Use Aspirin To Alleviate A Dry Foot Situation
Aspirin isn’t just for headaches. It’s also a unique way to break down dead skin cells and calluses. Just crush six aspirin tablets into a powder form and mix with one-half teaspoon of lemon juice and one-fourth teaspoon of water. Spread the homemade paste onto the affected areas of skin and cover your feet with a plastic bag for 10 minutes. Remove the coverings and rinse the area with warm water.
Why Are My Feet Dry & Damaged
Many everyday factors can result in dry or rough skin on the feet. Walking or standing up for long durations can put pressure on the skin, leading to areas of cracking. Your choice of shoes is also something to consider. Poorly fitted or unsupported shoes often cause friction on the skin, forming blisters and callouses. Closed shoes in non-breathable fabrics will also create excess heat and draw moisture away from feet – leading to areas of dryness.
Medical conditions such as eczema and psoriasis also result in changes in the skin. We recommend seeing your doctor if you notice a drastic difference in your feet’s appearance.
What Are The Different Kinds Of Hard Skin On Feet
There are different types of dry skin that might be causing your hard dry feet. Calluses are when hard skin forms over a dry area to prevent further injury – which is why they’re so common in runners.
Corns are smaller than calluses and often found on the toes – especially the little toe. They’re often formed from friction, and can be common if you regularly wear high heels.
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How To Prevent And Remove Dry And Flaky Skin From The Feet
Dry skin on your feet is easy enough to come by. We dont always take good enough care of our feet, even though they carry us around all day. When the skin on your feet doesn’t get enough moisture dry skin can build up. The same thing can happen when you dont scrub or exfoliate your skin regularly. If youve ever had dry or cracked skin on your feet, you know it can be uncomfortable. So what can you do about it?
Home Remedies For Dry Skin On Feet
If you are looking for some easy ways on how to get rid of dry skin on feet, note that padded shoes can prevent from dry feet and cracks. Medicines like antihistamines or diuretics can control the dryness of the feet. There are some simple techniques to keep away fissures or dry skin that can be tried at our homes itself. If these fail, visiting a physician would be recommended.
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How Do I Get Rid Of Thick Dead Skin On My Feet
Apply Heel Balm In The Morning And At Night
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Epsom Salt Soak Or Scrub
Epsom salt is a crystal form of magnesium sulfate. Magnesium sulfate is a mineral compound.
You can soak your feet in Epsom salt thats dissolved in water. It can help exfoliate and smooth dry, cracked feet. This, in turn, may help remove dead skin.
To use:
- Create an Epsom salt soak by pouring 1/2 cup of salt into a footbath or a full cup into a bathtub full of warm water.
- Relax and soak for up to 20 minutes.
- You may use a pumice stone or foot brush after to help remove dry skin.
To create an Epsom salt scrub for your feet, in the shower or bath, mix a handful of Epsom salt with a tablespoon of bath or olive oil in your hand or on a bath sponge.
Rub gently over wet skin to exfoliate, soften, and remove dead skin before rinsing off with water.
Should You Use A Razor To Remove Dead Skin On Your Feet
No. There are various risks to shaving dead skin on your feet with a razor. Not only can you cut yourself, but you may also find yourself dealing with an unwanted infection. Simple home remedies, exfoliating masks, foot scrubbers and pumice stones can help effectively remove dead skin off your feet, leaving them soft and smooth.
The Last Word
Beautiful soft heels are not just an aesthetic desire, but they also play an important role in your holistic health. Simple exfoliation practices and daily care is enough to prevent the formation of dead skin on your feet. The methods mentioned in this article are safe and easy to try at home.
Along with foot care, keep yourself hydrated and eat a nutritious meal to keep your doshas in balance and aid the natural skin renewal process.
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Why Is Foot Health Important
Remove Dead Skin From Your Feet Using These Home Remedies
Feet, an integral part of our bodies experience the most wear and tear. They need the same amount of pampering as any other part of the body. Due to constant neglect, people end up with certain skin problems on their feet. One among them is corn, a build-up of hard skin near a bony area of a toe or between toes. Anyone can develop corn as it is caused by repeated pressure from footwear that rubs against the toes or causes friction.
Some of the other activities that can cause hardening of the skin are brisk walking or running in tight shoes, or playing instruments. If you have recently developed corn it can be treated at home with the help of a few home remedies. Read on to learn simple recipes of how to remove hard skin at home.
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What Causes Hard And Dry Skin On Feet
The skin on our heels cracks for various reasons but mainly cracked heels develop due to a mixture of dryness and pressure.
Sometimes, if youre spending a lot of time indoors or the heating is on, the foots skin texture can become a little bit drier and that can often lead to cracks.
Wearing open-back shoes in the summer time may cause the skin to crack as your bare heels are always hitting the back of the shoe, which can cause a lot of pressure and, consequently, cracks.
Cracked heels can also be caused by lack of vitamins in your diet, such as iron and zinc. The hair and the skin are very much made up of the same chemical components and iron and zinc playing important roles in hair and skin regeneration and repair.
Cocoon Your Feet In A Foot Cream
Experts say the best way to prevent dead skin from forming on your feet is to moisturise regularly. So, once the hard skin is removed post-soaking, scrubbing and exfoliating soothe the soles of the feet using a rich, moisturising and hydrating foot cream.
When looking for foot creams, opt for the ones formulated with shea butter. Multiple studies have shown that shea butter has anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce the redness of dry and cracked feet. Shea butter is also beneficial for treating itchiness and eliminating walking discomfort.
Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment Cream is not only formulated with shea butter but also with antifungal arnica extract and virgin cashew nut oil, which all work to renew and protect from ankle to toe without the need for medical solutions, unless severe health problems arise, requiring more than a foot treatment. This foot cream relieves swelling and fatigue. And thanks to myrrh, it also strengthens and beautifies nails.
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Remove The Use Of Soap With Harsh Ingredients
Many soaps tend to have a drying effect on the skin because of the harsh soap-like features that strip the skin of its natural oils and expose it to drying. Great selections include soap-free shower gels and skin cleansers with natural added oils, fats, and emulsifiers that boost moisture in the skin.
Other harsh ingredients to avoid include alpha-hydroxy acid and retinoids. Choosing healthier soap-free cleansers is best for sensitive skin and dry skin.
What Causes Dry Skin On Feet
These cracks commonly develop on the heels while dry feet can take place on any part of the foot due to reasons like neurological disorders, usage of hard soaps, unsuitable shoes for the skin and prolonged standing on hard floors
- The sweat glands of the feet are destroyed due to years of prolonged standing and being excessively overweight as it causes additional pressure on the feet.
- Too much of hot showers, hot baths or foot baths can lead to dry feet as exposure to hot water leads to breaking down of the natural skin barriers allowing moisture to escape resulting to excessive dry skin on feet.
- Medical patients of Diabetics and hypothyroidism have less sweating, increasing dryness of the skin. Diabetics patients experience damage in the nerves of the feet. Dry skin makes its way due to uncontrolled blood sugar. The natural moisture of the skin is affected with poor blood supply and gives rise to complications in the body.
- Dry climate leads to dry skin as it removes the moisture in the skin like in the winter season you might face the maximum skin problems.
- Skin problems with atopic and psoriasis lead in developing dry and rough patches affecting the skin.
- Swimming in chlorinated pools harms the natural moisture of the body.
- Hormonal imbalances due to aging increases dry skin as it loses the elasticity and lipids in process like menopause.
Following are the two pictures of dry skin on feet:
Close up photo of a person with dry skin on heel
Cracked skin on foot
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How To Prevent Dry Skin On The Feet
The best way to prevent dead skin from forming on your feet is to moisturize regularly.
Ask a podiatrist to recommend therapeutic oils, ointments, or creams to help prevent your skin from drying out.
Avoid lotions that contain alcohol, which may dry out your feet more. Baby oil or petroleum jelly are usually safe.
Soak your feet a few times a week and use a pumice stone or foot brush to gently exfoliate off dead skin.
Avoid hot showers or baths, and rinse in warm water to prevent skin from drying.
Wear Moisturizing Socks During Bed Time
To ensure extra hydration in your feet, use good-quality moisturizing gel-lined socks. These socks contain natural oils and vitamins that help hydrate and repair the dry skin under your feet. You can get similar results with a good pair of cotton socks and a moisturizer.
Apply a generous amount of moisturizer to your feet and wear a pair of good cotton socks. Remove the socks the next morning and rinse your feet thoroughly.
Dry and cracked skin may affect your feetâs texture. It may also be painful and affect your physical activities, including walking. In addition, lack of proper moisture, heat, humidity, aging, irritation, obesity, certain medical conditions, and overuse of harsh soaps may cause these corns and calluses under your feet. So, to get rid of dry skin under your feet, you have to exfoliate, moisturize and take proper care of your feet.
Follow the tips discussed in the article and if the symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
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Excessive Use Of Soaps
Excessive use of soaps and body washes containing harsh chemicals or irritants may suck out moisture from the skin and cause it to go dry and hard. Even failing to wash the excess soap off the feet may lead to dryness.
Yes, hard and dry feet can get quite uncomfortable. But as we discussed, the right treatment methods can help. Read the following section to know more.
Use Vinegar To Blast Through Dry Patches
Vinegar has been used as a natural treatment of many ailments for thousands of years, dry foot skin being one of them. To eliminate general foot dryness, soak your feet in a solution of equal parts vinegar and water for 15 minutes and then rinse with warm water. To eliminate thick calluses, apply the vinegar directly to the skin with a cotton ball and cover with a bandage overnight. Just be sure not to allow the vinegar to touch the surrounding skin, as the natural acid can be quite irritating.
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What Ingredients Should We Look For In Foot Cream
I always recommend a cream that contains urea. Urea is a naturally occurring element in the skin that improves hydration by increasing the water uptake from the dermis. So, for those whose skin can be dry and lack natural moisturise, products containing urea are an effective way to replicate the hydration process.
Also, have a good foot file to hand. There are a lot of different types of foot files, ones that look like cheese graters, electrical ones, or natural pumice ones, which will help remove some of the dry skin. This combined with a urea-based foot cream will allow your feet to be hydrated and reduce cracks and dryness.
During the summertime, our feet can get a bit sweaty, so I would also recommend a good foot powder for in-between your toes. This helps to prevent any moisture build-up in-between toes, which can lead to conditions such as athletes foot.
Coconut Oil For Cracked Heels
You have probably seen gel-infused or moisturizing socks at the store before. They basically work as a deep moisturizing treatment. Using coconut oil for cracked heels is actually quite common. It is very effective and does not take any time from your busy schedule.
- Apply a generous amount of coconut oil to the bottom of the feet.
- Cover with a thick pair of socks and let it soak overnight.
- Exfoliate feet and wash well in the morning.
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Various Kinds Of Hard Skin Under The Feet
Various types of hard skin tend to form under your feet due to constant pressure and friction. These are discussed below:
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Corns are small, round buildups of thick skin areas commonly seen on the tops or sides of your toes. There are several types of corns as listed below:
They are small and hard/dense skin areas that usually form within a larger area of thickened skin. They form on the top of the toes or areas with acute bone pressure against the skin .
Soft corns are generally whitish or gray and have a softer, rubbery texture. These mostly appear between the toes .
Seed corns are much smaller and usually form at the bottom of the feet.
Unlike corns, calluses are hard and thick patches of skin. These are larger than corns and have an irregular or spread-out shape . They can be mostly seen at the bottom of your foot, on the bony areas that carry your weight .
. Weight lifters, craftsmen, or guitar players tend to develop calluses on their hands/fingers.
The best way to know if you have corns or calluses is to be aware of their symptoms. We have covered the same in the following section.