Week 13
Did you know people that have high arches of the feet, also known as pes cavus, are more likely to have stress fractures and ankle sprains?
Because of the high arches of the feet, the feet themselfs are less flexible, more rigid and the heels will have callouses.
Actually, anyone that have high arches can take a look at their shoes and see the heel of the shoe is more used up on the same places where your callouses appear on the heel of your foot.
Go ahead, take a look at the soles of your shoes...now take a look at the soles of your feet. You should see where the wear and tear of the soles of your shoes, you'll have callouses on the same parts of the sole of your feet.
Please be aware to have proper footwear with built up arch support and consult a foot specialist that does orthotics. Your feet will be forever grateful!
This is Friday foot fact is short and sweet but I hope it inspires you to put your best foot forward.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
What's that smell???
Dear readers,
Do you have a pair of shoes that are just atrocious to take off because of the deadly vapors that are permeating a whole room? Either you have a teenager that his sweat glands are out of whack, a husband's construction boots that are deadly or even your favorite pair of sandals that can emit a smell that is comparable to a very pungent cheese.
What is that smell? Well to keep it simple, it's these little bacteria that have gas. A lot of them! I've had this problem a few years back and it was beyond bad foot odor, I think I could of put a small animal under 3 pounds out cold with the smell of them. Seriously!
How I solved my stinky feet problem was pretty easy but as soon as I wore those pesky shoes, it came back in a vengeful force. You see the problem wasn't just my feet but those shoes in particular. So you really have to solve the source of where this problem is starting to really get rid of the smell.
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| One of my favorite breathable sneakers |
The first step is to take your shoes, slip them into a plastic resealable bag and put them in the freezer for a good 24 to 48 hours. By doing this, you are cutting off the bacteria from an thriving environment, warmth. If you have more than one pair of shoes causing you this problem, you will want to put them all in the freezer.
The second thing to do is a very cost effective solution too. White vinegar and lukewarm water in a 50-50 mixture. Meaning a cup of vinegar for a cup of water. Soaking your feet for 10 minutes for 10 consecutive days and making sure that the mixture is covering the whole soles of your feet. You really have to follow through with this treatment for it to be fully effective.
I have to say that wearing shoes made with synthetic materials are more prone to do this and wearing a shoe that is made with natural materials that are breathable is a better option. There is also more than one solution to this problem of smelly feet but I think this is one of the best and simplest ways to solve it. I hope this will help anyone that is having this problem without throwing out your favorite footwear.
Yours truly,
Nadine
Friday, March 23, 2012
Friday foot facts
Week 12
Did you know that your toes have no actual muscles?
In fact, neither do your fingers. All your phalanges, meaning the bones that shape your digits, meaning your toes and fingers are moving because of an intricate network of ligaments and tendons. The foot alone contains over 100 ligaments and 20 different muscles. Ligaments serve to bind the structure together, give strength and support the bone structure.
Still, I'm always amazed at how intricate the human body is made but foremost the foot. After all, it's because of them we can carry our bodies everywhere. Walk, run, skip, jump, stand or dance, they do it all for us but we rarely pay attention to them. Maybe taking care of them will allow many of us to dance till we are 90 years old, well that's my wish to everyone.
Short but sweet was the intent of my Friday foot fact today, enjoy putting your feet up or your best foot forward this weekend, just be grateful you have them!
Did you know that your toes have no actual muscles?
In fact, neither do your fingers. All your phalanges, meaning the bones that shape your digits, meaning your toes and fingers are moving because of an intricate network of ligaments and tendons. The foot alone contains over 100 ligaments and 20 different muscles. Ligaments serve to bind the structure together, give strength and support the bone structure.
 |
| Grateful feet on the beach |
Still, I'm always amazed at how intricate the human body is made but foremost the foot. After all, it's because of them we can carry our bodies everywhere. Walk, run, skip, jump, stand or dance, they do it all for us but we rarely pay attention to them. Maybe taking care of them will allow many of us to dance till we are 90 years old, well that's my wish to everyone.
Short but sweet was the intent of my Friday foot fact today, enjoy putting your feet up or your best foot forward this weekend, just be grateful you have them!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Men and waxing
It's a hair ripping experience....
Why I'm attacking this issue right now is because it's unusually warm for March in the Ottawa region, record breaking temperatures actually and it feels like summer is upon us. Some of you guys will be taking off your shirts to soak up some vitamin D in the flesh. (Do not forget your sunscreen, you can still burn.) But to the ones that feel like they are wearing a hair shirt underneath your shirt or you have an unusual body hair pattern that prevents you from taking off your t-shirt. Listen up!
I have been ripping hair off men for quite a while now, have tortured many of you with the sticky goop and given advice to you, yes you, hairy messy package of walking testosterone. No matter what they say about men being the stronger of the sexes, you really have a hard time handling the pain of waxing compared to women.
Now, let's talk about a few things you must know about getting waxed for the first time or reminders for the seasonal clients to prevent a bit less pain. What part of your body are you going to get done? Let's say it's your back and your have a few patches of hair growing in the region of your lower back, which is a very sensitive area for most that I have encountered. How sensitive? You stop talking and some of you whimper like little girls but it's nothing compared to waxing the chest rug.
If your hair is long, over an inch, you must clip it down. Clipping down your hair is to avoid initial, painful tugging or breaking of the hair if it's too long. If it's too short it will not remove easily either, in fact, it might even be useless to try to wax it since it won't "catch" in the wax. Your body hair length for waxing is ideal at 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch for a better waxing experience.
Investing in a good clipper with different hair length adapters is a great idea, it will come in more than handy throughout your life. A cheap hair clipper might cause you pain in places where you don't want pain, go ahead, buy a cheap one, I dare you! Don't forget to maintain your clippers just to avoid some unnecessary pain involved with hair stuck in between blades. Let's hope it's just hair, not skin!
Another thing that would really help men that are thinking of doing any sensitive wax areas besides reducing the thickness or length of the hair is trying a topical/dermal anesthetic.
What is that? It's cream named EMLA that really numbs the skin for some serious waxing and laser hair removal. It's a bit on the pricey point, about 60$ for 30 grams but a little tube goes a long way. You can buy it at the drug store, ask your pharmacist for it. Please follow the instructions through, you will need to seal the cream from oxygen with a garbage bag or plastic wrap for a period of 1 hour for satisfactory results, meaning no pain and total numbness! Do not forget to wash your hands after using the cream and make sure to check with the pharmacist for any counter effects that could affect you.
I'd like to mention you try not to use your razors on areas where you don't want to make the hair stronger and one of the main reasons for waxing is that it weakens the hair a lot, takes a long time to grow back (3-5 weeks). Because of the initial pain factor, most guys take way too long to come back but the more you do this procedure the less painful it will get and that's called building pain tolerance!
I really hope these tips will help in getting yourself ready for the summer season or even for those travelling down south. To all the male clients I had the privilege to rip your hair off in the last 15 years, thank you for trusting me to inflict pain as fast as possible!
Yours truly,
Nadine
PS: If any of my male readers have any questions or curious about any subjects pertaining to skin, hair removal or nails, leave me a comment or you can e-mail me. Your question might be a great subject for one of my posts.
Why I'm attacking this issue right now is because it's unusually warm for March in the Ottawa region, record breaking temperatures actually and it feels like summer is upon us. Some of you guys will be taking off your shirts to soak up some vitamin D in the flesh. (Do not forget your sunscreen, you can still burn.) But to the ones that feel like they are wearing a hair shirt underneath your shirt or you have an unusual body hair pattern that prevents you from taking off your t-shirt. Listen up!
I have been ripping hair off men for quite a while now, have tortured many of you with the sticky goop and given advice to you, yes you, hairy messy package of walking testosterone. No matter what they say about men being the stronger of the sexes, you really have a hard time handling the pain of waxing compared to women.
Now, let's talk about a few things you must know about getting waxed for the first time or reminders for the seasonal clients to prevent a bit less pain. What part of your body are you going to get done? Let's say it's your back and your have a few patches of hair growing in the region of your lower back, which is a very sensitive area for most that I have encountered. How sensitive? You stop talking and some of you whimper like little girls but it's nothing compared to waxing the chest rug.
If your hair is long, over an inch, you must clip it down. Clipping down your hair is to avoid initial, painful tugging or breaking of the hair if it's too long. If it's too short it will not remove easily either, in fact, it might even be useless to try to wax it since it won't "catch" in the wax. Your body hair length for waxing is ideal at 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch for a better waxing experience.
Investing in a good clipper with different hair length adapters is a great idea, it will come in more than handy throughout your life. A cheap hair clipper might cause you pain in places where you don't want pain, go ahead, buy a cheap one, I dare you! Don't forget to maintain your clippers just to avoid some unnecessary pain involved with hair stuck in between blades. Let's hope it's just hair, not skin!
Another thing that would really help men that are thinking of doing any sensitive wax areas besides reducing the thickness or length of the hair is trying a topical/dermal anesthetic.
What is that? It's cream named EMLA that really numbs the skin for some serious waxing and laser hair removal. It's a bit on the pricey point, about 60$ for 30 grams but a little tube goes a long way. You can buy it at the drug store, ask your pharmacist for it. Please follow the instructions through, you will need to seal the cream from oxygen with a garbage bag or plastic wrap for a period of 1 hour for satisfactory results, meaning no pain and total numbness! Do not forget to wash your hands after using the cream and make sure to check with the pharmacist for any counter effects that could affect you.
I'd like to mention you try not to use your razors on areas where you don't want to make the hair stronger and one of the main reasons for waxing is that it weakens the hair a lot, takes a long time to grow back (3-5 weeks). Because of the initial pain factor, most guys take way too long to come back but the more you do this procedure the less painful it will get and that's called building pain tolerance!
I really hope these tips will help in getting yourself ready for the summer season or even for those travelling down south. To all the male clients I had the privilege to rip your hair off in the last 15 years, thank you for trusting me to inflict pain as fast as possible!
Yours truly,
Nadine
PS: If any of my male readers have any questions or curious about any subjects pertaining to skin, hair removal or nails, leave me a comment or you can e-mail me. Your question might be a great subject for one of my posts.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Friday foot facts
Week 11
Last Friday's foot fact got me thinking more about nails. I have seen them in many shapes, sizes, thickness, growing in every direction and forms. Even though they seem to just cover the tip of your digits, they're mistreated and shoved in the most uncomfortable positions in many shoes. Even though you're wearing the correct shoe for the correct job, you might still have a problem. Take a runner training for a marathon. Now the amount of stress the nails endure all throughout the training and the marathon itself can lead to losing toenails even though the shoe is the right one for the job.
Now this doesn't just happen to runners but also to anyone who is wearing a shoe where the toebox is too narrow and not deep enough to accommodate the toes properly. Even a shoe that is a tad too big can create a problem when the foot is sliding back and forth in the shoe, the repeated impact on the nail can lead to it's loss.
How can a nail fall off? The nail is made of 3 layers, the top part is called the Dorsal nail plate, the middle is called Intermediate nail plate and last but not least, the Ventral nail plate is the part that is attached to your nail bed. When a nail falls of it is usually the top 2 layers that are involved and the bottom layer, the Ventral will still be intact. That would be that thin layer that is left behind when the nail fell off. You nail should grow back even though it might take time since the toenails are the slowest to grow compared to your fingernails and they will grow approximately about 2 inches a year.
To make sure your toenails don't get punished from too much from exercise or repeated abuse, you might want to make sure to keep them shorter then the tip of your toes, it would be less damaging to your nails.
If your fallen nail is growing back in an abnormal way, it's more than the nail affected. The matrix of the nail could be damaged and that, dear readers, is for another post.
Hope you've enjoyed this short Friday foot fact. Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to put your best foot forward!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Waxing: it's a hair ripping experience!
At one point in our lives we have to deal with hair removal one way or the other. Unless you are totally oblivious to our obsession for being hairless at the right places in this society or have been living in a cave and looking like it's dweller! We have come a long way and have many options to remove hair. You can shave it, wax it, tweeze it, trim it, have little shocks given to the hair shaft through a hair fine needle (electrolysis) or get hair laser removal done.
Now, what ever means you try to remove it, you have the option on how long the treatment will last once you get it done. Hence, shaving is less painful and grows out quickly and getting laser hair removal done is more pricey but permanent after a few treatments. Waxing is middle ground to getting a longer lasting treatment all in meanwhile of having less and less that grows back in the long run. The returned growth in between waxes vary from 3-5 weeks till your hair is long enough to wax again. If you live where the climate fluctuates with the 4 seasons, you will notice that it will take longer to grow back in the winter months than in the summer months.
Today is all about wax and what you need to know before ripping hair off. Either you do it to yourself, have a professional do this procedure or some of you will trust a friend to inflict pain on you. What you must know is this first and foremost: you hair must be long enough for it to catch in the wax, a quarter of an inch is long enough but if it's too long, like closer to an inch, it might snap off or give you an extra yanking sensation that is not to pleasant. Next, you want to make sure your skin is dry and has no lotion on it what so ever. The wax will not adhere to your skin or hair making it pointless to try to rip it off.
Here are some tips on waxing yourself with a drug store wax kit for first timers and occasional wax users.
1. Read the instructions all the way through first, someone took the time to explain the use of the product, hopefully properly and then read it a second time just to make sure you really understand the directions. It's like a carpenter, measure twice, cut once.
2. Make sure your skin is dry and free of any lotions and your hair is longer than a 1/4 of an inch, if it looks like your hair is stuck underneath a layer of dead skin, it will not come off easily. You'll have to exfoliate your skin the day before to make it easier for hair removal.
3. Get all your equipment ready in an area where you have good lighting, it is not recommended to wax in a carpeted area either or where cleaning it up won't damage any floors or cover up the area with an old bath towel. You will need tweezers and some type of afterwax lotion that is sometimes provided with the kits, if not, a soothing body lotion should work well too. If the wax needs cotton strips to remove it, get them ready also.
4. Turn off the ringers and bells that might distract you from doing the job.
5. When heating the wax, make sure you follow the instructions, always make sure the product is well stirred to distribute the heat evenly. Test the wax on your inner wrist to check the temperature of it, better your wrist then your face to figure out it was too hot.
6. Always apply the wax in the direction the hair is growing, apply the cotton strip to the area leaving about 2 fingers wide of the cotton where you finished applying the wax, at this point you want to rub and press at the same time the cotton strip into the wax.
7. You should have a "lip" of cotton left where you will pull it in the opposite direction that the hair grows. When you do this, don't think about it too much, it's like a band aid, all in one piece and commit to the strip!
Follow through in the motion, not in an upward or away from the skin motion but in a paralleled motion with the skin. As fast as you have removed the strip, apply pressure with your free hand to the waxed area to relieve the sting.
8. Apply wax to a small area at a time. Always.
9. If you are in a jam and you're backing out of a sticky situation and have no clue what to do. Body butters and most cooking oils in the kitchen will help to dissolve the wax.
10. If you are being disturbed and need to heat the wax a second time, make sure you test it again. You never know if it can burn you and you better be safe than sorry.
I hope these little tips helped make the home waxing experience a bit better for some of you. If you have any comments, stories or questions about waxing or hair removal, let me know about it.
Now, what ever means you try to remove it, you have the option on how long the treatment will last once you get it done. Hence, shaving is less painful and grows out quickly and getting laser hair removal done is more pricey but permanent after a few treatments. Waxing is middle ground to getting a longer lasting treatment all in meanwhile of having less and less that grows back in the long run. The returned growth in between waxes vary from 3-5 weeks till your hair is long enough to wax again. If you live where the climate fluctuates with the 4 seasons, you will notice that it will take longer to grow back in the winter months than in the summer months.
Today is all about wax and what you need to know before ripping hair off. Either you do it to yourself, have a professional do this procedure or some of you will trust a friend to inflict pain on you. What you must know is this first and foremost: you hair must be long enough for it to catch in the wax, a quarter of an inch is long enough but if it's too long, like closer to an inch, it might snap off or give you an extra yanking sensation that is not to pleasant. Next, you want to make sure your skin is dry and has no lotion on it what so ever. The wax will not adhere to your skin or hair making it pointless to try to rip it off.
 |
| Mini hard wax pearls and gel wax with essential oils. |
1. Read the instructions all the way through first, someone took the time to explain the use of the product, hopefully properly and then read it a second time just to make sure you really understand the directions. It's like a carpenter, measure twice, cut once.
2. Make sure your skin is dry and free of any lotions and your hair is longer than a 1/4 of an inch, if it looks like your hair is stuck underneath a layer of dead skin, it will not come off easily. You'll have to exfoliate your skin the day before to make it easier for hair removal.
3. Get all your equipment ready in an area where you have good lighting, it is not recommended to wax in a carpeted area either or where cleaning it up won't damage any floors or cover up the area with an old bath towel. You will need tweezers and some type of afterwax lotion that is sometimes provided with the kits, if not, a soothing body lotion should work well too. If the wax needs cotton strips to remove it, get them ready also.
4. Turn off the ringers and bells that might distract you from doing the job.
5. When heating the wax, make sure you follow the instructions, always make sure the product is well stirred to distribute the heat evenly. Test the wax on your inner wrist to check the temperature of it, better your wrist then your face to figure out it was too hot.
6. Always apply the wax in the direction the hair is growing, apply the cotton strip to the area leaving about 2 fingers wide of the cotton where you finished applying the wax, at this point you want to rub and press at the same time the cotton strip into the wax.
7. You should have a "lip" of cotton left where you will pull it in the opposite direction that the hair grows. When you do this, don't think about it too much, it's like a band aid, all in one piece and commit to the strip!
Follow through in the motion, not in an upward or away from the skin motion but in a paralleled motion with the skin. As fast as you have removed the strip, apply pressure with your free hand to the waxed area to relieve the sting.
8. Apply wax to a small area at a time. Always.
9. If you are in a jam and you're backing out of a sticky situation and have no clue what to do. Body butters and most cooking oils in the kitchen will help to dissolve the wax.
10. If you are being disturbed and need to heat the wax a second time, make sure you test it again. You never know if it can burn you and you better be safe than sorry.
I hope these little tips helped make the home waxing experience a bit better for some of you. If you have any comments, stories or questions about waxing or hair removal, let me know about it.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Friday foot facts
Week 10
It's a Friday foot fact again, the week just flew by with a lot of toenail cutting this week. Good to be busy but sometimes, when I see what I do, I think most of you would gag. But for me it's a real pleasure to fix as best as I can the problems I see with toenails. You see, nails protect numerous nerve endings and the tiny, little bones (phalanges) at the very end of your toes and fingers.
Now I understand some of us have exceptionally beautiful feet and toes but let's face it, some of us have not all been blessed with pretty feet or toes. But there is a difference between a healthy nail and one that it's health has been compromised to the point of no repair. I have seen nails that are way too short, way too long, way too thick or thin and some of you have even stuck Exacto knives in very tight spots where you thought it would of been a good idea to relieve some pressure off a ingrown or involuted toenail! There are many things that can happen to them in a lifespan, let's face it, most of us will have them for life if all is well with our health.
But for some of us, the health of a toenail will be affected by trauma, infection, skin diseases, inherited factors and nutritional deficiencies. If your health is compromised by diabetes, it is of most importance that you find adequate certified advanced footcare nurses to provide and educate you on regular footcare. Even if you are healthy, sometimes ignoring a simple little foot or toenail pain can make you regret not paying attention to them.
The fact is this, ladies and gentlemen alike, we have all seen someone wearing socks and sandles at one point in our lives. Did you ever think there might be a reason underneath that? Hmmm, maybe you don't want to know why they will never see the light of day either.
So here's to Friday, hopefully you will get to put your feet up sometime this weekend and maybe you will inspect your toes a bit closer and give them a bit of some toe lovin' care! My version of TLC!
It's a Friday foot fact again, the week just flew by with a lot of toenail cutting this week. Good to be busy but sometimes, when I see what I do, I think most of you would gag. But for me it's a real pleasure to fix as best as I can the problems I see with toenails. You see, nails protect numerous nerve endings and the tiny, little bones (phalanges) at the very end of your toes and fingers.
Now I understand some of us have exceptionally beautiful feet and toes but let's face it, some of us have not all been blessed with pretty feet or toes. But there is a difference between a healthy nail and one that it's health has been compromised to the point of no repair. I have seen nails that are way too short, way too long, way too thick or thin and some of you have even stuck Exacto knives in very tight spots where you thought it would of been a good idea to relieve some pressure off a ingrown or involuted toenail! There are many things that can happen to them in a lifespan, let's face it, most of us will have them for life if all is well with our health.
 |
| Glass file on healthy nails. |
The fact is this, ladies and gentlemen alike, we have all seen someone wearing socks and sandles at one point in our lives. Did you ever think there might be a reason underneath that? Hmmm, maybe you don't want to know why they will never see the light of day either.
So here's to Friday, hopefully you will get to put your feet up sometime this weekend and maybe you will inspect your toes a bit closer and give them a bit of some toe lovin' care! My version of TLC!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Friday foot fact
Week 9
In this week's Friday foot fact, I'm talking about what our feet are designed to do: walk!
Did you know the average person walks the distance of going 3 times around the world in a lifetime? Women walk an average of 10 miles in a day meanwhile men will walk an average of 7 miles in a day. Our feet absorb 3 times your body weight while walking and some of us will inherit the way we walk. The name of the way you walk is called a gait. Our moods can affect our gait and so does a really bad pair of ill fitting shoes. Making sure you take care of your feet now can save you from future foot problems.
I hope this post, even though short and sweet, will have made you appreciate what your feet do for you. Don't take them for granted either, it's when we have problems with them that we realize the important tasks they perform in our day to day life.
Have a great weekend everyone!
In this week's Friday foot fact, I'm talking about what our feet are designed to do: walk!
Did you know the average person walks the distance of going 3 times around the world in a lifetime? Women walk an average of 10 miles in a day meanwhile men will walk an average of 7 miles in a day. Our feet absorb 3 times your body weight while walking and some of us will inherit the way we walk. The name of the way you walk is called a gait. Our moods can affect our gait and so does a really bad pair of ill fitting shoes. Making sure you take care of your feet now can save you from future foot problems.
I hope this post, even though short and sweet, will have made you appreciate what your feet do for you. Don't take them for granted either, it's when we have problems with them that we realize the important tasks they perform in our day to day life.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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