People with dry feet and unsightly toenails suffer a lot of embarrassment, especially when barefoot or when wearing open shoes such as flip flops and sandals. The skin on the feet lacks oil glands, forcing it to depend on sweat, produced by numerous sweat glands, to keep the feet moisturized. Failure to moisturize feet on a regular basis causes them to dry up and become brittle.
Some of the most common factors that result in dry feet include taking baths and showers using water that is too hot, using non moisturizing soap, spending excessively long periods in the sun, aging, certain types of medical conditions such as diabetes, and various skin conditions.
When it comes to toenails, the major causes of deformities are toenail fungus, ingrown toenails, and trauma, leading to discolored, thickened, chipped, and brittle toenails. There are easy surefire ways of remedying dry feet and ugly toenails.
Clean Feet
One of the easiest and most effective ways of keeping feet and nails looking beautiful is by keeping them clean. Dirty, sweaty feet and nails not only look bad, but also make them more susceptible to fungal infections, athlete’s foot, and other types of infections. People with exceedingly active lives that include arduous activities such as walking or standing for long periods need to wash their feet following such activities. Antibacterial body wash is much more effective at guarding against bacterial and fungal infection, resulting in clean, gorgeous feet and nails.
Exfoliation
Exfoliation involves removal of dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. A regular regiment of exfoliation leaves skin looking smooth. Chemists and beauty shops sell foot exfoliation creams, which are very effective in getting rid of dead skin cells. The process involves removing the dry outer skin layer with an emery board and then soaking the feet in warm water. Next, apply the exfoliation cream, spreading it in small circular motions. This increases the blood circulation in the feet, removes additional dead skin, stimulates lymph flow and makes the skin smooth.
Having done this, rinse the exfoliation cream off and dry the feet. Wrap them in a clean, warm towel for about five minutes and finish by applying skin lotion.
Moisturize
Massaging feet every day with olive oil after taking a bath, while the feet and toenails are still damp, is very effective in treating dry and ugly feet and toenails. Olive oil is good for peeling and brittle nails, while tea tree oil is an effective remedy for yellow nails and fungal infection. For soft, moisturized skin and nails, apply petroleum jelly before bed.
Grooming
The last step in treating ugly toenails in order to enhance the appearance of your feet is regular grooming. Simple grooming involves cleaning underneath the nails every day, which stops residue from building up and causing infection.
Following these simple steps will help you treat dry feet and ugly toenails, and give you the confidence to wear open shoes and proudly display your feet.
