A helping hand for Fingers and Toes:

In this day and age, we are all so busy with day-to-day life that it’s often easy to forget to look after ourselves.  Are your hands and feet resembling something out of a Frankenstein movie?! Good hand & foot care can help to prevent serious health issues and really gives us that instant feel-good factor.

Our hands and feet are the most used and abused parts of our body - yet so many of us simply don’t spend the time to look after them properly! As a nail technician myself I often see a lot of clients who simply don’t bother with their feet in the colder months “as nobody sees their feet in the winter!”. Good hand and foot care is important ALL year round! Our hands and feet should be treated like jewels and not tools!

Here are my top tips for at home care to achieve healthy hands and feet -

• Keep them clean - it sounds silly but ensure that you are regularly washing your hands and fingers throughout the day. Our hands are constantly in use and are touching things all day every day. Refrain from biting your nails and this can lead to ailments, and when washing your hands remember to use soap and lukewarm water (hot water has a drying effect).
• Exfoliate - our hands and feet are the most used parts of our bodies - a good exfoliation once or twice a week will remove any dead skin cells and will help to keep a fresher youthful appearance. For your feet, a good foot scrub or a pumice stone can be used, this will help to soften dry areas and remove calluses.
• Moisturise - this is such an important step - you can never moisturise too much! The most common problem people have with their hands and feet is dry skin and this can lead to cracks/calluses which in turn can lead to pain and infection. Try to use a moisturiser after washing your hands or bathing and a deep moisturiser on your hands and feet before bed - this really allows the product to do its thing whilst you’re dreaming!
• Nails - keeping nails clean is so important - this is the prime spot for bacteria to grow. Using a nail brush during every hand/foot clean with help to remove any nasties. Keeping nails trimmed and shaped helps to keep them healthy and reduces risk of nail thickening and breaking - the best time to do this is after a warm bath or shower when your nails are at their softest. Avoid working on your cuticles unless trained to do so as these act as a protective barrier to keep your nail growth healthy. I always recommend using a cuticle oil to keep your nails and cuticles nourished and hydrated.

Putting the above steps to good use will really help to keep your hands and feet in good shape.

Even with at home care it’s still a good idea to treat yourself to a regular manicure and pedicure with a professional technician. Not only is a Mani and Pedi a lovely treat to yourself it’s also incredible beneficial for your health. Your technician will carry out cuticle care to ensure your nails are healthy which in turn will promote healthy nail growth A good mani and Pedi will include a lovely hand/foot massage to relax and refresh those tired tootsies along with also promoting circulation.

So please remember to keep on top of your hand and foot care all year round – lets be honest who doesn’t love a bit of me time and a pamper ❤