Sandal season is here. Your feet are on display and you realize that your feet just don't measure up. So, aside from paying to have your feet groomed to perfection and then maintained bi-weekly, what can you do? Let me walk you through your at-home spa pedicure for radiant looking feet.

Necessities

• Foot Bath/Large Bowl/Sink or Shower
• Cleanser
• Nail File
• Nail Clippers
• Cuticle Trimmer
• Orangewood Stick
• Foot File or Foot Scrub for Exfoliation
• Base Coat
• Top Coat
• Desired Colored Nail Polish
• Cotton
• Nail Polish Remover (Preferably Non-Acetone Based)
• Cuticle Solvent or Softener
• Small Towel

Practical Procedures

• Begin by thoroughly cleansing your feet. Wash them in your shower, soak them in your home pedicure foot spa or perhaps just a large bowl. If using a foot spa or bowl, soak your feet for about 10 minutes in the warm soapy water or add AHAVA Natural Bath Salts to your water. Soaking your feet not only cleanses the area, but also softens the skin that needs to be exfoliated as well as toenails that are often thick and difficult to file or clip. Clean feet are a must before beginning your pedicure to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria.
• After soaking, remove feet and set spa or bowl aside. Towel dry your feet.
• Remove any old nail polish including clear coats with Nailtiques Non-Acetone Remover.
• File or clip the nails to desired length. Diamonds can be a girl's best friend when you discover Diamancel Diamond Nail File #2. When clipping nails, be sure to leave a bit of length. Cutting too closely may lead to formation of ingrown toenails.
• Apply cuticle softener and massage in with fingertips.
• Use orangewood stick to GENTLY push back cuticles. At this time you may need to clip any excess cuticle skin with your cuticle trimmers. Do not completely remove the cuticles, as this is your barrier or protection from bacterial invasion through the nail bed.
• Now it is time to tackle the thick, coarse, or dry skin areas. Use either a foot file such as Diamancel Diamond Foot Callus Rasp #20 for corns and calluses or Diamancel Diamond Foot Buffer #11 for all over dry coarse skin. Another alternative would be to use a lighter exfoliating method, a scrub such as DERMAdoctor KP Duty Dermatologist Body Scrub with Chemical + Physical Medi-Exfoliation, for rough, dry skin that may not be quite as difficult to remove. DermaNew Total Body Experience Kit contains larger Corundum Crystals to hydrate, soften, exfoliate and moisturize feet.
• Now that you have a wonderful palette to work from you can begin polishing your nails to glossy perfection.
• Begin by going over the nail bed again with Nailtiques Non-Acetone Remover to ensure there is not any cuticle solvent residue left that may prevent the polish from sticking. I would also rinse the rest of your feet before polishing to rid the skin of any dead skin that may have been shed during the exfoliation treatment.
• Apply a thin layer of base coat polish to the clean nail. If you have weak, splitting or peeling nails, now is the time to apply your nail strengthener which will also act as a base coat. Nailtiques Formula 2 should accomplish both goals beautifully. The base coat acts to protect your nails from absorbing the colored polish, in essence helping prevent that nasty nail polish-yellow stain. If you need to use toe separators to prevent smudging, then now is the time to place them between your toes.
• Apply two coats of your favorite color. If a colored polish is not desired then you will simply skip to the next step.
• Apply one layer of your topcoat to seal the color in, help prevent chipping of the nail polish, as well as add a shine to your clear or colored nail.

Your feet will look dazzling even if you've donned that old pair of flip flops hidden in your closet. It doesn't matter how great the shoes are if your feet don't glow. If you don't believe me, check out the feet poolside or at the beach this summer. Somehow the women who've taken scrupulous care of their pedicure always seem that much more put together.

Keep your feet pedicure perfect by keeping them soft in between your pedicure sessions. Apply MD Formulations Pedicreme to the dry, thick patches of rough skin on the feet, especially the heels. AHAVA DERMUD Intensive Foot Cream is a mineral-rich cream that softens, refines and deeply moisturizes dry to very dry skin. DERMAdoctor Feet Accompli Ultimate Antifungal Pedicure Cream prevents symptoms of fungus, scaling, cracking, itching and flaking while providing unparalleled hydration, potent rejuvenating antioxidant protection and much-needed soothing relief. DERMAdoctor Feet Accompli Ultimate Antifungal Pedicure Cream is the ultimate in pedicure pampering!

But not all feet can be pedicure perfect when there are problematic skin concerns afoot. When your feet need additional pampering, knowing the proper therapeutic steps to take can help tune up your tootsies.

Painful Corns Or Callouses?

• Try buffing them away with Diamancel Diamond Foot Callus Rasp #20 and then helping soften them with Keralyt Gel.
• Help pad the area and prevent painful friction by using Dr. Scholl's Moleskin Plus Padding Roll   or Dr. Scholl's Corn Cushions.

Extremely Dry, Thick Or Cracked Skin?

Attack chronically dry skin with an active moisturizer made with the special concerns of the feet in mind. Once your foot file or callous remover has done its job, keep the area smooth and soft by applying DERMAdoctor KP Duty Dermatologist Moisturizing Therapy For Dry Skin. This Keratosis Pilaris treatment works wonderfully as a hand and foot moisturizing therapy! For more tenacious thick skin concerns, apply twice daily.

Smelly Feet?

Excessive sweating and overactive bacterial or fungal growth can combine to make even the best-groomed feet malodorous. Try applying AmLactin Foot Cream Therapy to the area before venturing out for the day. It is a super absorbent creme that contains the same active ingredient found in your anti-perspirant. The absorption of excess moisture will help eliminate the source of nourishment for unwanted microbial guests. If creme doesn't cut it, ask your doctor about prescription options such as Drysol to help reduce the amount of sweat formation or Cleocin T Solution, an antibacterial solution to help reduce the bacteria ultimately responsible for smelly feet.

Is Athlete's Foot The Bane Of Your Existence?

Ever wonder what all that dry white scale was on your feet? It may be a sign of athlete's foot.

Scaling, itching, cracking or moisture build-up between the toes may all signal this unwelcome, yet highly responsive problem.

DERMAdoctor Feet Accompli Ultimate Antifungal Pedicure Cream is DERMAdoctor's luxury foot treatment; it resolves and prevents symptoms of fungus, while providing unparalleled hydration, potent rejuvenating antioxidant protection and much-needed soothing relief. Plus it softens feet, too. DERMAdoctor Luxury Foot Treatment Duo includes both our ideal items to pamper yourself with.

No more icky drugstore creams for your delicate skin. Kills candida yeast and fungal infections of the skin fast-with something you really like using.

Prone to moisture buildup under the breasts or heavy skin fold areas? Known as intertrigo, this yeast infection of the skin will also rapidly respond to DERMAdoctor Feet Accompli Ultimate Antifungal Pedicure Cream.

Because normal flora (normal yeast and bacteria inhabitants of the skin) can trigger many a skin condition, dermatologists frequently incorporate a topical antifungal/antiyeast cream as "off label" therapy (not "FDA approved" for these uses) into a treatment regimen.

Let your feet breathe. Once you're at home, take off those tennis shoes, work shoes or whatever you may be wearing and let the air circulate those hot tired feet. Nature can work wonders. But when your feet are shod, consider wearing something that will actively work to wick away moisture from the skin. Jobst crew and over the calf athletic socks contain special fibers that make participating in your favorite activity fun again.

Now you can face sandal season feet first. Does all this seem overwhelming and time consuming? It shouldn't. Get organized and take the time for yourself just once every few weeks. It should only take an hour to obtain pedicure perfection.

You are now prepared to face the sandal season head on and feet first. Although this process may seem overwhelming and time consuming, if you will dedicate an hour or so to your feet every few weeks the results will be amazing and the sessions will become shorter and require less work as the area becomes more manageable.

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. I hope you have found it informative.

Audrey Kunin, M.D.

(Any topic discussed in this article is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please check with your doctor.)

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