Hand and Foot Care for Men

Most everyone loves a tall, rugged, masculine man. But just because you're masculine doesn't mean you have to look like Grizzly Adams. There's nothing more sexy and, indeed, masculine, than showing others that you're presentable for every occasion.

Having healthy feet and hands underscores your presentability and overall attractiveness. Here are some tips I've learned about how you can take care of your hands and feet at home. (That is, when you can't get to the salon for a mani/pedi!)

TIPS FOR EXEMPLARY HAND CARE

This is one area where many men fall down on the job. I am going to have to say something right up-front that I didn't think needed articulating, but here goes: DO NOT BITE YOUR NAILS. I have met so many men who bite their nails down to the quick and not only does it not look nice, you risk infection underneath your nail beds. So if you chew your nails as a nervous habit, train yourself not to do this. If you chew your nails as an alternative to cutting them with clippers, invest in a pair of good fingernail (and toenail) clippers.

Now that we've gotten that important tip out of the way, we can focus on keeping your hands beautiful and healthy. Try using a body scrub in the shower; that will exfoliate dry skin and slough off dead skin cells. Afterwards, make sure to use a moisturizer on your hands (see our moisturizing article in this issue to ensure you pick a good one), paying particularly close attention to your cuticles. Your hands will look youthful and beautiful.

Soak your hands before cutting your nails. Make sure to use warm, soapy water; the warm water will make the grooming process easier. Dry your hands, then trim your nails. Be sure to use an Emery board or something similar to file your nails, or else you may notice some of your cuts weren't so clean. Your fingernails should look filed down, or rounded... definitely not spiked!

It might seem like hangnails are unavoidable, but if you use vitamin E oil every so often to massage your cuticles, the chances you'll get another hangnail are slim to none. In the event that you do get a hangnail, DO NOT BITE IT OFF and definitely do not rip it off with your free hand. Instead, invest in a pair of nail scissors and cut it off as close to the quick as possible to avoid irritation.

TIPS FOR EXEMPLARY FOOT CARE

Getting a pedicure is an essential part of exemplary foot care. Did you know that over 250,000 sweat glands are located in your feet, making them an important part of your body's excretory system? Those glands are there to eliminate toxins from your body, and if you're in shoes and socks every day, that can take a toll on your feet. Apart from running to get a pedicure, let me tell you how to deal with foot issues at home.

First off, use a mild soap to bathe your feet at least once per day, if not more. Afterwards, be sure to dry them off very well. Always change your socks daily, and if at all possible, do not wear your most recent pair of shoes for at least 24 hours. Switch to another pair tomorrow while the first pair airs out.

For those of you who live at the gym, you already know about the dangers of athlete's foot. Fungal infections can live in warm areas like gym showers, so it is important to wear shoes everywhere possible at the gym, including in the showers, where flip-flops are recommended. Be sure to keep your feet dry after your shower. If you do find that your feet are becoming irritated, you can use tea tree oil. It has many uses, two of which are moisturizing and soothing problem areas of skin.

Corns and calluses are definitely not beautiful, but in today's busy world, you're gonna walk enough of a distance where you're going to get them eventually. Calluses are located at the bottom of the feet and corns are hard to the touch and are located on the tops and sides of the feet. Sometimes this problem can be fixed by buying a pair of shoes that's tailor-made for your foot. Shoes that are too tight or too loose can easily cause corns and calluses. If you do end up with either one, be sure to take extra care in exfoliating your feet when washing them daily, and they will go away within a week or two.