Hands, nails and feet

Gym showers, pool changing rooms and shared bathrooms are where many foot infections are caught, and bitten or neglected nails are noticed in every handshake. A few minutes a week keeps hands, nails and feet healthy.

Fingernails

• Keep nails clean and dry. Mayo Clinic suggests cotton-lined rubber gloves for washing up, cleaning or using harsh chemicals.
• Trim nails straight across with sharp clippers or scissors, then gently round the tips (Mayo Clinic).
• Do not bite your nails or pick at your cuticles, which can make small wounds that let germs in (Mayo Clinic). Clip hangnails rather than pulling them.
• Rub moisturiser into your nails and cuticles as well as your hands (Mayo Clinic), especially in air conditioning or a cold winter.
• Use nail polish remover sparingly and choose acetone-free if you can (Mayo Clinic).

Toenails

• Cut toenails straight across and not too short; do not round off or cut the side edges (NHS). This is the main way to prevent ingrown toenails.
• Wear shoes that fit and are not too tight (NHS).
• For an ingrown toenail, the NHS suggests soaking the foot in warm, salty water, keeping it dry for the rest of the day, wearing wide comfortable shoes and not cutting or picking the nail.
• See a GP if an ingrown toenail is painful and swollen with pus, home treatment is not helping, or you have a very high temperature or feel hot and shivery (NHS).

Protecting your feet in shared showers

• Wear flip-flops in changing rooms and showers. The NHS says athlete's foot spreads by walking barefoot where someone with it has walked.
• Dry your feet thoroughly, especially between the toes, by dabbing rather than rubbing, and use a separate towel for your feet (NHS).
• Wear clean cotton socks every day, and do not share towels, socks or shoes (NHS).
• Do not wear the same pair of shoes for more than 2 to 3 days in a row (NHS). Rotating two or more pairs lets each one dry out, so they last longer and smell less.
• Replace old shoes, which the NHS lists as part of preventing fungal nail infections.

Recognising common foot problems

• Athlete's foot causes itchy, flaky or cracked skin, often between the toes. Do not scratch it, as this can spread it (NHS).
• Pharmacies sell antifungal creams, sprays and powders; they usually take a few weeks to work, and some are for adults only, so check the pack or ask the pharmacist (NHS).
• Treat athlete's foot quickly so it does not spread to your nails (NHS).
• A fungal nail infection makes the nail brittle, discoloured or thicker (NHS). Pharmacy nail treatments take 6 to 12 months, and may not suit people under 18, so ask a pharmacist.
• See a GP if pharmacy treatment has not worked, it is very painful, your foot becomes hot, red and painful, or the infection spreads (NHS). Redness can be harder to see on brown or black skin.

Nail salons and when to see a doctor

• At a nail salon, Mayo Clinic advises checking it is licensed, that tools are sterile, and that foot baths are disinfected between clients.
• Do not let anyone remove your cuticles: Mayo Clinic explains they seal the skin to the nail and removing them can lead to infection.
• See a doctor about a dark streak under a nail, a nail lifting away from the skin, changes in shape or thickness, pits or grooves, or bleeding, swelling or pain around the nail (Mayo Clinic).
• Use your own nail clippers and scissors; the NHS advises not sharing them.