As kids, the best part about monsoons is to make paper boats and then place them in a puddle or jump and splash the water from those puddles on your fellow friends. It brings such joy. But as kids we had our parents to take care of us when we came home drenched after having fun in the rains. The first thing we did, once entered home, were to remove our dirty mucky shoes and wash our feet. Although rain is filled with fun and glee, we must not forget that a lot of diseases are borne during monsoons. We need to guard our feet from bacterial infections by taking appropriate care. Here are some tips you can follow to take care of your feet during monsoons.

Monsoon brings with it moisture, sweat and stickiness due to humidity and the chances of fungus and moulds increasing by manifold. These bacterial infections can not only damage the skin but also affect the tissues and ligaments if left untreated.

Tip to Take Care of Your Feet During Monsoons

1 Hygiene: To avoid any type of fungal infections, maintaining hygiene is of utmost importance. Keep your feet dry as damp socks, feet and shoes lead to most of the skin related problems. Wash your feet with lukewarm water after coming back home on a rainy day. You can also add little shampoo and salt in warm water and soak your feet in it. Scrub your feet to remove all dirt and dead skin. Pat dry your feet well, even in between the toes.

2 Choice of Footwear: To protect their feet, people often opt for closed footwear. But that won’t help the water release if you are stuck outdoors on a rainy day. It will not only dampen your feet but even your shoes from inside and the socks if you are wearing sneakers. Thus, it is advisable to wear open footwear so that water can be released easily. Closed footwear can also build sweat. Slippers, waterproof sandals and clogs are preferable in this season.

3 Hydrate Your Feet: Monsoon may be moist, but it leaves your skin dehydrated. Hydrate your feet by using a foot cream or a body lotion on clean feet to protect the skin. Olive or almond oil may also be as effective as a moisturiser. Apply before going to bed.

4 Clean Toe Nails: Dirty water and mud can also seep into your nails and can get stuck there. To avoid any collection of dirt and dust, keep your nails short. Trim your nails regularly and clean the corners to remove the mud.

5 Pedicure at Home: Avoid going to salons for pedicures as they use the same tools for all customers and there is a great risk of infections. A DIY pedicure can be done in no time and it also saves the splurge. You can scrub, exfoliate, apply a foot mask and moisturise your feet well with materials available at your home.

As you are most likely to take care of your face, hair and skin during monsoons, your feet must not be neglected. Unclean feet form breeding grounds for fungal infections and bacteria. Hence, taking care of your feet during monsoons is imperative for a healthy and joyous monsoon. Make sure that children inculcate this habit from the very beginning as they are more likely to fall sick during rainy season.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 07, 2018 09:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).