How to Prevent Calluses
Any repeated pressure or friction on the skin could cause a callus. And though they’re not painful or dangerous, calluses aren’t pretty and they’re rough to the touch. If you want to avoid these sometimes embarrassing thickened areas of skin that are hard to get rid of, follow these steps to prevent calluses in the first place.
Instructions
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Hands
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1
Wear gloves when you’re doing manual labor, like raking, shoveling or using a handsaw.
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2
Soak your hands in a hot water bath, maybe with a couple of drops of essential oil, like lavender or eucalyptus. Do this two or three times a week.
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3
Rub your hands with a washcloth, pumice stone or exfoliating sponge to remove excess skin, paying special attention to the palms of your hands. For best results, do this after a hot water bath soak.
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4
Condition your hands with a rich moisturizing lotion throughout the day. Once a week, saturate your hands in olive oil, put on a pair of light cloth gloves and go to bed. You’ll be amazed at how soft and smooth your skin is after six to eight hours of saturation.
Feet
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5
Buy shoes that fit. They may be the cutest pair of high heels you’ve ever seen, but if they don’t feel good on your feet, chances are they’re going to give you the ugliest calluses you’ve ever seen, too. It’s especially important to choose shoes that have soft soles and extra width and depth for your feet. Avoid any shoe that you have to squeeze your foot into. The lower the heels the better.
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6
Use padded shoe inserts for extra support. Just be sure they don’t make your shoes too small in the process.
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7
Wear shoes outside. Walking on dirt, rocks or hot pavement is naturally going to toughen your feet and only contribute to the possible formation of calluses.
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8
Soak your feet in a hot water bath, maybe with a couple of drops of essential oil, like lavender or eucalyptus. Do this two or three times a week.
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9
Rub your feet with a washcloth, pumice stone or exfoliating sponge to remove excess skin, paying special attention to the bottom of your big toes, heels and balls of the feet. For best results, do this after a hot water bath soak.
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10
Condition your feet with a rich moisturizing lotion throughout the day. Once a week, saturate your hands in olive oil, put on a pair of light cloth socks and go to bed. You’ll be amazed at how soft and smooth your skin is after six to eight hours of saturation.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you don’t have gloves on hand when you’re doing manual labor as described in Step 1 for preventing calluses on hands, wrap your hands in a piece of cloth or gauze. Even socks can do the trick.
