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When was the last time you really thought about the state of your feet? Truth is we should all monitor them closely, not least because signs of illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis can show up there first.
‘As we age, we develop increasing problems with our feet due to wear and tear of the joints, loss of the fatty pads that cushion our soles and a reduction in skin elasticity,’ says Molly Chilvers, podiatrist and brand ambassador for footcare treatment cream Footmender.
Your first port of call should be a podiatrist – look for a practitioner who is a member of the Royal College of Podiatry (rcpod.org.uk). The gold standard procedure, known as a ‘medi pedi’, is the Medical Pedicure at Margaret Dabbs Clinics (from £85, margaretdabbs.co.uk). Your feet will be assessed for any biomechanical or gait problems, as well as conditions such as hard skin, ingrown toenails, bunions and fungal infections will be treated. It’s 45 minutes of medical-grade bliss, with thickened nails, athlete’s foot and corns all sorted.
Otherwise, here are the most common foot problems and the newest ways to treat them.
Corns
Curacorn (from £299, curacorn.co.uk) is essentially filler for your feet and involves an injection of hyaluronic acid – yes, the same you find in facial tweakments – made between the joint and skin directly underneath a painful corn. The acid draws fluid towards the affected area to create a cushion between the skin and joint, minimising pressure and pain and lasting for up to 18 months.
Warts and verrucas
Swift (about £120 per session at treatwithswift.com) makes use of the newest technology on the market, delivering a high burst of microwave energy directly to the infected tissue, stimulating an immune response without impacting surrounding healthy tissue. You’ll need three or four treatments, but it’s pain free.
Fungal nails
One in four of us is affected by fungal nail infections at any one time and they’re annoyingly persistent – you could spend the next six to 12 months taking tablets or brushing medication on to your infected nail. Or instead choose from two speedier new treatments. Clearanail (from £150, clearanail.com) involves creating micro holes in the infected nail plate, making it more permeable to anti-fungals. Available at podiatrists nationwide, it takes around 30 minutes and you’ll notice improvements in eight to 16 weeks. The other is a DIY device similar to home LED face masks. The Margaret Dabbs London Nail Fungus Laser Device (£95, margaretdabbs.co.uk) uses infrared laser and blue LED light to diminish fungal infections, stimulate growth and erase nail discoloration. Clip the device to the toenail for three minutes a day and you’ll see results from around six weeks.
Warning signs
By Victoria Fresneda Gomez, principal podiatrist, Margaret Dabbs
- Persistent pain or inflammation in bunions. If it interferes with walking, you may need surgery.
- Skin-colour changes or heat in corns. This could mean you have an infection.
- Deformity progression. If your toes overlap or you can’t wear normal shoes, then delaying treatment can lead to joint damage.
3 steps to healthy feet
1 Moisturise daily, especially after washing.
2 File weekly or twice weekly, depending on your dry skin build-up.
3 Trim nails every month, cutting straight across to avoid ingrown toenails.
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