Negligence of your feet will soon project itself with painful, hard skin problem feet. Let's take a look at the common foot problems, their causes and remedial treatment.


Bunions:- Bunions are characterised by the painful thickening of skin. The big toe bends towards the other toes forming a painful lump on the side of the foot.


Cause:- It is basically caused by the use of ill-fitting, pointed footwear.


Treatment:-

* Combine equal parts of iodine and castor oil on the bunions for temporary relief.

* Use a soothing lotion/gel for relief. Aloe vera is good for this problem.



* Consult your Chiropodist

CORNS

Corns:- A painful thickening of the skin that can be recognized by its raised central core and red cuticles.


Cause:- It is caused by tight footwear and their continual pressure against your feet causes friction and irritation that leads to the formation of corns.


Treatment:-

* Use a corn cap. A corn cap helps o loosen the hard centre of the corn.

* Dip a cotton bud into pure, undiluted lemon juice and keep on the corn. Saturate and rub gently a couple of times.

* Apply fresh orange peel paste to the hard corn skin. It helps to soften the skin in a short period of time.

* Can be removed surgically.

CALLUSES

Calluses:- Thick, hard patches of skin found on the palms of hands and soles of feet are called callus.


Causes:- It is caused by regular pressure or friction in that particular spot.


Treatment:-


* Slough off dead cells with a pumice stone/foot scrubber and massage in some castor oil.

* After bath, massage in some lanolin or lanolin based cream.

* Calluses are said to be effectively scrubbed away with an almond scrub.

* Apply warm olive oil to the callus and massage well for sometime.

* Equal quantities of glycerine, lemon juice and orange peel powder to be mixed well and applied for 1/2 an hour before scrubbing off

* Mix together castor oil and lemon juice and apply on the calluses to soften it.

CHILBLAINS

Chilblains:- Chilblains are recognised by the red, itchy, irritating sensation near the heels and soles.


Cause:- It is caused by extremely cold weather or bad circulation of blood in the foot region.


Treatment:-


* Soak feet in warm soapy water 10-15 mins. Rinse well and apply rich olive oil and massage well.

* Epsom salt foot bath is also beneficial

* Apply soothing lotions/gels like Aloe Vera.

ATHLETE'S FOOT

Athlete's Foot:- Athlete's Foot is a fungal infection, which is found to be highly contagious. The fungus manifests itself between and under the toe region.


Cause:- Excess moisture between toes causes the skin to split and blister.

Treatment:-
* Make it a point to keep the region between your toes always dry.

* Use anti-fungal solution like Suthol or a powder like Neosporin Powder.

* Change socks regularly

* Use a separate towel for your feet


* Discard socks and towels used, once you have been cured.

* In extreme cases, consult your doctor.




** All images are taken from random google search**


Also read Part II & Part III

                    

               
              Acne is a common inflammatory disorder of the sebaceous glands just below the skin surface. It is characterized by the recurring formation of blackheads, whiteheads and acne. Primarily, acne occurs on the face but in some cases, it may be noticed on the back, shoulders, chest and arms.




Causes:- Hormones, are the main culprits and when they are at their peak of activity, influencing the secretion of the sebaceous glands. The excess production of sebum causes breakouts that are highly incidental during puberty and menstruation. At times, psychological stress cause acne.




Prevention:- Balanced nutrition and diet, skin hygiene, adequate sleep, exercise, fresh air, sunlight, meditation help in combating acne.




Role of Diet:- Diet is an important factor in acne. Carbohydrates and food with high fat content should be avoided from diet. The high content of oxalic acid that is present in chocolates, cocoa and rhubarb inhibits the body's absorption of calcium. Since Calcium maintains the acid-alkali balance of the body, it is important for a clear complexion. Reducing salt intake in your diet also shows a remarkable improvement in complexion. Vitamins are necessary for your lovely, smooth skin. Vitamin A is important for clear, healthy skin. Vitamin B Complex reduces facial greasiness and the formation of blackheads.






Treatment:-


*Saturate cotton wool in mint juice extract and apply everyday.


* Apply crushed marigold leaves on acne.


* Boil and mash plums to get roughly 8 tspns. Combine with 1 tspn of almond oil and apply.


* Make a smooth paste of Kasturi Turmeric and apply evenly on acne.


* Apply a mask made out of fresh margosa leaves ground to a fine paste. Add 1/4 tspn each of turmeric powder, sandal paste and gram flour. Let it dry completely before rinsing.

              Oily skin has the disadvantage of a perpetually shiny nose, a skin that hates makeup and of course, a tendency to large pores. Oily skin requires proper cleansing and scrubbing. Large pored skin does not look lovely at close quarters and they also provide a base for blackheads and pimples.Oil secretion in excess is the root cause of open pores.

How to deal with it:- Wash face regularly with a gentle face wash specially designed for oily skin. Use a toner atleast twice a day. Don't touch/squeeze pimples, black and white heads.

Makeup:- Avoid using oil/cream based foundation, blush etc on your face. If possible start using mineral makeup, Oriflame is cheap and available for all. Also use a darker shade of foundation over the pores. Apply a primer before foundation. Don't use cream blush instead use a powder blush.

Pore Minimizer:- Mix together 1tspn of tomato pulp, 2 tspn egg white, 3 tspn brandy, 1 tspn honey and 2 tspn flour. Make a smooth paste and apply on your face avoiding around your eyes and mouth. Keep it on for 20 mins and wash off. Use this only once a week.

Face Pack 1:- Mix together 3 tspn of yogurt and 3 tspn of pureed cucumber. Apply all over face and keep it on till it dries. Wash off. Use this pack 2 times a week.

OR

Face Pack 2:- Mix together 1 tspn flour, 1 pinch camphor, 1 tspn brandy and 1 tspn honey. Apply on your face avoiding your around the eye and mouth areas. Keep it on for 10 mins and wash off. Can be applied twice a week. Do clean face with oil-free cleanser or face wash before applying this pack.