Dry and cracked skin on our feet is a common problem and it includes athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), leg vein complications (venous stasis), psoriasis and skin rashes. There are 6 common issues why we are having dry and cracked skin:
- Physical factor:The environment in the shoe can be blazing and the temperature can be high over 48-degree Celsius. With such condition may result in water loss of your skin and make your heels vulnerable to any slight opening or crack of the skin.
- Skin cleanser:Your skin has its own protective oils called sebum, and any unbalanced ingredients of cleanser or unsuitable one for the skin may strip the sebum and cause the skin prone to the loss of moisture.
- Medical conditions: There are some health problems that can cause dry skin such as malnutrition, hypothyroidism, atopic dermatitis and diabetes. Crohn’s disease or celiac disease, on the other hand, may lead to the deficiencies of vitamin and fatty acid.
- Ageing:As age pass over time, so does the body. Hormones and metabolic changes happening while you are ageing and one of them is the epidermis thickening or stratum corneum. This condition will lead to skin’s cracking as the skin stress increased.
- Cold weather:Winter time or any cold settings can worsen the skin condition due to the low humidity as the skin’s moisture evaporate quicker.
What should you do to avert such problems and retain the moisture of your skin? Here are tips on how you should moisturize your skin especially for your feet:
1Daily wash
The key to preventing skin dryness is to keep moisturize, and the simplest way is by washing the feet regularly everyday. Use mild soap and warm water, avoid the use of hot water as hot water may strip the protective oils of the skin. Stay away from using soap or cleanser with fragrance, alcohol, retinoids or alpha hydroxy acid; they are bad for those suffering from dry and sensitive skin.
2Apply the moisturizer
Instantly apply the moisturizer as soon as you dry the feet after washing of bathing. A regular moisturizer is effective for moderately dry skin, and you need an extra rich moisturizer if you have an excessively dry skin problem. For cracked heels, you are suggested to apply the heel balm. Heel balm usually contains urea, salicylic acid, alpha-hydroxy acids and saccharide isomerate which help to soften the thick skin, moisturize and exfoliate the dead skin.
3Don’t brush your feet
Don’t scrub your feet robustly to get them clean as the feet will only dry out more. Just pat the feet gently and nicely wipe them to dry the excess moisture. Vigorously scrub the feet will only take the sebum away and the absence of sebum will only make the skin more prone to dryness.
4Administer the petroleum jelly
Also called as petrolatum, it is a concoction of waxes and mineral oils and was discovered by Robert Augustus Chesebrough in 1859. It is one of the ways to keep our skin and feet moisturized and satisfying for cracked heels. Apply the jelly before going to bed and let it soak your feet throughout the night.
5Wear cotton socks
Cotton socks allow your feet to breathe as well as keep the moisture in. Regularly change the socks and don’t wear the same one repeatedly; wearing unchanged socks may get your feet infected by bacterias and worsen the condition if you are having cracked heels. You undeniably don’t prefer foul-smelling feet in your days ahead.
Always reserve some time to do the routine of moisturizing your feet. It is not solely about beauty but your skin’s health as well. If you find yourself having cracked heels, set an appointment with your doctor or certified dermatologists to check upon the cracking, just to confirm either the feet got an infection or not. Preventive steps way better than delayed cure.
Source: Article contributed by hellodoktor.com
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