When it comes to body parts that people shower with love, feet are sadly low down on the list. There are even some people who have a near meltdown at the mere sight of them. Because of our bad attitude towards our tootsies, we tend to neglect them rather than treating them with the respect they deserve. A regular pedicure, a session with a pumice stone and some rich lotion applied each night would do wonders for their overall condition. But you know what else you should be doing? Blow-drying your toes after you bath or shower. Sounds crazy, but there is method in this madness.
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High and dry
Feet are prone to problems. This is not only because they make direct contact with the ground (or gym shower floor) but also because they can become damp when trapped inside shoes all day. And since fungus grows in warm, moist conditions, the area between our toes can, if not properly cleaned and dried, become a hotbed of infection, odour and general nastiness. According to podiatrists, letting your feet air-dry can take up to 30 minutes, especially in the nail corners and between the toes.
Related: 3 steps to sandal-ready feet
Blow-drying your toes, however, will cut that time down to around a couple of minutes and leave your feet dry and, therefore, less susceptible to a fungal outbreak. Another upside to incorporating this practice into your daily routine is that it will warm up your feet on a cold winter’s day. If this all seems like overkill, just make sure that you wear shoes that are loose enough to provide airflow to your feet, only wear clean socks and invest in a pair of flip-flops to wear in the gym changing room. This will help to make sure that, come sandal season, your feet are the picture of health.
PHOTO: iStock/spukkato
