Summer on Long Island means more time outdoors, more time at our gorgeous local beaches, and more time in sandals or flip flops as we finally get to enjoy our beautiful surroundings. Unfortunately, summers here are also hot and humid, and when you combine the weather with unsupportive footwear or bare feet and lots of public places like pools and beaches, you’ve got a recipe for foot health disaster. In fact, during the summer months, our podiatry practice in Massapequa is filled with patients who have dry skin or cracked heels, chronic foot pain, fungal infections like athlete’s foot and more cases of plantar warts than we can count.
Now, even one of these conditions could make you press pause on all of the summer fun. But luckily, it’s pretty easy to protect your healthy feet this season—all you have to do is follow this simple, five step summer skin care routine from Long Island podiatrists Dr. Mark Gasparini and Dr. Novneet Chhabra.
Key Takeaways
- In the summer, feet are vulnerable to dry skin, athlete's foot and plantar warts
- Stepping up your summer skincare routine will keep your feet healthy
- Always wear shoes or sandals, especially when walking on wet shared surfaces such as locker room floors or pool decks
Table of Contents
Easy Summer Skincare Routine for Healthy Feet
Each day, follow these five simple steps to prevent foot pain and other problems. Then, stick around for the end of the blog where we share some bonus tips to help keep your feet healthy and happy all season.
Step 1: Wash Your Feet Daily
The foundation of good foot health starts with proper hygiene. Throughout the day, your feet are exposed to sweat, dirt, and bacteria that can contribute to odor, irritation, and infections such as athlete’s foot or fungal toenails. And those risks are amplified during the summer, when warm temperatures lead to increased sweating, and open-toed sandals expose more of the delicate skin on your feet to infecting agents such as bacteria or fungus.
To maintain healthy feet, it’s important to wash your feet every day. Make sure to use warm—not hot—water and a gentle soap, paying close attention to the areas between your toes. After washing, thoroughly dry your feet, especially in the areas between your toes, as leaving excess moisture there can create the kind of warm, moist environment that encourages fungal growth.
Step 2: Moisturize Every Day
Summer sun and fun tend to dry out your skin, especially on your feet, where it’s thin and delicate. Over time, that can leave you vulnerable to cracking, especially around the feels. For that reason, applying daily moisturizer to your feet is one of the most important steps in our summer skincare routine. To maintain healthy feet, apply moisturizer to your feet after washing them, or just before bed. You can apply moisturizer to the entire foot, skipping spots between the toes, but pay extra attention to the heels and balls of your feet, since these areas are more prone to cracking.
For individuals with particularly dry feet, wearing cotton socks overnight after moisturizing can help enhance hydration. And if you’ve already dealt with cracked heels in the past, you may wish to use a moisturizing cream instead of a lotion, for extra hydration and protection. (Bonus points if you pick a product that contains urea, like this cream.)
Step 3: Protect Your Feet Outdoors
When you head to the beach, the pool, or even into town for ice cream, your feet are exposed to everything from hot sand and pavement to sharp objects, viruses that cause warts or fungal infections and so many other hazards. Luckily, it’s very easy to protect your feet from the elements: always keep your feet covered, even if you’re showering after a swim in the public pool.
When you’re walking around town or hitting the boardwalk, wear sneakers or sandals with back straps and arch support—this will help prevent heel pain and the kind of toe-gripping that increases your risk for hammertoes.
Even at the beach or pool, it’s important to keep your feet covered. However, in these locations, you can opt for flip-flops or water shoes—these will help protect you from warts and fungal infections. Just be sure to choose pairs with plenty of traction on the soles, especially if you’re walking on a pool deck or into the showers. Otherwise, the wet slick surfaces will leave you at risk for slips, falls and ankle sprains or fractures.
Step 4: A Summer Skincare Routine Must Include Sunscreen
Healthy feet are not sunburned feet. So, every time you head out into the sun, be sure to apply sunscreen to any exposed skin on your feet—this skin is especially vulnerable to burns, since it gets little sun exposure during our long, cold New York winters. And if you’re going to be out for hours, or if you head into the water, be sure to reapply sunscreen to your feet—not only will you protect your skin from burning, you will also be decreasing your risk for skin cancer on your feet.
Step 5: Check Your Feet for Signs of Change
Our patients with diabetes know that you have to check your feet daily for any signs of change. But, in summer, maintaining healthy feet requires this type of vigilance from all our patients. At the end of each week, take a few moments and inspect your feet for signs of developing foot health concerns.
During your inspection, look for:
- Cracked or peeling skin
- Blisters
- Redness or swelling
- Changes in toenails
- Spots that are sore or tender to the touch
Protecting Healthy Feet This Summer, And Beyond
Our summer skin care routine is designed to protect foot health and prevent problems like pain and infection. And these tips are crucial for anyone who wants to enjoy the best of our Long Island summers, whether you're walking on the beach, exploring new destinations, or simply spending time outdoors, in your own backyard. Consistent daily care can go a long way in preventing common summer foot problems.
By washing your feet, exfoliating regularly, moisturizing daily, protecting your feet from environmental hazards, and monitoring for changes, you can help keep your feet comfortable, healthy, and ready for every summer adventure. But if this summer skincare routine fails to prevent problems, and you’ve noticed changes to your healthy feet, don’t wait until fall to fix the problem. Instead, contact us right away to request an appointment. You can do so by following this link or by calling the office at 516-804-9038.