The boot season is here and who’s secretly happy to hide their feet in them? But, just because the feet go into hiding in winter, doesn’t mean you should just let them go. From being jammed into high heels and boots and smothered inside sweaty socks or tight nylon pantyhose- winter gives sheer havoc for your feet. But you don't need an expensive spa treatment to take care of your feet. Spending just a few minutes daily on foot care and choosing the right shoes will do the job. Skin changes on feet during winter are primarily due to dryness and moisture loss due to the cold weather which is most commonly seen as dry cracking and flaking on the feet, many times leading to soreness and bleeding.
How to make your feet winter ready:
- Soak your feet in salt water, remove the dead skin layer with a pumic stone and apply plain petroleum jelly.
- Don't forget to moisturise every night and wear socks before going to bed.
- Use of mineral oils is highly recommended.
- Painting your nails all the time is not recommended as nail paint causes dryness and nail paint removers further it even more. Let there be paint free intervals where the nails can breathe.
- Take good care of your feet and let them help you move through the world, stand up to your day and ground you!
— The writer is a dermatologist.
