Feet.. some people hate them, some people aren’t fussed by them, some love to get their pedicures and a bit of reflexology. Whatever suits. However.. as a dancer we should be loving and caring for our feet. After all, they hold our body all day and with stand a lot of impact. Especially once you have the pleasure of going onto pointe!!! Yep, a super exciting time in most dancers life, you get the all clear, you get fitted for your shoes and then BAM! Hello in grown toe nails, blisters, bleeding knuckles and bunions. Suddenly not so exciting.
So how about we do everything we can to try and avoid these. Keep reading for my top tips for foot health care!
· Cut your toe nails 2 days before class. NEVER on the day of class. Your new exposed skin needs time to toughen up, if it is too fresh you’re asking for blisters and in growing toe nails
· Cut your nails straight across. Try to avoid any rounding of the corners as this is a recipe for ingrowing toe nails!
· Try not to dance with toe nails too long. Set personal reminders to avoid forgetting about your nails becoming too long too close to your class.
· Avoid wearing colored nail polish to be able to detect any bruising that may occur.
· Blisters are common- if you have them, cover with a sterile strip followed by a strip of athletic tape. Even if you don’t have a blister, carry these in your dance bag so you’re prepared, just in case one decides to join you during class!
· NEVER pop a blood blister. It is said clear ones can be popped however, I do not advise this. Let nature take its course.
***DISCLAIMER; I am not a chiropodist nor a qualified physio- all of my advise is taken from personal experience. For foot problems and advice please see a specialist ***