Every week in clinic I see what a rushed pedicure leaves behind: nails cut too short, cuticles pushed back, corners dug out. Love your salon? Keep going. This is how I want you to care for your feet between visits, or anytime you'd rather do it yourself. Before you startIf you have diabetes, poor circulation or numbness in your feet, skip the trimming and filing at home and see a podiatrist for nail care. Everyone else, set aside about 45 minutes. Step by step1. Soak. Dissolv

When the weather warms up, my schedule fills with the same three complaints: feet that sweat, shoes that smell, and skin between the toes that peels. They usually travel together, and the fix starts with your shoes as much as your feet. Why feet smellYour feet have more sweat glands than almost anywhere else on your body. Sweat itself doesn't smell. Odor comes from bacteria breaking it down inside warm, closed shoes. That same damp space is where athlete's foot settles in, of

Thick, discolored-looking toenails and athlete's foot often show up together. Treat one and ignore the other, and you stay stuck. This Routine covers your nails, your skin and your shoes with four products. Here's exactly how I tell my patients to use it. Every dayCLEAN in the shower. Massage a nickel-sized amount onto wet feet, including between your toes. Rinse and dry completely. It's a peppermint foot and body wash made with 10% undecylenic acid for athlete's foot. REPAIR

Cracked heels and calluses are some of the most common things I see in clinic, and they almost always start the same way: dry skin that keeps building until it splits. The good news is that a few minutes a day makes a real difference. Why heels crackThe skin on the bottom of your feet has no oil glands, so it depends on you for moisture. Add pressure from standing all day, open-back shoes or sandals, walking barefoot, and dry winter air, and the skin thickens to protect itsel