As women we always want to look our best by taking good care of ourselves, and our feet are no exception to the rule.You should know how to give your feet a pedicure at least every two weeks as they are the most abused and often used parts of the body. Seeing a podiatrist is also vital in keeping our feet healthy and free of chronic problems such Athlete’s foot or other fungal infections.

What is a podiatrist?
A podiatrist is a medical Doctor who helps in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of foot conditions such as corns, calluses, ingrown toenails, plantar warts, athlete’s foot and any other foot related problems.

When should I see a podiatrist?
Most people wait longer than they need to before seeing a podiatrist. Foot pain is not normal and putting up with painful feet is very uncomfortable. You should see a podiatrist when the following occurs:

Discomfort with Toenails/Ingrown toenails
If you have trouble trimming your toenails properly and find you constantly get ingrown nails or other nail problems, see a podiatrist so they can do it correctly for you, along with teaching you how to groom your feet and toenails the right way.

Corns and Callus:
Hard skin under your feet can be very painful and needs professional care to remove it. It also doesn’t look good having a beautiful pedicure with hard, cracked heels. A podiatrist will help remove all the dead skin under your feet ensuring they look their best!

Yellow or discoloured toenails:
Discoloured nails are usually caused by a certain fungus of the nail, and can be treated with topical ointments. In more severe cases your podiatrist can recommend oral medications to help clear the problem. Toenails that are thickened can be painlessly sanded down and the infected nail removed.

Once again, to keep your feet looking their prettiest, you want clean-looking toenails with no infections. Also try using a nail care whitener to keep nails looking healthy.

If you are experiencing numbness and swelling, heel pain, pain in the pad of the foot, soreness in toes, a pain while walking, bunions (bumps on the inside of the big toe) or a wound that will not heal you need to see a podiatrist.

Besides keeping your feet healthy, free from all fungal infections and pain, a podiatrist also knows exactly how to give your feet a much needed “makeover”. So take that extra care by visiting one and keep those tootsie’s in perfect condition!