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Nail care is extremely important all year long. Your nails can be a reflection of your overall health, so there are some key things to look out for when taking care of your nails.

Tips for nailcare at home

  • Your feet move you throughout your day, help you stand up, stay strong, and ground you.  Your feet are also two of the most abused and often used parts of the body, and they need some TLC to keep them healthy, soft, strong and free of problems.  With spring upon us, it is the perfect time to learn how to care for your feet and toenails and we’ve put together a fantastic list of recommendations and tips in order to keep your feet healthy, strong and pain free.
    1. Wash your feet and scrub your toenails before cutting.
    2. If your toenails are particularly thick, soak in warm water before cutting.
    3. Cut your toenails routinely. Every 4 weeks is a recommended schedule.
    4. Don’t cut your toenails too short. Leave about 1-2 mm at the end of the nail (beyond the attachment to the toe).
    5. Use a proper nail nipper (not “clipper”) to cut your toenails (this looks more like a sharp set of pliers, and can be found at a pharmacy).
    6. Cut your toenails straight across and round off the edges with a file.
    7. Remove any debris around the toenails by washing/scrubbing them again after you’re done trimming.
    8. Don’t cut or push your cuticles. Doing that can lead to infections.
    9. Try to avoid using toenail polish as they can be suffocating or laden with chemicals. Consider healthier options like Dr.’s Remedy nail polish, sold at shop.BioPed.com
    10. Brittle, discolored or cracking toenails? Use nail sprays containing biotin, like BioPed’s Healthy Nail Spray, available at shop.BioPed.com

     

    Additional tips for diabetic patients:

    1. Get someone to help you cut your toenails if you lack sensation in your feet, have trouble seeing or reaching, or are otherwise unable to do it yourself.
    2. Cut your toenails in a brightly lit room with good visibility.
    3. Use rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to disinfect the toenails before and after
    4. Avoid injuring the skin: Don’t cut your nails too close to the skin or file too aggressively.
    5. Examine the toenails and surrounding skin after cutting to spot any bleeding points.
    6. If you accidently cut your skin, apply an antibiotic ointment, or iodine, and keep the area covered with a bandaid. Replace with a fresh Band-Aid and ointment each day for 7 days.

     

Tips for foot skincare at home:

  1. Wash feet daily using a mild soap and lukewarm water, which decreases bacteria on the skin.
  2. Dry skin well after washing, especially between and under the toes as moisture can lead to infection.
  3. If skin is moist between the toes due to perspiration or toes that tightly abut each other, application of rubbing alcohol with a cotton swab every other day will help.
  4. If your feet are dry, apply cream/foot foam (we recommend Footlogix Foot Foam) after bathing when skin is still slightly moist. Avoid putting cream/foam between your toes.
  5. Avoid applying cream between the toes as this can cause excessive moisture and can increase chance of bacterial/fungal infection.
  6. Cream that contains urea (like Footlogix!) will work best at softening calluses or hardened skin.
  7. If you have callus/hard skin, you can use a foot file or pumice stone to gently reduce the thickness; this can be done while feet and file are dry or you can use water and soap. (Footlogix Foot File resists rusting and does not have sharp cutting edges, keeping even diabetic patients very safe!)
  8. Avoid using anything sharp to cut corns or callus.
  9. Avoid corn or callus pads that contain medication, such as salicylic acid, which can damage healthy and unhealthy skin alike.
  10. You can use silicone toe sleeves or non-medicated felt corn pads to protect/offload high pressure areas in between, on the top or tip of toes or on the bottom of feet. These can be found at your local pharmacy or at www.shop.bioped.com

 

Additional tips for diabetic patients:

  1. Inspect feet twice daily, morning and night to ensure everything is as it should be. I.e. NO redness, sores or blisters are present.
  2. Do not wear socks that are too tight and look for those made with natural fibres for breathability. Try a diabetic sock, such as Simcan.
  3. Turn socks inside out if the seams are digging into the skin and leaving an imprint by the end of the day.
  4. To avoid injury always wear light coloured socks and properly fitting shoes. Avoid walking around barefoot.
  5. Exercise regularly to improve circulation in your feet and legs, and avoid smoking which reduces blood flow to your feet.

Now that you have learned how to care for your feet and toenails by having good hygiene and pampering them to heal soreness and calluses, you can proudly show them off for the warmer weather.