In recent months there have been numerous articles in many newspapers about feet, which are now the subject, especially in the U.S., of an ever-evolving fashion: feet that have been almost entirely redone, collagen or hyaluronic acid pads implanted under the sole in order to afford vertiginous heels, filing of the lateral bones in order to wear shoes with ultra-thin toes … all surgeries that often leave residual problems and pain!
In Italy, fortunately, the foot is still seen not so much as an aesthetic emblem, but above all as an “accessory” to the well-being of the entire organism. Walking comfortably and with suitable footwear is, in fact, still a must for both men and women, and this is all the more noticeable in summer, when feet perforce are uncovered and put on display.

A key point for our well-being

Many people do not know that neglecting the well-being and health of the feet can have both postural and vascular negative repercussions. And most women wear high heels that are often very beautiful and sexy, but without knowing the discomfort they will provide in the future. Footwear, in fact remains very important to correct, when necessary, the plantar support.

We can treat asymmetries of the pelvis or shoulders, painful symptoms of the cervical and lumbar spine, seemingly unresolvable chronic headaches, dental malocclusion.

Not to mention bone deformities, trophic changes in the skin and nails, hyperkeratotic areas, edema of the dorsum of the foot and toes … An apparently healthy standing foot may function poorly during walking: this results in venous changes responsible in part for varicose disease. And again … A lymphedema that is chronic (i.e., swelling of the leg, back of the foot, and toes) and that does not respond to common therapies that act on the lymphatic system may be caused by onychomycosis (mycosis of the nails). In these cases, the whole will not resolve until the appropriate drug therapy is taken for the individual condition, often including oral therapy.
Several aesthetic leg conditions, such as some forms of so-called “cellulitis,” require combination therapies including those that rely on correcting impaired plantar support. Anamnesis, objective examination and the use of instrumental methods that assess the correct foot position in static and dynamic remain tasks that the physician must perform accurately and through which he can prescribe a specific footbed that contributes to the resolution of the pathology presented by the patient.
In all these circumstances, plays, however, a very important role the collaboration between different specialists (the podiatrist, the angiologist, the orthopedist, the aesthetic physician).

When the aesthetic factor is basic

But what about a healthy, cosmetically neglected foot?
It should be a regular habit to make an appointment with a trained aesthetician who has the ability to solve problems responsible for discomfort when wearing footwear, and sensation of pain when walking (e.g., calluses, partridge eyes, ingrown toenails…). Not to mention that an unkempt foot is a sign of neglect and untidiness.
So green light to scrubs with salts that make the skin smooth, moisturizing and nourishing creams for an ultra-soft epidermis, and masks with kerosene for a shiny and smooth skin.
Nails should be perfectly filed and shaped. And let’s not adopt those square, all the same nails so fashionable in the past years. Much better healthy nails not redone!
Only for those who have the misfortune of not having beautiful nails can resort to special treatments that allow their reconstruction: tips (false nails to be applied and glued on their base), glossy and transparent gels, resins that harden and look very natural. On the nails (natural or reconstructed) you can then apply nail polish or decorations with rhinestones and beads of different shapes and colors or you can of do the “french” coloring only the free part of the nail, white in the classic version or different colors if you want to exaggerate!
Then go for the fun and to end on a high note, don’t forget to ask your beautician for a foot massage with essential oils… You will feel in heaven!

Plastic surgery also, in the most challenging cases, can do much to improve the well-being of our feet and to fix small and large problems in the extremities.

Syndactyly, for example, a congenital malformation of the toes that occur joined in groups of two or three, can find a solution. In these cases, the plastic surgeon intervenes alone, if the problem is at the soft tissue level, or with the help of the orthopedist if the bone system is involved. Opposite problem is polydactyly, that is, supernumerary toes. Here, too, the plastic surgeon or orthopedist intervenes by removing the extra toes and restoring the correct shape of the foot. Postoperative rest with the limb “unloaded” for a variable duration depending on the type of surgery is always essential in such cases.
Then there are less complex problems, in a sense, that always require surgery as in the case of mycosis of the nails rebellious to topical and systemic treatments or in the case of recurrent ingrown toenails . In these cases, the surgeon removes not the whole nail, but only part of it, along with the matrix wedged in the soft tissues, thus accelerating healing and without the need to wait for nail growth. Also often present are plantar warts , which can be very troublesome if they grow on the sole of the foot and grow deep.
These are simple procedures, performed under local anesthesia and with minimal discomfort for the patient.

But let us not forget that the feet receive signals and stresses from the entire organism, as they are the most declivous and most “used” part of the human body, and their health and well-being should always be a priority for each of us. If we notice that, at the end of the day, our feet are swollen there is something wrong with our lifestyle or, more rarely, we are in the presence of a real pathology, which recommends a referral to the angiologist or vascular surgeon.

What to do then?

First, if we can, let’s improve our lifestyle. For everyone there are general rules that would be good to follow such as raising the feet of the bed (with two bricks for example) about 5 or 10 centimeters, so that the feet come to be elevated above the rest of the body. If you then have a sedentary job or spend many hours standing or sitting, remember to walk for at least half an hour a day. And if our work activity requires us to stand still ( perhaps we are doing ironing, or a surgeon) it is good to stand up on our toes from time to time, but regularly, to promote blood circulation.

What about the shoes?

Never abuse excessively high shoes or shoes with too tight toes, They too can restrict blood circulation and cause inconvenience in the long run. Also to be used sparingly are hold-ups that over-tighten the legs or stockings with elastic that are too tight. Better tights and compression stockings to buy in specialized orthopedic stores or pharmacies, where they can advise you on your right size and where you can combine health and aesthetics. And they will also last twice as long as regular stockings!

What about sports?

This is a very useful great friend for preventing phenomena related to poor blood circulation. In addition to exercise and walking, many sports are fine, among which one of the best remains swimming.

But what are the vascular diseases that can afflict our feet?

First and foremost, varicose veins (these are dilated veins that can be noticed under the skin either by their “snake-like” shape or by being detected as a cord…) that can reach various stages of inflammation and, in the most severe cases even procure real ulcers. A great help, in recent years, has been given to diagnostics, by the advent of echocolordoppler that allows a very precise, repeatable and absolutely harmless diagnosis even in pregnancy!
In the case of varicose veins, if an overt circulatory insufficiency is evidenced, one can first intervene with pharmacological treatments based on phlebotonics to be taken in periodic cycles, and then arrive,depending on the indications, at either surgery involving the removal of the “diseased” vein with the help of micro-incisions, or sclerotherapy. The operation, in the vast majority of cases, is simple and can be performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis.

And finally, still in the vascular field, an important tip dedicated precisely to those who suffer from varicose veins. It may happen that due to trauma or for any other reason a small vein (for example, of an ankle) starts bleeding: what should one do?

Here is what the expert recommends:

1. Non farsi prendere dal panico!
2. Sdraiatevi ed alzate le gambe sopra il torace
3. Comprimete il punto sanguinante con un dito per 2 o 3 minuti.

The blood will stop gushing almost immediately, and after a short time, you can calmly go to your primary care physician for appropriate treatment.