By Laura House, Daily Mail Australia
December 27, 2023 22:17, updated December 27, 2023 22:26
- Kate MacArthur is famous for her professional ‘therapy’
- Podiatrist warns against wearing shellac for too long
- She also recommends never popping blisters and massaging your feet regularly.
- Read more: Here’s what your feet can tell you about your health.
A leading podiatrist has named the three biggest mistakes Australians are making with their feet and warned against leaving toenail polish on for more than three weeks.
City Feet Clinic founder Kate McArthur has extensive experience in shoe and foot injuries having worked with the likes of Asics, Adidas, NZ Rugby and NZ Ironman throughout her career.
After working in a busy Sydney clinic for the past 10 years, she noticed three common mistakes. It can be the wrong choice of shoes, hiding the problematic nail without healing it, or treating the corns with corn pads from the pharmacy.
In the latter case, Kate recommends staying away completely.
“They’re acidic, so putting them on corn can cause ulcers.” Some people have had success, but find they’re having more problems after using them. That’s a no-no for me,” she said.
Regarding shellac and gel polish, Kate issued a warning.
“Please continue for 3 to 4 weeks.” [maximum]”I know, I know,” she laughed.
“We leave it on permanently, but it’s best to let the nail breathe. If you remove the shellac or gel and notice that you’re left with a dry, dry nail, that’s damage. .”
The resulting peeling, cracking, and brittleness will take a long time to resolve, especially if you have repeated pedicures.
“If your nails are damaged and you really want to color them, you’ve found BIAB.” [Builder in a Bottle polish] It is best to minimize the damage. Again, they should be replaced every 3-4 weeks. ”
Kate said balance and strength were important issues, especially for women in their 30s and 40s.
“This may not be true for everyone, but it’s true for myself and my friends (who are in their early 40s). We can no longer do the things we were able to do in our 20s. Our balance… and strength are not the same,” she said.
“When we ditch heels and go straight to flats, we don’t train ourselves to wear heels and end up making our feet suffer when they have to wear them all day.
“Remember in our 20s, we were running around town in heels and then dancing all night. And then one day we found an apartment. I hate to say it, but… Due to COVID-19, we have lost the strength and stamina to wear heels.”
To overcome this, Kate recommends practicing in heels for an hour or two in the evening prior to an event, and taking advantage of silicone footbeds in heels.
“Start doing Pilates or balance exercises to keep your body in shape,” she adds.
Kate said there are a few things everyone should do every morning and before bed at night to maintain the continued health of their feet and soles.
“Moisture is important in daily life,” she said.
“It may come as a shock, but moisturizing with an oily moisturizer is especially helpful after a shower. Showers can be very drying, and if you have naturally dry skin, your feet will do the same.” You may notice that it is drying out.”
“In the morning, I use a cream I developed called KooE Balm Me. It’s not yet released, but it’s a non-greasy moisturizer that you can use on your hands and feet, and it dries quickly before you put your shoes on.
“If you already have foot cream and are trying to use it up, spot-treating it if it’s too oily can make your shoes a little more comfortable.”
At night, Kate recommends: DU-IT foot heel balm Applying it for a week before bed helps treat cracked heels.of roll amberis also available at pharmacies and can be used two to three times a day to achieve similar results.
Kate also takes Epsom salt baths to reduce swelling and pain, massages the soles of her feet twice a day using a golf ball to increase blood flow, and massages her feet to help relax the muscles. We recommend spraying magnesium on the back.
She also advised never popping blisters and using a Compede Band-Aid instead.
“Keep some in your purse,” she said.
“Don’t ignore your feet. Whether it’s flaky, dry skin, painful spots on your feet, swollen joints, or discolored nails, it’s best to see a podiatrist. Be proactive rather than reactive. It is better to act.”