The Summer Heat and Your Feet

Now that the summer heat is here, our sandals begin to come out of storage. Our feet face a unique set of challenges as temperatures rise. The summer heat can leave feet sweaty, dry, cracked, or even vulnerable to infections. Whether you're making a trip to the beach, going barefoot around the pool, or walking more during vacations, it's essential to give your feet the care they deserve. 

1.) Keep Feet Dry to Prevent Fungal Infections

• Choose moisture-wicking socks instead of cotton.
• Rotate your shoes and allow them to fully dry out between wears.
• Use foot powders and antiperspirant sprays to reduce sweat.
• Dry your feet thoroughly, especially between the toes, after showering or swimming. 

2.) Don't Overdo the Moisturizer

• Targeted hydration matters.
• Moisturize your feet at night after showering and drying thoroughly.
• Avoid applying lotion between he toes, which can trap moisture and promote fungal growth.
• Use area-based or alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) creams to gently exfoliate and soften thick, dry skin. 

3.) Protect Your Heels from Cracking

• Wear shoes with heel support and cushioning when possible.
• Exfoliate regularly using a pumice stone or foot scrub.
• Apply a thick, occlusive foot cream before bed and wear cotton socks overnight to lock in moisture. 

4.) Be cautious at Pools, Gyms, and Beaches

• Always wear flip-flops or water shoes in public showers, locker rooms, and around pools.
• Clean and dry your feet immediately after swimming.
• Keep toenails trimmed and clean to prevent infections from starting under the nail. 

Final Thoughts: Listen to your feet this summer and wear sunscreen! Source

What Are the Benefits of Hand Exfoliation?

Some hand exfoliation benefits include: 

• Removes dirt, debris, and dead cells to give you healthy skin
• Unclogs skin pores
• Fights signs of aging like wrinkles
• Reduces skin discoloration and evens your skin tone
• Smooths skin texture
• Improves blood circulation and lymphatic drainage
• Increases skin cell turnover
• Stimulates collagen synthesis
• Helps in better penetration of other skin care products like moisturizers

How to Exfoliate Your Hands?

Here are some dermatologist-recommended tips to help you build your own exfoliation routine:

Step 1. Keep track of any medications or other skin care products you may be using because certain chemicals like retinoids and benzoyl peroxide can make your skin overly sensitive, dry, or flaky. If you apply a strong exfoliator while using such products, you could end up irritating your skin or causing damage.

Step 2. Your exfoliation technique and all the products you use must match your skin type. For example, if you have dry or sensitive skin, you should use mild chemical exfoliators or soft washcloths for exfoliation. Applying mechanical force during exfoliation will only cause damage to your skin. Alternatively, if you have oily or thick skin, strong exfoliators are the need of the hour. But if also have a dark skin tone, avoid aggressive exfoliation, as it can cause dark spots.

Step 3. Whether you’re using a chemical or mechanical exfoliator, gently apply the product and use light, short strokes or tiny circular motions to scrub the skin of your hands for around 30 seconds. Then rinse off the product using lukewarm water. Avoid exfoliating any areas with sunburns, insect bites, or open wounds or cuts.

Step 4. After drying your hands with a soft towel, apply moisturizer immediately as exfoliation dries out the skin. Moisturizing regularly will keep your skin hydrated and healthy. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen before you step out to protect your hands from skin cancer-causing harmful ultraviolet sun rays. 

Step 5. The frequency of skin exfoliation depends on your skin type, lifestyle, and exfoliation method. As a rule of thumb, the stronger your exfoliation technique, the less frequently you need to do it. Avoid exfoliating too much because this can lead to skin irritation.

How to Make Your Hands Look Younger?

Skin exfoliation gives great results. But this may not be enough to see a significant improvement in your skin quality if your lifestyle contradicts the positive effects of skin exfoliation. For example, if you use tanning beds too often or stay out in the sun for too long, you could develop age spots (solar lentigines or liver spots). 

If you’ve recently lost a lot of weight, your skin could become loose and wrinkly. As you age, your skin loses elasticity. This happens all over the body, but you may tend to focus on the changes you can see on your face. To complement all the hard work you’ve been doing to maintain your appearance, remember to care for your hands.

Here are some small lifestyle changes you can implement to make your body healthier and your hands look younger:

• Drink enough water to keep your body hydrated and your skin clear. Aim for 13 cups a day if you’re a man and 9 cups a day if you’re a woman. Avoid drinking alcohol and too many caffeinated beverages, which can cause dehydration.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet containing fresh fruits and vegetables and other whole foods with important nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. A vitamin B complex and vitamin C are great for your skin, hair, and nails. A lack of these nutrients can make your nails brittle and flaky. You could even take multivitamin supplements if you feel that your diet isn’t nutritious enough.
• Based on your skin type, use a cream-based moisturizer for dry skin, a gel-based moisturizer for oily skin, or a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free moisturizer for sensitive skin. Moisturize regularly, especially after you wash your hands.
• Whenever you’re outdoors, protect your hands with sunscreen of SPF 50 or higher. You could also use cotton-lined gloves when doing chores like gardening and washing dishes. Use hand washes or soaps with a mild pH so that they’re not too harsh on the skin of your hands.

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What Is A Sole Soothe Pedicure?

Let's talk about one of the most requested services at UpKept. This service focuses on detailed natural foot care in a calm, private environment without the rushed feeling many clients have experienced elsewhere...

The Sole Soothe Pedicure includes:

• Nail and cuticle care
• Callus maintenance
• Exfoliation
• Hydration
• Brief, Relaxing massage

Designed to leave your feet feeling refreshed, clean, and cared for.

Sole Soothe Pedicure personalized foot care experience that focuses on getting your feet healthy. Sole Soothe addresses specific concerns and conditions. Using high-quality products and tools to provide gentle exfoliation, moisturization, and nail care techniques. Say goodbye to generic pedicures and experience a customized approach for healthy and beautiful feet.

Don't wait! Let's book your appointment today!

Remembrance of Memorial Day

 

Today we honor the service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Upkept Spa

536 Main Street

Vacaville, CA 95688

(Inside Jon Edwards Salon & Spa)

Tel: 707.208.7646

Book Your Next Appointment Today!

Warmer Weather Is Here!!! 

Don't leave your nails bare. Book your appointment today and get in my books.

If you know you love a certain day or time, booking ahead is the best way to stay consistent with your nail and foot care routine. 

Saturdays and evening spots especially tend to fill quickly since I work one-on-one and by appointment only.

Whether you come every 4 weeks, 6 weeks, or seasonally, planning ahead helps make sure you get the times that work best for you — without the stress of searching last minute.

BOOK HERE

Thick Toenail: Fungus or Trauma? How to Tell the Difference

Many people assume any thick or discolored nail must be fungus. In reality, trauma and pressure are often the real cause. Here are some simple patterns that can help you tell the difference.

Signs Thick Toenails May Be Fungus

• More than one nail is affected, often on both feet
• The nail may crumble at the edges
• There are white, yellow, or brown patches that change over time
• The nail has a soft, spongy, or chalky texture
• There may be a musty odor
• Changes gradually spread to other nails

Signs Thick Toenails May Be Trauma

• Only one or two nails are affected
• The nail is very hard, dense, or “shell-like”
• There is a history of injury, pressure, or tight shoes
• The nail may grow upward or sideways instead of flat
• The change stays localized rather than spreading

Trauma is far more common than fungus. Most toenails people assume are fungus are actually long-term pressure or injury. Understanding this difference can help you choose a realistic care plan. Source

7 Pedicure Safety Tips for People With Diabetes

The forecast calls for sunny weather. You want to slip into sandals or open toe-shoes, but your feet have to look their best. A pedicure is an option. But if you have type 2 diabetes, a pedicure comes with some risks. One is the risk of infection from a poorly sterilized pedicure tool or a cut. Infection can raise your blood sugar levels, interfere with proper healing and put you at risk of more serious complications like ulcers and even amputation.

So before scheduling a visit to the nail salon, check with your physician to make sure it’s okay to get a pedicure.

“People with poorly-controlled diabetes can develop foot problems, such as decreased circulation or nerve damage, which can lead to serious complications,” says Athena Philis-Tsimikas, MD, a clinical endocrinologist and vice president of Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute.

“Poor circulation can make your feet less able to fight infection. Nerve damage can cause loss of feeling, so if you injure your foot, you may not know it,” says Dr. Tsimikas said. “This makes cuts and nicks in the nail salon something you really want to avoid if you have diabetes.”

If given the green light for a pedicure, stick to a few basic precautions that can significantly reduce your risk of infection and lead to a safer, more pleasant experience.

Doctor-approved foot care tips

Follow these tips if you have type 2 diabetes and are considering getting a pedicure...

1. Know when to skip a pedicure

If you currently have any infections, cuts, or open sores on your legs, feet, or toenails, avoid the salon and the many risks. This applies also if you have neuropathy, which is a type of nerve damage that can occur with diabetes.

Instead, contact your physician for a referral to a podiatrist or other specialist who is medically trained to care for your feet.

2. Avoid shaving your legs for a day or two before your pedicure

Shaving can leave tiny nicks in your skin and increase the risk of infection. If you have neuropathy, it can lead to a loss of sensation to the affected areas. Without the ability to feel pain, people with diabetic neuropathy can allow small cuts or blisters on their feet to fester into larger sores or ulcers which can become infected.

3. Find a salon that is clean and practices impeccable sanitation

Tell the manager you have diabetes and inquire about their sterilization procedures. Reputable salons will work with you and show you how they operate.

Foot baths should be cleaned and disinfected between customers. Clippers and other tools should be washed and sanitized in a disinfecting solution or a surgical autoclave, which uses pressurized steam to sterilize instruments.

4. Bring your own nail kit

Play it safe and bring your own pedicure tools if possible.

5. Mention you have diabetes before the pedicure begins

Ask the technician to avoid doing anything that can scratch or injure the skin. Speak up if you don’t like what the technician is doing.

6. Bring up protective practices

Ask the technician not to cut your nails too short, as this can encourage ingrown toenails and lead to infection. Make sure toenail edges are not sharp; they should be rounded off with a file.

7. Skip any services that can injure the skin

Never allow the technician to cut your cuticles or use any sharp instruments on your skin or under your toenails. Instead, after your feet have been soaking for a few minutes and the skin around your toes is soft, cuticles can be gently pushed back with an orange stick, which is the thin stick, typically made of orange wood that is used for manicuring.

After your pedicure is finished, keep an eye on your feet and legs for any signs of redness or infection. If you notice anything unusual, call your doctor right away.

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