How long should you leave Shellac polish on your nails? This is what I want everyone to know after working with feet for years

A top podiatrist has named three big mistakes Australians make with their feet – and warned against leaving nail polish on your toenails for more than three weeks.

Kate McArthur, the founder of City Feet Clinic, has worked with Asics, Adidas, NZ Rugby and NZ Ironman throughout her career and has a strong background in footwear and foot injuries.

And after working in her fully booked clinic in Sydney for the past decade, she has noticed three common mistakes: poor shoe choice, covering problem nails instead of healing them and treating corns with corn pads from the pharmacy.

Kate recommends staying away from the latter altogether.

'They are acidic and can cause ulcers if placed on a corn. Some people have success, but I see more problems after using them. It's my one big no-no,” she said.

When it comes to Shellac and gel polish, Kate warned.

'Keep it up for three to four weeks [maximum]…I know I know,” she laughed.

'We leave it on forever, but it's best to let your nails breathe and if you've ever noticed the flaky, dry nail left behind when you remove Shellac or Gel, that's damage.'

The resulting peeling, cracking and brittleness takes a long time to disappear, especially with repeated pedicure treatments.

'I find that if you have damaged nails and are desperate for some colour, I have found BIAB [Builder in a Bottle polish] are the best to minimize damage. Again, it should be replaced every three to four weeks.”

According to Kate, balance and strength are an important problem, especially for women in their thirties and forties.

When it comes to Shellac and gel polish, Kate warned: remove it after three weeks

'This may not be for everyone, but it is for myself (early forties) and my friends. We can no longer do what we did in our twenties. Our balance and strength are not the same,” she said.

'If we stop heeling and go straight to flats, without training our feet to wear heels, we are torturing our feet while having to wear them all day.

“You remember when we were in our twenties, we would run around town in heels and then dance all night. One day we discovered flats. And I hate to bring it up, but Covid has made us lose our heel carrying capacity and endurance.”

To overcome this, Kate recommends practicing wearing heels and using silicone footbeds on heels for an hour or two the evening before the event.

“Pick up pilates or do your balance exercises to help your body,” she added.

“Please don't ignore the feet. Whether it's flaky, dry skin, a sore on your foot, swollen joints, or discolored nails, it's best to get checked out by a podiatrist. It is better to be proactive than reactive,” she said

To ensure lasting foot and plantar health, Kate says there are a few things everyone should do every morning and evening before bed.

“For everyday life, fluid is essential,” she said.

'This may shock you, but moisturizing with a greasy moisturizer is fantastic, especially after a shower. Showers are very drying and if you have naturally dry skin you will find that this applies to your feet too.'

'In the morning I use my own cream I developed, KooE Balm Me, which is yet to be launched, but a non-greasy moisturizer for the body, hands and feet is great – one that dries super quickly before you put shoes back on attracts.

“If you already have a foot cream you're trying to use up, treat the areas if they're too oily and it will make shoes a little easier to wear.”

'This may shock you, but moisturizing with a greasy moisturizer is fantastic, especially after a shower. Showers are very drying and if you have naturally dry skin you will find that this applies to your feet too,” said Kate

At night, Kate commands the DU-IT Foot-Heel Balm which can help treat cracked heels if applied for a week before bedtime. The Roll-a-balmwhich is also available at pharmacies, can be used two to three times a day for similar results.

Kate also recommends an Epsom salt bath to reduce swelling and pain, using a golf ball to massage the bottoms of your feet twice a day to improve blood flow, and magnesium spray on the soles to relax muscles.

She also recommended never popping blisters and using Compeed patches instead.

“Keep a few in your purse,” she said.

“Please don't ignore the feet. Whether it's flaky, dry skin, a sore on your foot, swollen joints, or discolored nails, it's best to get checked out by a podiatrist. It's better to be proactive than reactive.'