Is there a right way to file your feet?

by BR Amelia

Destined to be dry.

Here's a foot fact for you - the skin on our feet has no oil glands.  This means the skin is naturally dry.  Ever wonder why your feet seem sweatier than the rest of your body?  Your feet rely on the thousands of sweat glands to keep them cool and moisturised.

This fun tidbit means if you don't moisturise your feet on a regular basis you're going to end up with very dry feet.  And very dry feet lead to 3 things - cracked skin, flaky skin and thick skin.   Mmm sexy.  It's amazing people don't like feet.  Cough.

Now prevention is better than cure, regular moisturising and gentle exfoliation should keep the unholy trinity at bay, but if you've let things fall by the wayside beneath your ankles do not fear.  It just means its time to file those feet.

Gross Satisfaction.

We all have those 'cringe' beauty habits that are incredibly satisfying.  From popping a pimple to biting your nails, to filing your feet.  There's something to be said about the almost instantaneous shift from hard, rough heels to smooth, sandal-ready feet, especially if you do it dry and create a cloud of skin-dust as you file!

When it comes to our beauty routines we all have slightly different habits - different methods and techniques work better for some than others.  Foot filing is no different.  Some of us swear by metal files, others by glass.  Some of us will only file thoroughly soaked feet, others like to do it on completely dry feet.  So is there a right way?

Well no, not really.  Some people believe that by filing on wet feet you run the risk of removing too much skin, and by filing dry feet you might cause cracking or pain.  It really seems to be a case of experimentation - different files will work on different feet in different ways.  The rougher/more grater-like the file you're probably going to want to use on wet feet.

What file is best for me?

Foot files really come down to personal preference.  Now my ultimate is the Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi, and the 131 Kiwis who've rated it 4.7/5 in their reviews agree with me.  But it does come with a bit of a price tag, so lets look a little more closely at manual files.

• Sandpaper Files. Essentially a sandpaper file is a small  wood or plastic paddle with 'sandpaer' glued on.  Usually these have a fine grit, they're The grit is fine, making these good for feet that are rough, but not hard/thick skinned.  These are generally more effective on dry feet, plus depending on the quality, exposure to water can loosen the glue.

• Metal Files. are usually made from stainless steel which is hard wearing durable and resistant to rusting. Great for those who like to file wet feet.  Metal files are more durable than wooden or plastic but they can err on the 'sharp' side, as the rasping properties come from the metal itself, much like a cheese grater.  These are great for when you need to pull out the big guns and tackle some super rough, heavily built-up skin.

Talk Gritty to Me.

Generally speaking the other decision you need to make, whatever type of file you go for is simply - coarse or fine?  Coarse files are great for feet that have built up areas of hard skin or really, really tough thick areas.  A fine grit file will neatly buff and polish your skin from mildly-rough to super smooth.  Do not try to tackle winter feet with a fine file - it'll be dull and useless by the time you've done one heel!

Do you file your feet regularly? What do you use? Get chatting below!