The cooler winter months can take a toll on your foot health. You may develop dry feet or notice changes to the color of your toenails. Want to keep your feet and nails looking and feeling their best all year long? Check out Dr. Alvin Cowan's top tips for winter foot care. But first, let's take a closer look at why the winter months can be so harmful to your foot health.
Why We Get Dry Feet in Winter ![bare feet near snow]()
When the weather gets cooler, we tend to crank up the heat, both in the house and in the shower. And that can suck any moisture right out of our skin, causing feet to dry. And once that happens? You may develop itchiness in your skin; the skin could even flake, crack and bleed if you don't take appropriate measures to fight dryness.
Fighting Dry Feet with Winter Foot Care
To protect your feet this season, make sure to moisturize your feet daily. (Or twice a day, if you already have concerns about dryness.) Use a thick product, like vaseline, and focus on areas that are especially vulnerable, like your heels or spots where calluses have developed. Alternatively, you may wish to use creams such as Cetaphil or Eucerin to help lock in moisture. Or, if dry feet are a chronic and serious concern, you may need a stronger product, like Straight Arrow's Foot Miracle, in order to smooth rough spots on your feet. Finally, we may suggest products that contain urea if your skin keeps cracking. (This compound can help your skin tap into your body's own moisture stores, fighting dryness from the inside.)
Now, your winter foot care routine should also take a more holistic approach to battling dryness. For starters, you should increase your daily fluid intake, since dehydration can worsen skin dryness and cracking. Placing humidifiers in your home could also help maintain moisture in the air, reducing your risk for dry skin. Try to minimize time spent soaking in the tub or standing in the shower. And make sure our shoes fit snugly but not tightly, also avoiding stiffly-constructed foot wear, in order to reduce your risk for skin cracks.
Winter Foot Care for Better Nail Health
Once we've taken care of your dry feet, it's time to focus on supporting your nail health throughout the winter months. Now, during the long warm-weather season in Powder Springs, we know that many of our patients like to always have their toenails polished and ready to show off at a moment's notice.
But with the weather changing, you may find yourself wearing closed-toed shoes more frequently. And we hope that fact can encourage you to take a nail polish break this winter. Here's why.
Nails that are always covered in thick polishes just can't breathe. As such, when you remove your polish, you may notice that your toenails look dry, white and flaky. Sometimes, they may even have a yellow tint to them. And all of that damage can be directly linked to the use of nail polish.
You see, most commercial polishes contain formaldehyde. So, when you paint your toenails, that chemical can dry out your toenail, causing noticeable damage. The same is true for nail polish removers that contain acetone. In combination, these products strip your nails of their natural moisture and defenses. As such, they won't look their best, and they will be more vulnerable to fungal infections.
But why are we telling you about this as part of our winter foot care tips? Well, the answer is simple. For the next few months, we want to encourage you to take a break from polishing your toe nails. Doing so will allow your nails to heal from the damage of previous pedicures, and, in combination with your efforts to prevent dry feet, can help you achieve optimal foot and nail health for the next few months.
Of course, if you have a beach vacation on the books, we know you may want to get a special pedicure before you travel. And if that's the case, it's not a problem. We just encourage you to choose a better-for-you product like the Dr.'s Remedy line of Enriched Nail Polishes. Infused with ingredients such as biotin, tea-tree oil, anti-fungal garlic bulb extract, lavender, wheat protein and antioxidant vitamins, using this product could actually help you avoid common concerns such as fungal infections, along with discolored or dried out nails.
Supporting Winter Foot Care in Powder Springs
Now, all of the tips we've shared can help you prevent foot and nail problems this winter. But what if you already have dry feet or damaged and discolored nails? Don't worry: we're here to help. Simply reach out to the office and request an immediate appointment. When you come in, we can diagnose the cause of your current skin and nail concerns. Then, we can set you up with a treatment plan to restore your health, also providing a daily care routine that will keep problems from returning after your recovery.
