Happy Feet

Keeping your feet pretty can be about more than looking great in those new peep toe pumps, it can also affect your health.

Soft, smooth and well-maintained feet can protect you from all sorts of issues from fungal infections to ingrown toenails. But putting twinkle back into your toes can be a little trickier than it may seem.

According to www.feetforlife.org, the official Web site of The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, there are more than a few steps to keeping your feet and toenails healthy and happy.

First of all, the toenails should be clipped to the natural rounded shape of the toe. They should also not be shorter than the toe and filed to keep the nail itself healthy. To avoid ingrown toenails and other nail issues, they should be clipped after a shower or bath when they are soft.

The foot itself also requires some special care. To keep the skin from cracking or growing abnormal calluses and bunions, you should scrub your feet with a pumice stone while in the shower or during a bath. Afterwards and whenever there is noticeable dry skin on the feet, you should apply heavy lotion or petroleum jelly to the top and bottom of each foot and cover them with a sock overnight. But beware! If you apply too much lotion between the toes and fail to clean it off properly, the wetness can result in fungal or bacterial infections.

Or, if that all seems a little much for your rookie self to handle, you could pamper yourself and your feet for between $30 and $85 (plus at 20 percent tip) at one of Cincinnati’s salons.

“People should have a professional clean and trim their feet and toes just for general health reasons,” says Marilyn Spatola, a nail technician and nurse at Avalon Salon and Aesthetic Day Spa in Hyde Park. “It’s is also good because if there are any real serious problems, we can help pin-point them and let you know if you need to see a doctor about it,” Spatola says.

A typical pedicure at any of Cincinnati’s salons includes a foot soak and a foot and leg rub (sometimes with an exfoliate scrub). After that, the nail technician will trim and clean up the toenails, topping it all off with a polish color or design of your choice.

According to Kelly Rousf, a nail technician at The Woodhouse Day Spa in Montgomery, the most popular fall colors this year are the deep reds and purples.

Although pedicures are great for medical and hygienic reasons, they are also about self-esteem. “Getting a pedicure is almost like losing weight or getting your hair done,” says The Woodhouse Day Spa manager Chris Mann. “You just feel good about yourself afterward.”