Whilst men have come a long way when it comes to personal care in the last twenty years, one area they are still prone to neglect is those feet. After all, they don’t need much looking after, do they? Feet are pretty sturdy things? They can take all sorts of hardship and pressure from that morning run, the daily grind as you go about work, right through to that game of 5-a-side in the evening.

In truth, it doesn’t take long for feet to gather hard skin, nails to get infected or other problems to arise. Taking care of your feet is more important than you may think. For men it can often be the case that long term neglect causes greater problems later on that may need a more medicalised procedure. With a few simple changes to the way you think about them, you can make sure that your feet remain in top condition.

Hard Skin, Calluses and Corns
When the soft parts of your feet are rubbing away in those shoes and trainers it’s easy for the skin to harden, calluses to develop and even the odd corn to appear. Whilst calluses and corns often fade once the cause of friction is removed, they can develop into painful conditions that make walking painful if left untreated.

Wearing properly fitting shoes and trainers is good but you’d be surprised how many men wear badly fitting ones and don’t take the time to look at their feet even when they have a shower. Giving your feet a good scrub and soak once in a while can help prevent many problems developing.

Fungal Infections
Wearing shoes and socks all day can make your feet prone to bad odours but can also provide the perfect environment for a fungal infections of the nail. You’ll easily notice this because your nail becomes dull and discoloured and will eventually turn brittle. Most over the counter cures for fungal infections aren’t 100% effective so it usually needs some more medicalised approach to solve the problem.

Ingrown Toenails
Poor foot care can also lead to conditions such as ingrown toenails which happen when your nails begin to grow into the surrounding skin. Not cutting your nails properly can cause this and many men don’t realise that having a professional pedicure by a qualified chiropodist or podiatrist once in a while can help stop conditions like ingrown toenails occurring in the first place.

The Chiropodist for Men and their Feet
Just like you send your car for an MOT, you should ideally give your feet a good examination and a bit of care and attention once in a while. It is useful to visit a chiropodist or podiatrist to have them assess your foot condition and identify any problems that you may have. A significant number of men will develop foot conditions which, while not life threatening, can affect their quality of life and undertaking some prevention in the first place can make all the difference.

At Beauchamp Foot Care we offer chiropody treatments and pedicures for just as many men as women. These services, delivered by fully qualified and experienced chiropodists and podiatrists, are aimed at making sure you maintain foot health well into the future. Book an appointment to see us today.