Looking after your feet in Autumn

During the autumn/ winter months, it is common for feet to become dry with hard skin and cracks. Often, the primary cause of this is dehydration of the skin. There are a few simple things that you can do to help keep your feet in top condition this winter.

Adapt your foot care routine with these top tips from our Podiatry team:

1. Pay special attention to your choice of shoes and socks

It’s best to wear socks that are made from natural fibres such as wool or cotton, which warm your feet and allows them to breathe at the same time. As for footwear, we recommend that you choose insulating materials, such as leather, that don’t get damp easily and also allow your feet to breathe.

2. Moisturise your feet properly

The cold weather will often cause your feet to dry up. To avoid hardness, flaking, dryness, and cracked heels, we advise you to moisturise your feet regularly in the winter.

Cream your feet once a day (all over except in between your toes) with a urea-based cream to help restore the moisture in your feet. This will help soften any hard skin making it easier to maintain smooth feeling feet.

At the clinic, we use a urea-based cream as it keeps your feet moisturised and hydrated. We recommend that you massage the cream into clean, dry feet 1-2 times per day. This can be purchased at reception.

3. Wear sport-specific socks when exercising

When practicing sports, we advise you to wear specific sports socks to avoid blisters, chafing, and excessive sweating. Our Podiatrists can advise further on this should you have any questions regarding your particular sport.

4. Avoid alcohol and tobacco

These two substances increase dehydration of the skin, which increases the risk of suffering from wounds, blisters, or chilblains during the colder months.

5. File your feet weekly

Filing your feet 2-3 times a week, preferably when your feet are dry, will reduce the chance of any rough edges forming as well as any callus formation.

6. Ensure good circulation in the feet

This is important for people with both poor and good blood circulation as the cold causes your blood vessels to contract, carrying less blood flow. For this reason, we often recommend massaging your feet after standing for a long time or taking a warm bath to promote good circulation.

This habit is essential after practising winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding, so make sure you find time to hop in the jacuzzi for a post-slope soak.

7. Avoid exposing your feet to direct sources of heat such as a radiators

During the winter months, it is important to keep your feet warm and dry where possible to help circulation to your feet; this will help with your foot health and reduce the risk of other common conditions such as chilblains forming.

To warm your feet, we advise you to wear suitable shoes and socks. If your feet are particularly cold after a long autumnal walk in the countryside, try soaking them in warm water, dry them well then hydrate them with a moisturising cream.

8. Visit a Podiatrist at least every six weeks throughout the year

At Hatt’s we like to promote preventative health care. This means not waiting until you have a foot problem to get it sorted. Maintaining your foot health regularly will help prevent any foot problems from arising.

Doing these few simple things will help keep your feet in good condition. However, if you would like more advice or feel you would benefit from professional help our expert Podiatry team is here to take help. We’re just a phone call away should you need us at 01380 730473.