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Posts for: June, 2010
Fungal infections on your feet are one of 
the most unsightly foot ailments. These infections can affect the skin of your feet as well as your nails. A fungal infection is even the cause of athlete's foot. And when it affects your nails, it can cause them to crack, break, splinter and yellow. Fungal nails are usually pretty easy to spot, especially when you're going barefoot or wearing sandals, and look anything but healthy. So how do you protect yourself from the fungi that are responsible for these unsightly infections? Follow these tips.
1. Keep your feet dry. Fungi thrive in warm, dark, moist environments. This means your shoes are a fertile location for fungi to grow. Once your feet are exposed to the fungi, your shoes will not prevent the fungi from growing. But ensuring that your feet stays dry helps prevent fungi from ever taking hold. You should always alternate shoes every other day at the minimum to allow them the proper amount of time to air out. Don't store your shoes in your gym bag or locker if they will not get enough air to dry out. You should also disinfect your shoes to kill the fungi and bacteria that can live in your shoes. If you sweat a lot, you should consider using a foot powder to absorb excess moisture. You may also want to change your socks in the middle of the day.
2. Avoid places where fungi thrive. Fungi thrive in public showers, like the ones found in locker rooms, pools, public beaches and at camp grounds. Do not think that you should limit your activity and never visit these places, and don't sacrifice your hygiene for fear of foot fungi. Simply wear a pair of flip flops or other shower sandals in public showers and locker rooms. This will limit your contact with these fungi and help prevent their further spread. If someone in your family has foot fungi, try to keep the shower they are using clean, or ask them to use a different shower than the rest of the family. Consider a spray disinfectant that you can leave in the shower and ask them to use it after every shower.
3. Keep your feet clean. Clean feet are less susceptible to fungal infections, as you are likely to knock out the fungi before it can take hold on your feet. Wash your feet every time you take a shower or bath. Be sure to dry your feet thoroughly, especially in between your toes. This is also a good time to check your feet daily for any changes in shape or color- usual indicators of a problem.
4. Keep your feet healthy. Healthy feet are less susceptible to fungal infections. Not only should you keep them clean, but you should condition your skin as well, especially if you spend time barefoot. Skin that receives regular attention will be healthier, and thus less susceptible to fungal infections. Treat your calluses by trimming them with a file or pumice stone. Moisturize your feet, except for in between your toes, where your feet are already moisture rich. These two steps will help prevent your skin from cracking. Cracking leads to open skin which is more susceptible to fungal and bacterial infection than healthy skin. you should use antibiotic cream on all cuts and abrasions on your feet to help them stay clean and heal faster.
If you think you are beginning to develop a fungal infection of the skin or nails of your feet please don't hesitate to contact your podiatrist. We have a number of treatment options and the sooner we start your treatment, the higher your chances of success and the less time it will take to return your skin or nails to normal. Also, try FungaSoap, a product from our online store. FungaSoap is specially formulated to help kill fungus. Using it before fungi have the chance to take hold will help prevent infections from even starting. Click here to learn more or order this product.
Are you looking for ways to improve the look of your feet this summer? Perhaps you want your feet to look their best during trips to the beach or pool, or when you're out in sandals. Then try the Gilden Tree Terra Cotta 2-Sided Footscrubber and Callus Remover to improve the look of your feet. We recommend soaking your feet for 10-20 minutes in warm (but not hot, as this dries out your skin) water. You can add salts or soaking crystals to your foot soak. Then use the terra cotta scrubber to work away unsightly calluses and corns. Not only till this improve the look of your skin, but it helps prevent your 
calluses from cracking, which leaves you susceptible to bacterial and fungal infection.
This amazing Two-sided Footscrubber® leaves feet incredibly soft, smooth and touchable. Use the Footscrubber® to cleanse, exfoliate and polish feet. Used regularly, it helps remove calluses, and reduces dry, cracked heels. They are made by a women's cottage industry in Pakistan, and it's so effective that Seventeen Magazine called it "the Arnold Schwarzenegger of pumice stones." It can even be heated or chilled before use. A portion of each sale is used to help educate children in Pakistan.
We recommend that you follow your treatment with a moisturizer. This will help improve the health and look of your skin, and the warm water soak will help open up your pores to absorb more of the moisturizer. You can also visit our website for more information (with greater detail) on how to maintain healthy, good-looking feet.
Click here to visit our online store for more on this product or to order.
Have you ever heard someone exclaim "It's flip 
flop weather!"? Or perhaps you know someone who insists on wearing flip flops when there's snow on the ground. Flip flops are a very popular piece of fashion, one which many people claim they could not go without. There are many brands available and the materials you can get flip flops in are almost endless. But are flip flops and other sandals the only shoes you should wear all summer. Let's take a closer look at the concerns involved with full time flip flop wearing.
1. Support. Most flip flops/sandals do not offer you the support that your feet need, especially in the arch. This is especially true of patients who suffer from a biomechanical problem, like low or high arches, and those patients who suffer from plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is 
an over-use injury in which the plantar fascia (the band of tissue which connects your heel to your toes) becomes inflammed and painful. Wearing your flip flops full time can lead to foot fatigue and problems like plantar fasciitis, as they lack the necessary support that your feet require. Some sandals are designed with arch support in mind. Click here to see our line of Orthaheel Sandals with arch support.
2. Protection. Let's face it: sandals do not protect your feet. They are open to debris, falling objects, stubbed toes, and even sun damage. Wearing shoes ensures that your feet will be protected. This is especially true in areas where you know your feet need protection, like on hikes in the woods, walks through your neighborhood, or while working (especially construction/landscape/home improvement jobs).
3. The right shoes for your activity. Sandals are often not the right shoe for your activity. Things like walking long distances, exercising, and standing for long periods/on hard surfaces require that you don't wear flip flops. This is because these activities are hard on your feet. Without the support and protection we talked about before, you're just inviting foot problems into your life. Make sure your shoes are appropriate for your activity. Remember: a little prevention goes a long way.
4. Air to your feet. Not to say sandals are all bad. They do offer some advantages. First of all, sandals let your feet receive air. Especially during hot summer months when your feet are sweating a lot, you are susceptible to fungal infections. Allowing air to your feet means that they will be dryer, and thus less susceptible to fungal infection.
5. Protection in public areas. Fungi thrive in wet, warm, dark places. This means areas like public pools and public showers are a prime place for these to grow. Wearing flip flops while in a locker room, dorm, or pool shower will help ensure that you avoid fungal infections. Remember that a concentration of people increases the odds that one of them is carrying a fungal infection.
6. Convenience. It is very true that sandals are very convenient. When you need to run to the bank, it's easy to slide on your flip flops and go. This is a great use for them. They're also great shoes to get you from your car down to the beach or lake, and the sand cleans out of them quickly and with little effort. Just remember that if your errands involve a lot of walking (like buying groceries) you should be putting on more supportive shoes, like tennis shoes.
So there you have it. Sandals/Flip flops have their place. They're a very convenient and fun form of foot wear. But be careful not too over-use them, 
as this can lead to problems. Just balance their fun and function with that of other shoes to ensure that your feet have a healthy summer season.
Looking for added comfort in your flip flops. Click here to check out Dr. Jill's Sandal gel toe spreader- an insert for your favorite flip flops to help ease any rubbing or discomfort you experience with your favorite sandals.