Valen’s Vanity Square

Is it bad feng shui or what? I’m just so prone to ‘disasters’ recently!

First, skin allergic reactions. Now, some ligament or tendon tear on my left foot. Well, actually I don’t know if it is a tear indeed, but the point is - my left food hurts like hell when I stand and walk! :<

The pain is located at the right side of my left foot. It is a bit swollen now, not very obvious, but painful. I don’t remember hitting my foot on anything. May be it’s an after-effect of Sunday’s family gathering at my house, where I basically stood and walked around entertaining guests the whole evening, and my foot is now overstressed?

Started to feel some mild pain before going to bed last night, but when I woke up this morning and stepped on my foot, it was so many times more painful than last night. Now I’m practically limping as I walk.

Oh dear, I have planned to do so many things tomorrow - to collect the letter of appointment from my new employer, then to the bank to sort out some banking issues, then to shopping for working clothes. I wonder if I will be able to accomplish my shopping quest tomorrow!

Jeez, how I wished I could have a full body massage, NOW! My neck and shoulders and back are sore, as I’ve been constantly hunching over my laptop working on assignments for the past few days.

May be I will just go to this traditional massage center nearby my place this weekend. It’s price is considered affordable - go in the morning it costs only RM40! While hubby doesn’t think they did a good job on him, I felt quite satisfied with the pressure and technique they used the last time I went.

Besides body massage, the center also offers foot reflexology. I love body massage, but I will NEVER try foot reflexology! Saw too many painful faces when their foot were being pressed and pushed.:P

But if you like foot reflexology or any kind of foot treatment, how about a…. fish spa? Yes, you get Dr Fish, AKA Garra Rufa, to nibble away scaly and dead skin on your feet (they are smart fishes, they don’t eat the healthy skin), leaving your feet silky smooth once more. It seems that Dr Fish also help in easing the symptoms of skin conditions, such as psoriasis and eczema.

Where is this fish spa? At Kenko Reflexology & Fish Spa @ Level 5, Pavillion, KL. Apparently, this is the first fish spa in the world! I got to know about this place coz I saw it on TV just now, hehe.

So, while foot reflexology is a big no-no for me, I definitely will give the fish spa a try when I’m back in KL. Well, it looked really fun and ticklish…

That’s what Marion Caunter shrieked when she noticed her ugly heels as she was trying on a pair of open-back heels in a TV commercial.

I was shocked too when I accidentally touched my heels several weeks ago and went “Eeeeeeks~ Cracked heels!”.

Well, I didn’t really have cracked heels, but was certainly on my way there if I didn’t do something about it. My heels were dry with flaky skin, and thus rough to the touch. It’s not a nice feeling, but somehow I would still unconsciously touch my heels as I watch TV, trying to peel off some of the skin as though by doing that would give me back my smooth heels. That of course didn’t help at all.

So, what can be done to treat dry heels and prevent them from developing painful fissures (and deteriorating into unsightly heel)? Below are some tips.

• Soak feet in lukewarm water and use a pumice stone to scrub off dead skin. This helps reduce the thickness of the hard skin.
• Avoid wearing open backed shoes or thin soled shoes.
• Apply a moisturizing cream twice daily to the affected heels. If possible, wear socks to protect feet from dryness.

I followed tips no.1 and no.3 for about 5 days, today my heels are no longer dry and rough!

One suggestion: instead of the conventional oval-shaped pumice stone, try a ceramic stone pedicure file.

Dual sided pedicure file from QVS

• For pedicures and regular maintenance of feet to gently and effectively remove callouses and hardened skin
• Use the coarse side to rub away the dead skin, and the finer side to finish off so your feet are left feeling silky-smooth
• Soak feet for 2-3 minutes in warm soapy water prior to using the file, or while showering or in the bath

I find this pedicure file really easy to use, and have made heel scrubbing my shower routine, haha!

You can get this item from Watson stores.