Like your face, your hands function as bridges to the world. You shake hands when you meet or greet someone for the first time and when you seal a deal. Your hands express your affection to those you love. They soothe sad children and those suffering from illness. Maybe you "talk" with yours. In any case, whenever you're interacting with others, your hands will probably spend some time in the spotlight. The problem is that your hands are also essential tools. You use them for complex maneuvers and lowly chores. And everyone is always telling you the importance of washing your hands. In the course of a day, your hands are exposed to all sorts of germs, dirt, harsh substances, sunlight and more. To make matters worse, the frequent washing that's designed to keep your hands sanitary also can keep them dry, cracked and wrinkled. If neglected, your hands' skin may end up needing medical help. That said, your fingernails (and your spirits) might benefit from a professional manicure now and then. Taking good care of your hands doesn't have to be a major production. There are things you can do every day to help your hands look and feel good. Develop a good routine and give your hands a helping hand. We are careful to take care of most parts of our bodies, from the essential care of our hearts, muscles and joints to the more superficial hair and nail care. However, many people tend to neglect their feet. This issue can become severe when problems with your feet significantly impact your quality of life, and lead to further health concerns. Feet are your body’s foundation, so keeping them healthy is vital to your overall health. Years of wear and tear can be hard on your feet. Overuse, shoes that don’t fit properly and even genetics can lead to injuries and disorders of the foot that can greatly impact your mobility. Aside from some foot issues becoming incredibly painful, they can also make you more susceptible to accidents. You risk falling if foot issues persist. Walking awkwardly to avoid that pain sets you off-balance and heightens your risk of hurting yourself further. Caring for the skin on your feet is also important. Your heels are not meant to feel rough and dry. The longer this issue persists, the more likely it is that your feet will begin to crack. Although some cracks are not painful, they still allow harmful bacteria in. If left untreated for a long time, the healing process will also take a while.
Taking care of your hands:
- Wash your hands properly. Even if we're tired of hearing it, we need to use the right products to keep our hands clean and help reduce the risk of infection.
- Moisturize them. Just like your face, you must moisturize your hands daily. Although they may not appear dry, hydration is essential to maintaining the skin of your hands healthy.
- Protect them from the sun. It may seem illogical if we have to be at home, but no matter how many times we go out, express trips to the supermarket or a short walk with our dog are enough to make the sun's rays damage our skin.
- Use soft soaps. If we are at home all the time, it is not necessary to wash our hands continuously with antiseptic action soaps.
- Take care of them before bed time. As we sleep our skin regenerates faster. If you use night creams for the face, why not do it with your hands?
Taking care of your feet:
- Soak your feet. A relaxing foot soak for 15 to 20 minutes will do you wonders. You can add aromatherapy oils to the tub of water if you choose, but it is not necessary. The very act of soaking your feet will loosen dry scales and soften the thick, hardened layers of skin on your heels, toes, and balls of the feet. Do not use water that is too hot.
- Trim Your Calluses and Corns. After softening the skin with a good soak, use a pumice stone, emery board, or callus file to gently reduce corns and calluses. It may take a few trimmings before you are able to remove all of the hardened skin, but take care not to cut or abrade the skin too deeply.
- Trim your toenails. Use a stainless-steel nail nipper to trim your toenails. To prevent over-trimming, cut the toenails straight across and then gently round the corners with an emery board.