Sexy Feet, is it Possible? What Makes Feet Sexy?

Dr Bowman, what makes feet sexy? I was posed this question recently by a patient in her 40s and having never really thought about it, I had to give it some thought.

The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art- Leonardo da Vinci

The first question I always get when telling someone I am a foot doctor…”Oh, you must have a foot fetish?”

No, No, NO! Unlike NY Jets’ head football coach Rex Ryan, who admitted he loves a sexy foot, I do not find feet attractive! I’ll answer why I entered podiatry in another blog.

Whether by fetish or simply a desire to not gross others out in flip-flops with disgusting feet, it is important to know how to get sexy feet.

There are three main parts to making a foot sexy:

1) Sexy Skin

The Worlds’ most beautiful people all go to great extremes to have great skin. Their goal is to give skin a fresh, young look. Smooth, youthful skin can help make the foot look more attractive as well. The biggest challenge in the foot is keeping the skin from drying out. There are different products used to help either moisturizer or exfoliate the skin. Moisturizing creams seem to be less effective in the feet because of the thickness of the foot skin. Moisturizers do not penetrate as well here as they do in the face, arms or body. Nonetheless, repetitive use of moisturizers can help MAINTAIN, healthy skin. The more effective way to get dry skin to smooth baby-bottom skin is through the use of exfoliators. Podiatrists often recommend urea based skin creams to help remove some of the superficial dead, dry skin. Much like dermatologists’ treatment in the face, the goal is to remove this superficial layer to expose the young, smooth, vibrant skin below.

The newest form of foot exfoliation is very similar to a dermatologists treatment, a chemical peel! Baby Foot is a new brand of all natural oils and extracts that acts as a chemical peel for your feet. Your foot is placed in a Baby Foot “bootie” for one hour. The foot is then rinsed and dried. Within days the outer most layer of skin painlessly peels of revealing that baby’s bottom smooth skin underneath. Dr. Bowman carries this and other products available in his office.

The next big complaint among those who deem their feet as ugly are varicose veins. Having noticeable large veins on top of the foot is considered normal and healthy. The veins of complaint are the tiny, “spider” veins. These occur as the large veins are over worked and blood has to use smaller vessels to travel through the foot and leg. The conservative way to treat these is by way of compression garments that segmentally apply pressure to the foot and legs to help those weaker veins. Newer aggressive treatments have come out by way of laser treatments. The lasers work by shrinking the vein tissue and causing blood that distends the vein to go elsewhere. This can lead to recurrence of the veins, but is a great option to get rid of them as they appear. Another option is injection into the smaller vessels with a sterile type of water.

Other skin problems like warts, moles, etc. can easily be removed with very small, less invasive techniques.

2) Nice Nails-

“Why is this one nail thick and discolored?” this question arises every so often in my experience. The most common answer is either a little trauma to the nail (stumped on bed post in the middle of the night) or a fungal infection. A little blue, black or red is usually traumatic and will go away in time. The yellow discoloration and thickening is fungus and needs treatment. Topical creams, lacquers and oral pills are the most effective way to treat the fungus. Emory boards can be used to decrease thickness.

How can you make healthy nails look even better? While many women (and some men) insist on monthly pedicures, most podiatrists recommend selecting the facility with caution and giving guidance on do’s and donts. Many pedicure salons use recycled water for treatment and do not have medical grade autoclave machines to clean their instrumentation. The result is bringing patients in to offices in droves for infected ingrown toenails. These can be treated with topical or oral medications or by a pain free laser procedure that has been proven to be most effective. Takes approx. 20-30 minutes for all nails.

How do you give your pedicurist direction? Make sure the pedicurist cuts your nails straight across and not angled at the sides as this can lead to ingrown nails. Advise them to be less aggressive when digging around the side of your nails so as to not create a groove that the nail will grow into. Pick a clean nail salon and ask about their chairs, water and how they clean their instruments. Once you pick it-stick with it. Do not bounce around to a new one each month or you will pick up an infection. The best advice is to have your Podiatrist do your pedicures. Many offices have their own certified pedicurist, and they use the best instruments and products on the market. Dr. Bowman and your local podiatrist carry special nail polish in all the latest colors to help prevent the fungus.

3) Foot “curves”-

The foot having good anatomical structure can also lead to a “pretty” vs. “ugly” foot. Prominent bones (likes bunions) or hammertoes can be unpleasant. Can podiatrists do for the foot what plastic surgeons do for the face? Yes, and with less risks and side effects! In general, surgery is not recommended unless to alleviate pain or disease. These unsightly “curves” do often tend to be painful as well. Minor outpatient procedures can correct structural deformities and make the foot look much more attractive. This should be discussed with your local podiatrist.

Historically, there are known to be different normal foot types. Egyptian, Roman and Greek, depending on the length of the toes and long bones. Which type is “prettier”? The ancient Chinese used to bind the feet of their daughters to inhibit growth, so as to remain dainty and feminine. Oh the lengths people take for sexy feet!

People will go to great lengths and great pain to have the look they desire. Today we are much simpler in what defines a sexy foot. As to whether or not it matters, is all up to you!

Call Dr. Jeffrey Bowman of Houston Foot Specialists to discuss any concerns you have about your feet or ankles.He can be reached at 713-467-8886 or online appointments at www.houstonfootspecialists.com.

Category: Foot Health

Tags: Black Toenails, Bunions, Dry Skin, foot pain, Foot Problems, Foot Surgery, Hammertoes, Ingrown Toenails, Pedicures, Skin Problems, Toenail Fungus