Painful feet dry skin can prevent us from taking our recommended daily exercise during the Covid-19 crisis. There are many etiological factors as to why the skin on the feet becomes dry and painful. Basically the skin’s ability to maintain hydration levels becomes compromised and the skin looses it’s elasticity. It becomes vulnerable to mechanical stresses. The skin looses it’s effectiveness as a protective barrier. Reasons for dry, hard skin are:
- Ill-fitting footwear
- A functional biomechanical foot problem
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Pressure e.g. standing on feet for long periods of time
- Aging
- Athletes Foot fungal skin infection .
Athletes Foot Infection. Note white, dry linear lines. Infection in skin striations.
- Hormonal conditions e.g. under active thyroid
- Diabetes
- Psoriais, eczema
- Overweight
- Feet subjected to standing barefoot in water for long periods of time
- Genetic conditions
Katrina’s Tips and Advice for Dry, Painful Skin
There are lots of things you can do to help improve the condition of your dry skin .at home. Having good flexibility to reach your feet is a bonus, but simple things like wearing socks and vaseline to bed at night can help. Please read my self-help advice:
- Keep feet clean and apply cream regularly to improve condition of skin.
- Start using up all those unused products hidden away in draws and cupboards
- Make your own skin softener and foot scrub from regular house-hold items like Listerine and vinegar
- If cannot reach your feet squirt a blob of cream on the top of one foot and then use the other foot to help rub cream in.
- Apply liberal application of cream to foot, put on a small plastic bag, socks and leave on for up to 12 hours
- Vaseline is a great cost-effective product to apply to help soften the skin. Acts like a barrier to keep moisture in the skin. Apply overnight as in above.
- Use a fool file to gently reduce hard skin. This works better when skin dry.
- If you have no foot file you can use sandpaper. Wrap an object like a brick with the sandpaper and you can then rub your foot over it whilst sitting.
- Not recommend for individuals with diabetes or vascular issues
- Take a multi-vitamin B supplement. Deficiencies in B12, 3 and 6 can lead to dry skin.
- Treat any fungal skin infection with anti-fungal creams
I hope you can manage to improve the condition of your hard, dry skin. Hopefully just enough until we are all back on our feet again. Once Compleet Feet is back to business please if having any issues book a routine podiatry appointment.
