If you want healthy feet you’ve got to be honest with yourself about one simple and salient question: are you washing your feet properly? We’ve all been guilty of forgetting to soap the odd bit here and there, but if you’re not dedicating any scrubbing time to your tootsies, you could be opening yourself up to a world of chiropody shenanigans.
Our feet have a hard life, constantly shoved inside shoes and socks and bearing the brunt of our body weight as we pad around the Earth (sometimes even experiencing… orgasms). Like the rest of our body they come with their own unique ailments, perhaps the most common of which is “athlete’s foot,” Tinea pedis.
It’s a form of ringworm that arises when your feet are harboring highly contagious yeast-fungi colonies. While a small amount of overgrowth can result in a smell but nothing too harmful, if it progresses things like vesicles, scaling, and cracks can start to appear. Conditions like sweaty trainers and damp socks are a recipe for T. pedis overgrowth, so it’s easy to see how it’s become such a common ailment among shoe-wearing humans.
These breaks in the skin make you vulnerable to infections that can become serious if they go untreated, so keeping tip-top foot health is good for the whole body. So, how can you have healthy, happy feet? It begins with proper washing.
Looking down at the soapy basin of your shower, you might think swilling around in the soap is good enough for a foot clean, but the reality is you’re going to need to do more. T. pedis is just one of the many things that love to grow on human feet, so establishing a good routine is the best way to ensure your feet are fit for work.
So, shower splashers, here’s what the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention suggest:
- Wash your feet every day – that means actively scrubbing between the toes, not just going for a soapy paddle.
- Dry them completely – again, don’t you forget between the tootsies.
- Keep your toenails clear of dirt – clipping them short can help with this.
- Change your socks at least once a day, more if they get damp for any reason.
- While you’re washing, check for any cuts, sores, swelling, or dryness. Tackle problems as they arise before they turn into something more sinister.
Et voilà, feet fit for a flip-flop.
[H/T: Reader’s Digest]
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
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