CARIBARENA Antigua

Have you ever stood in line for over half an hour in the bank, or some other very public place, well dressed with a nice hairdo, then found that the back of your heels were black, or maybe white, as if you hadn’t bathed or seen water in centuries, or lotion was scarce?

The other day, after I stepped out of my SUV and started strutting towards the supermarket entrance, my mom looked at me and asked whether I had been digging for potatoes.

Needless to say I felt very insulted, since not only did she say it loud enough for the lady 10 ft away to hear, but on top of that my sister erupted into belly-cramping, eye-watering laughter. When I realized why she said so, I headed back to the jeep, snatched some of the baby’s wet wipes, and religiously rubbed the back of my heel - until all the black that had been transferred there from the rubber mats on the floor had disappeared, applied some lotion and went about my business.

That was the last straw.

The next day, I went in search of mats that did not take away from my appearance. I concluded that carpeted or transparent plastic mats would be better than the standard black rubber ones. The whole experience made me think of all those persons I had occasionally seen with dry, cracked heels and simply unkempt feet. I wear sandals all the time, and I do not drive with shoes on, so I usually try to pay attention to my feet.

But some people just do not care, and are even bold enough to wear open-toe shoes, sandals or some other form of footwear that must grab your attention.

For those of us who cannot afford the weekly trips to the spa or beauty salon to be treated with a pedicure, there are basic things that can be done to prevent oneself from becoming a VIP member in the "potato-diggers" club:

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•    During your bath or shower, use a pumice stone to gently rub, clean, and smooth your heels

•    At bedtime, use petroleum jelly and massage your feet, especially the heels, and put on a pair of socks

•    In the absence of the professional pedicure, soak your feet in lukewarm water, trim nails, use a footscrub, pat dry, and apply petroleum jelly or aloe vera

•    To rejuvenate your feet and improve blood circulation, dip your feet in hot water for five minutes, then in cold water for five minutes, and continue this process for approximately 20 minutes

•    To prevent corns, calluses, and other unsightly foot blemishes, wear your size and choose your shoes carefully

Apart from the cosmetic appearance, it is an absolute necessity to take care of your feet to avoid potentially serious long-term problems. From what I hear, not only are cracked heels disgusting to look at, but they are extremely painful.

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