Nothing spoils the look of a great pair of sandals more than cracked heels and scaly feet. I want soft and smooth feet in my nice sandals. I also just love the feel of my feet when they are soft, hydrated and free from cracks, calluses and roughness.
Men and women are prone to t0hick and rough feet. I’ve seen it on skin exams for years. Nobody likes having rough feet, and the skin can get so thick that it hurts. One pedicure helps but consistent maintenance is required to keep feet skin soft and attractive through sandal season. After menopause women really battle with thick and rough feet. The phenomenon is called keratoderma climactericum. It’s yet another skin frustration of menopause.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF ROUGH SKIN, CRACKED HEELS AND SCALY FEET?
PRESSURE AND FRICTION FROM WEARING SANDALS AND WALKING BAREFOOT.
This is actually a natural protective response to rough use. Calluses are a natural protective thickening to specific areas of skin exposed to repeated pressure. The entire ball of the foot, lateral side of the foot, and heel can thicken with or without calluses.
KERATODERMA CLIMACTERICUM IS A VERY COMMON CAUSE OF THICK HEALS AND ROUGH FEET
This is a change in foot skin secondary to the hormone changes of menopause.
GENETIC CONDITIONS CAN LEAD TO THICK FOOT SKIN.
In addition, patients can also be genetically predisposed to dry skin, which leads to rough feet.
ATHLETE’S FOOT FUNGAL INFECTION CAN CAUSE THICK SKIN ON YOUR FEET.
Usually athlete’s foot will itch but not always. You can have a foot fungal infection on top of any of the reasons for rough feet that I stated above. In fact, the more dead cells stuck on your skin the bigger the banquet for foot fungus. If you think you have a fungal foot infection do visit to get yourself checked at the earliest.
DERMATOLOGIST’S TIPS FOR THE BEST WAY TO SOFTEN, SMOOTH AND FIGHT CRACKED HEELS AND CALLOUSES ON YOUR FEET?
Use a combination of chemical exfoliation with high concentration glycolic acid & urea plus physical exfoliation with various grades of foot sanding tools.
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chemical exfoliation using a glycolic acid cream will loosen the ‘glue’ holding the rough and thick skin together, and
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physical exfoliation with a pumice stone and foot file will remove the softened dead scale built-up on your feet.
Follow these steps and you will reveal smoother skin below for baby soft feet.
If your feet are just a little scaly you can get them in good shape in just one treatment. If you have neglected your feet then it may take a few days of treatment to get the job done.
IMPORTANT CAUTIONS FOR TREATING ROUGH SKIN ON YOUR FEET:
Diabetics, people with compromised circulation or numbness in their feet need physician supervision for treating their feet.