With many places experiencing warmer weather than usual, many people have opted to forego footwear for open-toed shoes. This is in an effort to improve comfort by avoiding sweaty feet. With your toes out on display, it is crucial they look and feel as best as possible. Whether rocking your open shoes in summer or all covered up in winter, it would be advisable to keep your toenails clean and well-kept. Below are a few tips and tricks on maintaining beautiful and healthy toenails so you can sell foot photos online.
- Maintain Clean Feet
Keeping your feet clean is the first step to ensuring they are beautiful and healthy. This means keeping the environment around you, or the feet, clean all the time. Your feet generally live trapped in shoes and socks, a microenvironment that needs to be kept conducive at all times. Changing and cleaning your socks and shoes regularly might be enough to keep them healthy. There, however, are occasions when the feet seem hard or clammy. In this case, you’ll need to switch to breathable shoes to improve air circulation around the toes. It would also be advisable to keep your feet and nails moisturized to reduce sweating and prevent cracking. Using moisturizers will also reduce the risk of developing a fungal nail infection and leave your skin smooth and soft. - Clip Them
Growing up, we were advised to keep our nails short and clean. One of the reasons for this was to reduce the spread of germs, infections, and injuries. Many of us have been doing so for ages, commonly preferring to keep the toenails short by rounded around the toe line. While rounded nails seem like the right way, it isn’t. According to health experts, nails should be clipped horizontally, not rounded. Curved toenails are more likely to grow outward and cut into one’s skin, leading to infections and/or ingrown toenails.
There is also more to clipping your nails than picking up a nail cutter and getting it over with. The correct way is to clip your nails when they are soft and warm, preferably after a foot bath or shower. The nails ought to be clipped evenly for a uniform look. Never give in to the temptation to cut nails into the skin or cuticles. Be sure to apply cuticle oil to help soften the nails as well.
- Take A Breather From Cosmetics
While you may prefer your nails polished and painted, you might want to give your nails a ‘time off.’ Most people will want to keep their nails well-polished all through the summer season. Unknown to them, prolonged exposure to cosmetics leads to keratin granulation, often manifesting as rough patches along the nail’s white line. One of the reasons for this is that the nail polish might be coming off together with healthy nail particles. Peeled, discolored, and dry nails are common symptoms and signs you should watch out for. This can however be prevented/avoided by allowing your nails time off for at least 3 weeks. This will allow a fresh layer of the toenail to grow, clearing up much of the discoloration and dryness. - Stay Vigilant
It takes around one and a half years to replace a toenail fully. Any slight discoloration and peeling will remain visible for more than a year, a reason you want to strive to keep your nails clean and healthy. Although discolored, damaged, and infected nails may be treatable, the difference between healthy and unhealthy parts will remain visible, especially as the new nail grows. The only way to avoid such is to take proper care of your toenails at all times. This includes the entire feet in general through proper hygiene and care. Simple actions such as putting on fresh socks daily, keeping your shoes clean, and sprinkling baking powder in the shoes to eliminate foul smells and germs can help. It would also be advisable to clip your nails monthly to keep them short and manageable. Any unusual growth or development (verruca, hard skin, ingrown nails) should be addressed soonest possible.
Most people are more concerned about their toenails than others. If among these, you then need to remain vigilant and always avoid issues that would otherwise damage the nails. Although you may know this, most toenail infections and ingrown cases take long to heal. Scars of an infection or injury will remain evident for many months, which is another reason you should take proper care of your feet and toenails. Follow the tips outlined above for healthier and more attractive toenails and help you achieve better photos..