Perfect feet are not only infinite length and flawless smoothness, but also velvety skin and a great pedicure. We list the main problems that add age to our legs, and tell you how to avoid them (we start right now).
Dry feet
Dehydration is a problem that immediately makes the feet "age". It can be explained by both a seasonal factor and a genetic factor: the skin of the feet dries out especially strongly during the transition period, when we change into closed shoes, as well as with age (the body naturally loses subcutaneous fat, and the skin dries up and becomes thinner).
Podiatrist's advice: do not wear the same shoes for two days in a row - not only your feet need a break, but also your shoes.
What to do: moisturize the skin of the feet with high quality every evening and do not wear closed shoes (sneakers, sneakers, loafers, slip-ons, etc.) without socks and tights ─ it actively draws moisture from the feet, drying it out. Moreover, the synthetic materials of the shoes and insoles will reward the feet with an unpleasant odor.
Calluses and corns
The former are most often found in the summer, while the latter are all-season. Corns are a cone or oval lump of skin with a prominent center. Calluses form where the skin experiences regular friction, and cause, above all, physical discomfort with severe pain. There are many reasons for the appearance of calluses: tight shoes, deformity of the foot with age, imbalance in gait. Corns are the thickening of the top layer of the skin. They most often form on the pads of the feet, on the heels, at the base of the big toe in response to pressure, which can be caused by uncomfortable shoes, wearing high heels, or being on the legs for a long time.
Salicylic acid and lactic acid help soften rough skin areas.
What to do: the pedicure master copes well with corns with the help of grinding and good moisturizing procedures - the main thing is to visit him regularly. If aesthetic and physiological problems cause calluses, you need to go to the doctor ─ dermatologist or surgeon (depending on the degree of the problem). The most popular methods for getting rid of calluses are laser and liquid nitrogen.
Thickening of nails
Long-term wearing of tight and uncomfortable shoes can lead to the fact that the toenails become very dense and acquire a yellowish tint, they can crack and break for no apparent reason.
What to do: if the cause of the thickening is not nail fungus (excluded by the doctor), regular pedicure and the selection of optimal shoes will help to cope with the problem ─ if the narrow toe continues to press on the nails, any measures will be useless. At home, you can grind the surface of a thickened nail with a file of slight abrasiveness, but you cannot actively file down the surface ─ this will lead to its greater growth and can damage the nail bed.
Ingrown toenail
The main reasons for this really frightening trouble are the same - uncomfortable shoes and poor care. In pointed toe shoes and in high-heeled shoes, the toes constantly experience pressure from above and from the side, which contributes to the gradual ingrowth of the edge of the nail into the skin. An incorrect pedicure can lead to the same effect, when you yourself or a master in the salon deeply cuts the outer corners of the nails, "sinking" them into the skin, after which the nail often begins to grow incorrectly.
What to do: an ingrown toenail can cause a lot of problems, and a neglected situation needs to be corrected by a surgeon (today this can be done by non-surgical methods). As a preventive measure, it is better to always file the edges of the nail, rather than trim it, and do it strictly horizontally, without touching the outer corners.
Vascular mesh
An aesthetic defect is actually a harbinger of a serious problem ─ varicose veins. Vascular disease, in which normal venous blood flow is disrupted, has become younger, and today, even at 30+, you can be afraid to wear a mini. The reasons for the development of varicose veins can be thyroid problems, hormonal disruptions in the body, sedentary work, unhealthy diet, bad habits and even uncomfortable shoes.
What to do: go to a phlobologist, since the independent use of all kinds of phlebotonics is fraught with at least inefficiency. As a method of correction, laser therapy is good, and masking ─ toning agents (for more details ─ “Everything you need to know about car bronzers”). Long-term wearing of high-heeled shoes and sitting in a foot-to-foot position with pronounced vascular mesh are included in the list of unwanted actions.
Foot care: our choice
Photo: Getty Images, press archives
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