If you don't moisturize on a regular basis, dry skin on your feet can worsen quickly, becoming unsightly and won't look healthy and beautiful. It can also become painful and itchy causing discomfort. By removing the old, dead skin and hydrating the new, you'll soon restore your feet to looking and feeling fabulous.
Skin changes: Nerves control sweat and oil glands in your feet, but when they no longer work, your feet can get so dry that they peel and crack. Make sure you moisturize your feet every day.
It may come as a surprise, but our feet don't have oil glands, which means the skin is naturally dry. Without moisturizing it, you may experience itchiness, redness, cracks, flaking and peeling, or rashes, especially in the winter months.
The Downsides of Dry Feet
For some people, dry skin can become severe enough to produce deep cracks underneath the heels and elsewhere. This provides ample opportunity for infections to get in. They may even bleed. The soles of the feet don't have any oil glands.
Moisturising prevents painful cracks which could lead to infection and keeps your feet smooth and supple. We hope this simple tip on keeping your feet healthy helps.
Typically, it can take up to 30 minutes for feet to air dry and even then, you probably aren't airing out the areas between your toes properly before stuffing them into socks and shoes. Fungus thrives in moist environments, so by cutting down on excess moisture, there's less of a chance it will grow.
Moisturizing your feet and heels
If you just want to keep your feet and heels hydrated, then you can moisturize twice a day, in the morning and at night. However, if you're using Nivea Soft cream, then you can use it once a day since it is an all day moisturizer.
Dry skin is not a dangerous condition, generally, but it can become uncomfortable or painful. If the cracking starts to bleed, it can lead to infection, which is particularly concerning to those with a chronic disease like diabetes or a vulnerable immune system due to illness or age.
Poor circulation can also occur when waste products build up in your soft tissues. If you have poor circulation the skin on your feet and legs becomes thin and dry and you may lose the hair on your legs. Your feet may feel cold and maybe white, blue or red in colour.
“When people have chronic dry skin for long periods of time, and no matter how much lotion they put on, it doesn't go away, that's when they may need to see a doctor,” McEneaney said. The same is true if the cracks in your feet hurt so badly that it's uncomfortable to wear shoes.
Before going to bed, apply moisturizer to your feet. A thicker variety will likely serve you better than a thinner, runnier kind. After applying the moisturizer, you may rub some petroleum jelly on the feet as well to help lock in the moisture. Then slip on your socks and wear them overnight!
If you want to help lock in moisture after using a foot cream, then wear socks after application. Wearing socks overnight can help keep your feet hydrated, though it's probably best to try this trick out in the colder months when feet are more likely to dry out.
Do not put oils or creams between your toes. The extra moisture can lead to infection. Also, don't soak your feet—that can dry your skin.
Vitamin C, vitamin B-3, and vitamin E deficiencies may contribute to dry, cracked heels. However, these vitamin deficiencies are rare in developed countries. Other conditions like athlete's foot or eczema may also lead to cracked heels. Walking around barefoot and the natural aging process can be factors, too.
Signs and symptoms
People with poor circulation may notice their feet feel cold or numb. They may also notice discoloration. The feet may turn red, blue, purple, or white. These symptoms may worsen in certain situations, such as when a person sits still for long periods of time or goes outside in cold weather.
“You can detect everything from diabetes to nutritional deficiencies just by examining the feet,” says Jane Andersen, DPM, president of the American Association of Women Podiatrists and a spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association.
There are many causes of dry feet. Developing dry feet can be something obvious like your lifestyle, a poor diet, lots of walking and exercise, or just a bad foot care routine. Soaps, shower gels, heat and humidity can also lead to dry, thick, or cracked areas on the feet.
If you've ever wondered whether putting on socks can help keep your feet soft, the answer is yes. The key is to put them on right after applying your foot cream or lotion. This helps to hold in moisture while keeping dirt and dust out. Socks help your feet stay clean and avoid infection.
Parts of the body, such as your elbows, hands, knees and neck, are prone to dryness more than others and may demand extra attention. To help soothe and soften very dry areas, you might like to apply body lotion to those areas throughout the day as well as after your bath or shower.
Nobody likes stinky feet, and the moisture between your toes is a great environment for smelly fungus like Athlete's Foot. Many people believe that washing your feet will help clear up the fungus, but that's simply not true: Athlete's Foot is caused by sweat, and damp environments will only help the infection spread!
Fortunately, dry feet and cracked heels can often be prevented with regular pedicures. You can treat calluses at home with foot soaks, a pumice stone, and moisturizer. If self-care strategies aren't enough, see a podiatrist for more advanced treatments.
When cold temperatures and moisture combine, small blood vessels (capillaries) in your feet can start to weaken. This can lead to damage of the surrounding tissue. In addition, restricted blood flow affects your circulation and nerve function. Excessively sweaty feet (hyperhidrosis) can also cause trench foot.