At first unsightly and uncomfortable, dry feet can become painful when cracks appear. To avoid these inconveniences, it is necessary to practice regular care.
The scrub
To benefit from the action of moisturizers, it is necessary to eliminate dead cells in certain areas of the foot where they thicken the skin and form horns. The exfoliation can be carried out using products in the form of a cream (Akileïne exfoliation, Scholl exfoliation cream, PédiRelax rough areas, etc.) or masks (Xérial Peel exfoliating mask, Mercurochrome Pedi-Peeling, etc.), but also using a file , a manual or electric rasp, or a pumice stone (always on damp skin).
READ ALSO » Foot pain: how to identify it?
Good use
A foot bath of about ten minutes with lukewarm water before the scrub softens the skin and facilitates the elimination of dead skin.
Disadvantage
Too frequent use, more than once a week, produces the opposite effect from that expected because it attacks the skin which reacts by producing more horn to protect itself.
READ ALSO »Diabetics: at the beach, avoid foot injuries
Moisturizers
• Hydration is essential to restore elasticity and suppleness to the skin.
• The products used combine moisturizing, emollient and soothing active ingredients such as petroleum jelly, lanolin, glycerin, vegetable oils (sweet almond, avocado, shea butter, etc.). The addition of a keratolytic agent such as urea or salicylic acid promotes desquamation of the stratum corneum.
Good use
Apply daily in gentle massages to the entire foot, insisting on the sole and heel until the product is completely absorbed so that the skin is not sticky.
Disadvantage
The presence of cream between the toes promotes maceration, itself a source of infection. To avoid.
READ ALSO » Running barefoot doesn’t have to be good
Prevention
• Wash your feet daily with mild soap and dry them well.
• Choose comfortable shoes and prefer soft leather or natural materials to synthetics.
• Eliminate seams that promote friction. Likewise for the socks.
• Avoid wearing shoes that are open at the back, without a buttress (flip-flops, sandals, slides, etc.) which further expose the foot to aggression.
• Drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
Restorative care
Lack of care or a very severe dryness can lead to the formation of sometimes deep cracks leading to pain, bleeding or complications such as superinfection. With a restorative aim, the specific treatments (Cicabiafine repairing balm cracks, Cicaleïne balm cracks and cracks…) stimulate the regeneration of the skin and accelerate its healing thanks to substances such as hyaluronic acid or panthenol. Liquid dressings of the Mercurochrome type liquid dressing for crevices or Urgo Filmogel for crevices, on drying, form an insulating film which fills the crevices, protects against attacks and promotes healing.
Good use
For even more effectiveness, apply the treatment before bedtime, then put on cotton socks and leave on overnight.
READ ALSO » Pregnant women see their feet stretch out
When to consult?
• In case of diabetes or vascular problems in the lower limbs.
• If the crevices hurt, become infected or bleed.
• In case of wounds.
• An annual visit to a pedicure-podiatrist is recommended, especially for the elderly because skin dryness increases with age.
To know
Constantly used, the foot is subjected to many pressures and constraints. Faced with these attacks, the skin dries up and reacts with the proliferation of cells in the outermost layer of the epidermis, the horny layer, which will thicken and form the horn.
The feet are practically devoid of sebaceous glands whose secretion, sebum, nourishes and protects the skin.
.