Caring for My Heels: Lessons learned in the quest for pretty feet

By Mary Kate Gulick

I've never really felt that the feet were an aesthetically pleasing part of the body. Between the chubby toes and my heels, there wasn't anything very interesting to look at. It wasn't until adulthood that I realized what a difference a pedicure could make . . . both in the way I felt inside and the way my heels looked and functioned.

When you think pedicure, usually you think of toenail polish and pumice stones. And that can definitely help pretty up your feet. However, my heels just wouldn't follow suit. They were still dry looking and cracked. My heels pretty much ruined the rest of the pedicure. So while the rest of my feet were polished and preened, my heels still confined me to sandal-free summers, year after year.

Finally, I just got sick of it. I needed to deal with my heels. Here's what worked:

• 1. Start with the pedicure, but don't stop there – The pedicure was just the first step to beautifying my heels. I made sure the pedicurist used that “blazer” tool to remove plenty of dead skin and callus, leaving my heels smooth and ready for maintenance.
• 2. Everyday exfoliating – Each day, I walk around on my heels. So each day, my heels need to have the newly built dead skin removed. Enter the pumice stone. With a small amount of sloughing each day, my heels stay soft and sandal-ready.
• 3. Moisture mania – While my favorite moisturizer is fine for the rest of my body, my heels required special attention. Buying cream specifically designed for the feet helped my heels retain their moisture and stave off that dry, cracked look.
• 4. Soft steps – I took care to protect my heels with soft insoles that help prevent calluses. In addition, I take care to purchase shoes that are gentle on my heels so I can keep them soft.

And that's how I learned to love my heels. Now that I am actually wearing sandals, plenty of others have the chance to admire my heels, too.

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