Beckoning all those with truly lovely feet...

[WreckoftheHesperus]

...to come and share your secrets; I have decided that this year will be the year that I finally deal with the ishoos lurking below, and that I will be able to wear lovely sandals in the summer.

My foot Hall of Shame includes: a fungal toe nail, that I'm considering getting ridculously-expensive laser surgery on, really dry / cracked heels and rough skin on big toes, 2 things that might be warts on toe knuckle area. And one little toe nail seems to want to give up the ghost, plus an inability to administer nail varnish (usually looks like I've cut myself artistically).

What shall I do? Should I be slathering on expensive lotions or eating copious amounts of wheat-grass etc? Seeking advice from those not naturally lovely of foot, but who have successfully worked at it...

I highly recommend this

It is truly amazing and whipped y dry heels into shape in no time at all, I always dry file prior to soaking feet as I think it removes more dead skin this way. Follow with a generous slathering of flexitol heel balm and you should be good on the dry heel/toe front in no time.

Not sure about a fungalnail, maybe a trip to the Dr's?

Oh, as for polish once your feet are looking better you either have to practice or get thee to a salon for a file and polish (cheaper than a pedi).

yes for desperate cases, dry file then soak with epsom salts then buff again with pumice.

Remove dead skin gently around nail tip with wooden stick while feet still warm from soak brush nails and massage a drop of olive oil on cuticle.

oil feet while still warm from the soak then slather on some shea butter then put socks on overnight.

When feet presentable, treat yourself to a good pedicure. File and polish enough subsequently if you soak and file at home every 2 weeks.

If you can't be asked then go to a podiatrist who will treat the fungus too.

You can buy a fungus varnish/gel which is very easy to use, basically a layer on (and under nail every night even if you have polish on.
Keep nails trim and square to avoid ingrown nails (quite common on fungus site)

Really think it would be worth your while to see a chiropodist, or podiatrist is that what they are called these days?

I don't want to hurt you or cause offence, but sounds like you have a bit more goingon than the average cracked heels/dry skin stuff that Flexitol would sort out and some kind of exfoliation etc as described above.

Once all sorted, why not treat yourself to a pedicure and thereafter do it yourself. One tip I can give up there is to get some cheapo toe dividers, makes applying nail varnish a doodle

Not that I can talk, my feet are a disgrace at the moment, pedicure has been on my to do list for about a month......

Chiropodist definitely. Had major nail issues after taking an extended course of steroids, and after monthly visits to her for about 3 months my feet were much improved.

Feet are always transformed after a salon pedi too I find but if you have been to the chiropodist all you would need would be a file and paint.

Failing that what about peep toe flats that hide a multitude of sins...

Thanks folks; have taken your advice and booked a chiropody appointment.

Can't use the fungal gel thing if you're trying to ttc, so am going to see if the laser thing will be a better option, although have been quoted £650!

Like the idea of shea butter and night socks very much...

£650!! can you use tea tree oil? that is anti fungal I think. The chirpodist/podiatrist will be able to offer good advice on that though I am sure.

Thanks Poodlehorse; will definitely be asking that question!

Wreck - for £650 I would be inclined to go to town on some seriously nice closed toe casual flats and stuff the fungal toe

whoneedssleepanyway steroids made your feet manky? How? Apols for hijack, but please could you expand? I'm interested as I too have had a long course of 'roids and my once-lovely feet are now grim.

Hazel it was the nails that became awful, apparently a side effect of the steroids I was on (v high doseage of predinisolone) is to thin the nails and skin so my nails on the big toes started growing weirdly and almost ingrowing and splitting down the middle vertically.

REally? Thanks for info. Ok, that does make me feel better now. I had to have a toenail REMOVED after it went mad - it grew thin and separated fro base of nail while also somehow growing in at the top. Mine spit horizontally. Then another nail grew on the same toe - so I had 2 grim nails instead of one. Ooh - and I had prednisalone too - plus cortisone.

Do I win the prize for having the most things wrong with one nail?!

I think you should see the Drs about the fungal nail infection, they can take clippings from it and send it off to the lab so that they can give you the right medication for it.

My husband had a fungal nail infection and tried all of the over the counter topical medications and some prescribed ones too, none of which worked. He was seeing the chiropodist every 6 weeks to get the infected nails thinned and his chiropodist recommended that he get oral medication to kill the infection as all she was doing was cosmetically improving them. It wasn't a quick fix though as the old nail needed to grow out.

oh and if you're not brilliant at painting your nails - try this

drunken pedicure

Love the idea of the drunken pedicure, Bettybleu - am trying tonight

sorry, missed the bit where you said you were ttc so recommending meds wasn't the best suggestion!!