a wide variety of other treatments to choose from, including:
- A relaxing day of beauty, suitable for men and women
- Body buffer and deep tissue massage for stress-relief
- 4 Guinot eye logic treatments
- Customized beauty package that you select
Yet another great thing about our customized facials is that you can purchase a series of five treatments and get the sixth one free! This offer is available for any of our services.
Why choose Skin Sense Wellness
One of the main reasons why you should choose our customized facials is because of our dedicated staff. We are passionate about skincare and we pride ourselves on providing a calming atmosphere for our clients to relax in.
Ultimately, we’re here to help you get rid of that everyday stress that wears you down. Book one of our customized facials today, and you will feel your worries melt away!
Customized Facial Treatments * Call (323) 653-4701 – Skin Sense Wellness
No-one likes a furry lip, heavy brow or hairy chin!! At SkinSense we take care of these areas using a blend of waxes depending on the skin’s sensitivity. A well manicured brow can make all the difference to the shape of the face and for extra emphasis we often tint the brows at the same time. We encourage our clients to come in regularly every two to three weeks to prevent in-between tweezing at home as this can spoil the shape.
For the extra delicate skin and client, we will happily tweeze the brows although this obviously takes a little more maintenance.
Quick tip: Nancee Daly, our veteran facialist, uses a light application of oil on the brow and lip area before waxing sensitive skin. This diminishes redness.
Chin hair often increases along with stress levels and hormonal shifts especially menopause, and in some cases facial hair can become darker at these times. We are cautious at SkinSense about removing facial hair with wax. It can cause break-outs and irritation on more sensitive clients so we often do a very small area to start with. We avoid waxing facial hair on acne conditions – this can exacerbate the break-outs and cause further problems.
Quick tip: Vicki DiPietro, our Brazilian wax expert, often uses two types of wax on lip hair particularly if it is coarse – hard wax first and then our resin wax to follow.
We do not use a honey wax as some clients are allergic to honey and we make sure that clients stop using all prescription and over the counter retinol topicals one week before their waxing appointment. This prevents any skin being lifted along with the hair. Clients on Accutane cannot have any waxing services while taking the drug.
And as for the rest of the body, we offer underarm, regular and Brazilian bikini waxing (see my post: “Wax on, wax off”) full arm, leg and back waxing. Back waxing is very popular with our male clients and as with all our waxing services we counsel our male clients carefully. Exercising before treatment is very important to avoid break-outs and wearing a light cotton shirt rather than a synthetic material post treatment is less irritating to the newly waxed area. Salicylic acid, camphor and tea tree lotions are great for calming any irritation.
We recommend body waxing every 3-4 weeks depending on re-growth. And it is true over time regular waxing does diminish growth. Like many things in life consistency counts!
Onychomycosis, or nail fungus, is a common and difficult problem that many of my clients ask me about, especially during the summer months when feet are on display. Until recently, topical treatments were not very effective. However, my dermatologist, Steven Weiss, MD., recommends two new topical solutions, Jublia and Kerydin, that have demonstrated better results. They’re most effective for limited nail involvement and need to be applied daily for 1 year. They require less monitoring than the oral medication, Lamisil (Terbinafine) which can be effective but has certain contra-indications.
By the way, laser treatments, which have been hyped in recent years, are not effective for clearing nail fungus. Recurrence rates are high, and the only thing they affect is your pocket book. See my post about “A Cautionary Tale of A Big Toe and Fungus“.
Here are a few preventative steps you can take to prevent nail fungus:
1. Change out of tennis shoes and socks directly after working out.
2. Check that all your shoes give you plenty of toe room and fit properly so that your body weight hits your heels to prevent any bruising to the big toe.
3. Make sure that you go to a good pedicurist consistently who does not believe in severe cuticle trimming and pushing but regular maintenance.
4. Leave the nails free of polish once in a while. Also, don’t leave the same polish on for too long.
5. After showering make sure the feet and nails are dried properly. Trapped water can lift the nail and provide the perfect place for fungus to take hold.
6. One final tip – avoid too much sugar in the diet. Strange as it may sound, this too can cause foot fungus.
Shoes remain one of the most important aspects of fashion. The perfect shoe can create an image of professionalism, affluence, the personality within, or just plain height. And women in particular are more willing to pay for ‟the right look” not only with their credit cards but with the comfort of their feet.
This, however, can cause long-term pain in the feet, knees, and back which then leads to discomfort when standing and walking. Heels challenge the body’s ability to balance and all of the muscles of the legs must work to stabilize the ankle. Walking is split into two phases. The swinging phase and stance phase. Any shoe that inhibits the weight from falling where it should can lead to pain. High heels are a major culprit of this because both ‟push-off” and ‟heel-strike” happen mainly on the ball of the foot with little or no support at the ankle. Even those cute little flats, mules, or sandals that don’t offer support to the ligaments of the arch, toe joints, or ankle will throw off the rhythm of your natural gait.
Bunions, hammer toes, and pump-bump (that bony enlargement at the back of the heel bone) can make even the prettiest of shoes lose their luster and let’s face it, when your feet hurt the whole body hurts. So what can we do because we know Manolo Blahnik is not going out of business any time soon?!
First off, buy shoes that are the right size. There is no shame in a size 11 except when it is crammed into a size 8 and there are toes falling over the front edge. Trying on shoes after a full day is best because your feet are already hot and swollen. This will give you a much more realistic idea of how those shoes will feel long-term. (The only ‟breaking-in” will be happening inside of your foot, not the shoe.) And try to look for 2 to 2 1\2 inch heels. This is about the difference of when we stand on our toes therefore our body can still find it’s center of balance. Wearing those spiky, pointy numbers for as little time as possible with down time in between is best.
If you know a pair of shoes becomes uncomfortable after a few hours, have back-up. It seems quite customary now for flatter shoes to be worn at weddings after the main ceremony is over and the eating and dancing has started. I think this is a great idea. And to make dressy heels more comfortable, invest in foot accessories that cushion body weight inside the shoe.
When you get home and can finally give your tired feet some attention, sit down, take off your shoes and swing your ankles in slow circles. Gently massage your arches and Achilles tendons on both feet.
A foot soak is a great idea. (See recipes below.) Start with cool water for about 10 minutes. This will diminish any swelling and discomfort. Then add hot for another ten. Follow that with more circular stretches. Then reward yourself with a light layer of any foot cream with Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Bayberry, or Juniper. Aaaaah!
A full hour of reflexology will directly access the ligaments and tendons in the foot and will help to send a message of healing to other parts of the body, like the lower back. Regular pedicures are also essential. Keeping the nails short makes a big difference to how a shoe fits.
Foot soak recipes:
Fill a bowl with enough hot water to cover both feet to ankle height. Add ½ cup Epsom salts and 1 cup of Baking soda then select one of these three recipes according to your needs. Add about 10 drops of oil collectively to each soak.
For Aching feet:
4x drops of chamomile
4x drops of lavender and 2x drops of peppermint.
For Foot warming:
5x drops of rosemary
3x drops of clove bud and 2x drops of ginger.
For Cooling swollen feet:
6x drops of peppermint
Ix drop of rosemary and 3x drops eucalyptus.
So, yes, wear those gold lamé sling backs with the singular sequined strap around the big toe and the lime-green fur along the insole. But also remember to take care of yourself before and after. That way when you say that your dogs are barking, you’ll be talking about the one’s in your backyard!
