It’s officially freezing here in New York (or well below freezing, if we’re being accurate). With this turn in the weather, lots of changes are happening in your daily routine. You probably have to warm up your car before heading out in the morning. Finding gloves and hats is likely making it harder to get out your door for the day. So, while adding anything else to your daily schedule may seem difficult, now is the time to change up your foot care routine to preserve your healthy winter feet.
You see, this time of year can take a major toll on your foot health. From dry, cracking skin to increased risks for fungal infections, there are many cruel tricks winter can play on your feet. Luckily for you, most are preventable. All you have to do is follow these three tips from our Nassau County podiatrists (and consider scoring three incredible products), and you should enjoy optimal foot health all season long!
1. Healthy Winter Feet Don’t Show Their Cracks ![feet with winter boots standing in snow]()
One of the biggest winter foot complaints seen by Dr. Mark Gasparini and Dr. Novneet Chabbra is dry, cracked heels. Why is that the case? At this time of year, we tend to stay indoors, cranking up the heat to stave off the awful outside weather. Unfortunately, doing so saps the moisture out of your environment—and from the delicate skin on your feet. Now, all of your skin can dry out. But the skin on your heels is most likely to crack as a result of this dryness because it’s constantly under pressure as you walk and run.
If cracks develop, major problems could follow. These openings in the skin leave you vulnerable to infection. And they could even become irritated or start to bleed. Want to avoid these issues? Now is the time to step up your moisturizing routine. During winter, you have to moisturize your feet every day. But because this time of year takes such a toll on your feet, regular moisturizing lotions may not provide them with enough protection to prevent cracks. Instead, you can come into the office and ask us for something stronger. Right now, we carry Hydro-Cutis Cream with Ammonium Lactate, specifically formulated for use on your lower extremities. In addition to helping you lock moisture into your feet, this product improves the texture of dry, rough skin. It hydrates intensely while gently exfoliating, helping avoid build-up of dead skin cells. It’s also paraben-free and is even safe for use on diabetic feet!
2. Healthy Winter Feet are Free of Fungus
When we do venture outside into the frigid Long Island winter, we’re likely to keep our feet toasty with thick, warm socks and winter boots. But sometimes, we overcorrect and keep our feet too warm, leaving them slick with sweat. Unfortunately, sweaty feet are more likely to develop a foot fungus. Luckily, we can easily avoid this itchy outcome.
To start, try wearing moisture-wicking socks this winter, to draw sweat away from the nooks and crannies between your toes where fungus loves to grow. Next, if your feet do get sweaty, change out of those out wet socks as soon as possible, putting on a clean new pair. You can also avoid boots made of rubber or other materials that trap moisture around your feet. And, for a touch of extra protection for those healthy winter feet, you can apply Tolcylen Keratolytic/Antifungal Cream, also available in our Massapequa podiatry practice. Not only does the cream provide important protection against athlete’s foot, but its unique blend of ingredients also softens calluses and dry skin to leave your feet looking and feeling their best!
3. Tis the Season to Restore Your Skin and Nails
While our first two tips focused on skin care, this one is (mostly) focused on your nails. This winter, we’d love you to take a break from nail polish dry out your toenails, making them more likely to crack. In turn, your nails become more vulnerable to fungal infections that are notoriously hard to heal and leave you with thick yellow toenails. So, since very few people will actually be seeing your nails this winter, now’s the time to leave them unpolished so that they can hold on to the moisture they need to stay healthy. Of course, we know that pedicures are a great way to pamper your feet. And we don’t want you to give up on any relaxing time—instead, we want you to replace your spa soak with a Tolcylen Therapeutic Foot Soak. Containing a proprietary blend of moisturizers, exfoliators, protectants and cleansers, this powerful product—available in the office—removes dirt, oils, and sweat that may contain bacteria and fungus, all while supporting skin barrier function to support your healthy winter feet.
Want more support with your foot care routine? Need more information on any of the products recommended in this post? We’re here to answer all your questions. Just call the office at 516-804-9038 or fill out this form to contact us online.