KEEP YOUR FEET AS BEAUTIFUL AS YOU

Most women get their teeth cleaned at least once a year, keep tabs on their heart, and may even have an annual eye exam. While they might clip and paint their toenails on a regular basis, women often neglect the health of their feet. That lack of attention can lead to pain and other foot problems, which are common and — for some people — life-altering.

How your feet change over time

Over time, natural changes in your feet can make it more likely that you will experience pain. Below are some of the changes you might see in your feet through the decades. For more detailed information on this topic and for other tips on how to care for your feet, see the Harvard Special Health Report Healthy Feet: Preventing and treating common foot problems. In your 30s. At this stage of life, the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your foot may start to weaken or lose resilience. In your 40s. This is the time when many people start to experience foot pain and problems caused by the weakening of foot structures that began in your 30s. Many people in this age group start to notice their feet are sore at the end of a long day and often begin to experience foot problems. Common conditions include bunions, which are caused by a misalignment of the foot bone that causes a bony bump to jut out at the base of your big toe; or hammertoes, toes that permanently curl downward; and nail fungus. In your 50s, 60s, and beyond. The fat pads in the bottom of your feet become thinner. By the time people reach their 50s typically half of the fatty padding in the soles of their feet is gone. A loss of estrogen after menopause may lead to lower bone density in the feet and consequently a higher risk of stress fractures in the foot. People in this age group are also more prone to calluses and corns. Foot problems related to chronic conditions are also more common in this age group.

A widespread problem