Tips to look after your hands and feet

Have you ever bought new shoes that shaved you in the beginning and you got a blister on your foot.  Maybe you work in the garden a lot and holding the spade or the rake gives you callouses on your hand.  If you are a ballet dancer or you wear shoes that fits to tight, you may have some 'corns' between your toes.  

What is the difference between blisters, calluses and how do you get it.

All three of these you will get because different surfaces rub against each other an causes friction.  It is easy to get them, but it is also possible to prevent getting it.

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A water bubble on my finger?

This is a blister.  It is a piece of skin that has water underneath it and it may occur on your hands or feet.  These can form very quickly and it will form where pressure and friction takes place, so you can wear those new shoes for an hour and end up with blisters.

If pressure or friction keeps taking place on the place where the blister has formed, it will eventually turn into a callus.

What must you do if you have a blister?

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Thick hard skin on my fingers or toes.

Because of rubbing and friction that keeps on happening on one place, the skin will become hard and this is how a callus forms.  The skin will harden and it will have a yellowish color.  People like gymnast or gardeners will have callouses on their hands and this is a way how the body protects the certain parts of the hands that comes in contact with tools causing friction.

Calluses on the foot can become painful, because you keep on stepping on it. They will usually form on the ball of the foot or on the side.

If you wear very tight fitting shoes or high heels all the time, you will be more prone to get calluses on your feet.

How can you treat this at home?

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Corns are also found on the feet but will mostly be found between the toes and are also caused by ongoing pressure or friction.

Can we prevent getting this?

• make sure if you do a sport or a job where you use your hands for physical activities, that you wear the correct protective gloves.
• if the shoe does not fit, do not buy it... no matter how cool it is.  It is also a better idea to do your shopping for shoes in the afternoons, because then your feet are swollen a bit and you will not be able to buy shoes that are too small.
• wear different shoes, especially if the one gave you a blister.  If you keep on wearing the same shoes the whole time, the blister will turn into a callus because the pressure stays in the same place.
• make sure you soak and scrub you feet at least once a week and put on lotion to keep the skin moisturized
• if you know you are going to be wearing shoes for a long time, like you have to run far, make sure they are comfortable and you have antiperspirant or special ointment that you can put on your feet to keep it dry.

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Look after your hands and feet.  A blister is not a big deal, but if you keep on working or doing sports without gloves or wearing shoes that are too small, they will become calluses and corns, which is not only 'ugly', but it can also be painful.