Pampering your feet with a little home pedicure care is not only a great way to relax, it helps keep them clean and healthy. Washing your feet, clipping your nails, moisturizing your skin, and so on all help you avoid dryness, potential nail problems, and general hygiene issues as well as keep your feet looking great. One thing many people enjoy adding to their footcare routine is a pumice stone to sand down calluses and other areas of dried-out skin. While this isn’t necessarily a problem, pumice stones aren’t for everyone and should always be used safely.
Pumice stones are porous rocks that gently scrub away the top layers of excess dead skin. They work best if you use them right after a foot bath, so your feet have been soaking and softening the dried-out areas. You use the stone to scrub your feet gently, then carefully wipe the area clean. Rub in moisturizer afterwards to have the best effect.
The trick is to avoid scrubbing your skin too hard. You don’t want to scrape down layers of healthy skin with the excess dead and dry layers. That increases your risk for cuts that could bleed and get infected later.
That’s why it’s important to always avoid using a pumice stone on irritated skin or open wounds. You don’t want to make the problem worse for your foot. You should avoid pumice stones if you struggle with numb feet from peripheral neuropathy, or have conditions that compromise your immune system, like diabetes or peripheral arterial disease. With numb feet, you may not be able to feel if you have scrubbed a callus too deeply. With circulatory and immune system problems, even minor wounds have a high risk of becoming dangerous ulcers.
Ultimately, whether you should feel comfortable rocking a pumice stone as part of your home foot care routine or not depends on your foot health and your comfort with using the tool. If your foot health makes scrubbing your own calluses a dangerous idea, or you’re not sure you’ll use the stone correctly, let our experts at Ankle & Foot Specialist of N.J. help you care for your calluses safely. Just contact our offices in South Plainfield/Edison or Warren through our website or by calling (908) 222-8980 for an appointment.
