1.       Athletes Foot

Just about anyone who works out regularly is at risk of getting athlete’s foot – a contagious skin infection between the toes cause by the ringworm fungus. You can catch the fungus through direct contact with an infected person or by touching surfaces contaminated with the fungus (especially in moist environments such as showers and locker room floors).

• Don’t throw off your workout routine because of athlete’s foot. That’s nothing your Los Angeles Podiatrist can’t fix with a course of topical antifungal medication – call today 310.247.9255 for more details.

2.       Bunions

Excessively wearing high heels and ill-fitting shoes can contribute to the growth of nasty bunions. However, bunions are also hereditary – the ones your mom and her mom used to have.

• Reconsider pointy toe flat or shoes. Treatments for bunions includes the use of custom orthotics to hold the feet in a more neutral position.

3.       Dry Cracked Feet

Winter is the season of dry soles and cracked heels. Dry and cracked feet make wearing high heels unbearable and irritating. However, winter is the best season to hide your feet in trendy thigh-high boots and short booties.

• The trick is to keep your feet moisturized at night by applying a generous amount of lotion and wearing socks to sleep the night before – which helps to lock in the moisture to dry areas of the foot.

4.       Corns and Calluses

Corns are hard painful growths, typically seen on the soles of the feet that grow into the foot. Corns develop due to pressure, usually from the type of shoes you wear that irritate the skin on your feet. Callouses on the other hand are less painful but can be caused by the same friction.

• The solution to this problem is surgery to cut out the hard skin. Also, it’s probably time to reconsider some of your shoe selections. See warts treatment for similar procedures.

5.       Hammertoes

“Hammertoes are caused by an imbalance of the tendons that bend and extend your toes.” Wearing heels that are tight at the toe region increases the risk of getting hammertoes.

• Your solution is to try using cushions in your shoes. However, the only real solution for your painful hammertoes is surgery to correctly fix the problem.

6.       Ingrown Toenail

Improper nail growth causes ingrown toenails – this could be due to the poor trimming of your own nails, improper cutting by an untrained nail technician and wearing tight fitting shoes.

• The best way to prevent ingrown toenail is to trim your nails straight across using a clean instrument or nail clipper. If you or someone you know has an ingrown nail, seek ingrown toenail treatment by a podiatrist for proper removal.