Do you apply your sunscreen from top to toe, or top to… ankle?
Yep, you’re probably missing that spot we all forget: the feet.
Maybe you thought you’d wear trainers but at the last second made a grab for sandals, or you figured your strappy shoes cover half your feet anyway so what’s the problem? Perhaps you just hate touching your feet (fair).
But really, you need to take your sunscreen down your entire foot too.
Dr Thivi Maruthappu, consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson tells us: “It’s important to apply sun protection on the top of your feet as this is one of the areas that receives the most UV radiation when you are walking around, it’s also a common site for sunburn.”
You probably don’t look down at your feet too much when you walk, so it’s easy to neglect them and not realise just how much sun exposure they get.
Babylon GP, Dr Claudia Pastides, adds: “The skin on the tops of your feet is still skin that can burn and is susceptible to skin cancer as a result.
“If you’re applying sunscreen to prevent sunburn – put it on your feet too. It also helps avoid that horrible stinging sensation every time you slip your sunburnt feet into your shoes or sandals over the next few days.”
No one wants to wince as they slide their shoes on the next day as the material rubs against red and raw skin – it’s not a vibe.
Harriet Dalwood, spokesperson for the British Association of Dermatologists says that it’s easy to miss the feet as we spend so much of the year with them covered.
So you’d be forgiven for not having this habit honed down.
Other “often forgotten” spots she says to look out for are behind the ears and the back of the neck, which she thinks we forget because they’re “harder to reach”.
Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it can’t burn.
So yes, you do need to take an extra moment to protect your feet. When it’s time to put on the heels for 21st July (fingers crossed), you’ll be grateful.
Remember to top up throughout the day too, as sweat and contact with other materials will wear away any SPF protection.
