Foot spas
Foot spas are a relaxing treat supposed to ease stress and pain, but they can actually cause some serious problems if you’re not careful. Due to the volume of people who pass through them, professional spas can be a hotbed of bacteria, which can enter your feet through tiny cuts, bites or scratches. That means that getting a foot massage after shaving is a no-no.
Not exercising enough
Researchers estimate that your feet experience the force of around 120% of your body weight every day, which can put a lot of stress on the small bones and muscles that help you move around. If you don’t walk, jog or bike regularly to strengthen and condition those muscles, foot pain and inflammation can become an ongoing issue.
Cutting corns
Corns are painful and unsightly, so the instinct is to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, attempting to cut or shave your own corns is far more dangerous than you might think, as this can quickly introduce bacteria and thus infection into your blood. In serious cases, cutting a corn off could result in a visit to the emergency room and even surgery.
Wearing cheap shoes
It’s common knowledge that wearing cheap shoes is a recipe for blisters, discomfort and twisted ankles, but there are more serious consequences to continuing to don the bargain bin heels or secondhand gym shoes. Wearing inadequately supportive shoes can lead to hammertoes over time, a painful condition in which the toes bend awkwardly at the joints.
Smoking
Smoking is bad for your health overall, but it can impact more than just your heart health and lung capacity. Heavy smokers can easily develop Buerger’s disease, an illness which causes blood vessels in the hands and feet to become blocked and inflamed. The result is pain in the feet, sores and even the dying off of tissues.
High heels
Many people will be familiar with the agony of wearing stilettos for too long on a night out, but is there really a risk to high-heel wearing? It turns out the answer is yes, as studies have shown that heels can improve ankle strength and stability for the first three years of wear, but then the Achilles tendon becomes painful, stiff and shortened.
Flip-flops
It might be tempting to throw on a pair of flip-flops for every summer outfit, but the risks may outweigh the benefits. Not only do they increase your risk of stubbed toes or damage from dropped items, but you also have to use your toe muscles to keep them from sliding off. Over time, this can cause muscle malformation and eventually pain when walking.
Trimming toenails
Trimming your toenails is a crucial part of personal grooming and hygiene, but that doesn’t mean that there’s no wrong way to do it. Even though it arguably looks more aesthetically pleasing, cutting toenails in a curve is far more likely to result in ingrown toenails, where the nail is pushed into the tissue around it by the top of the shoe. Cutting straight across is safer.
Wearing stockings
Stockings are an elegant and beautiful accessory that can make any outfit seem classy and sophisticated, but they’re also pretty hard on the feet. The tightness around the toes can cause cramping, circulation issues, pain and even the development of disorders like Morton’s neuroma, which makes the sufferer feel like they’re constantly walking on a stone.
Damp socks
The risks of going barefoot at a public swimming pool or at the gym are well known, as these places are breeding grounds for Athlete’s foot and other bacteria that love damp conditions. However, lesser known is the risk of continuing to wear socks that are damp or sweaty, as this too can cause fungal infections.