Table of Contents
Introduction
What causes dry skin?
1. Dry Air
Windy, dry, and cool air can quickly dry out your skin, especially if you are not regularly applying moisturizer like you may be doing for your hands and face. You may notice small cracks or flakes on the skin, especially around your heel.
2. Athlete’s Foot
Athlete’s foot is a skin condition caused by a fungal infection that typically affects the areas between the toes. You can experience itchiness, burning, pain, and scaling, which should be addressed by a podiatrist to prevent further spread and infection.
3. Eczema
Eczema is a skin condition that can cause dry, itchy, red, scaly skin on multiple areas of your body. There are topical creams and moisturizers that can help manage flare ups.
4. Dehydration
Your skin can dry out if you are not staying hydrated enough. It’s not just from the outside that your skin is affected!
5. Diabetes
Your feet are often affected if you have diabetes, which is why regular visits to the podiatrist are important. Diabetes can slow your circulation and lower your immune system and result in dry skin.
What Can I Do?
You can help prevent and treat your dry skin in several different ways:
- Drink more water
- Use a pumice stone to rub and remove dead skin from dry, callused heels
- Moisturize regularly, especially after showering
- Soak your feet in an Epsom salt foot bath to relax, hydrate, and reduce risks of infection from cracked, dry skin
- See a podiatrist for skin conditions like athlete’s foot and eczema to get recommendations on topical antifungal creams and ointments, or to address diabetes-related skin issues.
How Can Precision Foot and Ankle Centers Help?
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