Your feet are dry, especially at the heel. You have calluses under your feet. This pathology is benign and easy to treat. What are the treatments for dry feet? How to deeply moisturize your feet? The expert’s answers.
Why do we have dry feet?
The causes of dry feet are diverse. The explanations of Muriel Montenvert, pedicure-podiatrist post-urologist, president of the French Union for foot health.
The physiological aspect: some people have drier skin than others. On the other hand, informs Nathalie Rohlf, Mavala trainer: “We take an average. 7,000 steps per day. It is for this reason that the skin on the soles of the feet is 7 times thicker than that of the rest of the body. In addition, the foot is naturally poor in sebaceous glands which nourish the skin. Also, with age, the feet produce less and less sebum and therefore become increasingly dry. »
Shoes: certain types of shoes such as tap shoes, and mules that are without external interlocking promote dryness and calluses under the feet because the heels hit with each step. This repeated gesture irritates the skin which thickens.
Support disorder: a foot in valgus, one leg slightly shorter than the other leads to non-symmetrical use of the feet and more risk of having dry feet, and cracked feet.
A climatic factor: the winter cold favors the drying out of the skin. As for the summer, walking barefoot or in bare feet increases the risk of external attacks on the feet.
What are the symptoms of dry feet?
“Dry feet are rough, not very comfortable,” says the pedicure-podiatrist post-urologist. Feet can be cracked at the heel, as well as behind the big toe where the arch of the foot begins, as well as around the nails and the pads of the toes. »
- Advertisement -
Cracked feet can get worse and suffer from the crevice, an open sore. They can also have irritation coupled with itching, “the dry foot can be coupled with a mycosis “, warns Muriel Montenvert.
People at risk for dry feet
Women are more affected by dry feet than men. The reason? Their feet are put to more use due to the wearing of high-heeled shoes. They also have more horns.
“ People with diabetes can be more affected, hence the extreme importance of taking care of their feet,” explains Nathalie Rolhf. This is also the case for people suffering from venous insufficiency, postmenopausal women, and people who have undergone certain chemotherapy treatments. »
” Athletes practicing prolonged walking or running also repeatedly solicit the feet,” explains Judith Zaoui, Akiléïne product manager. Without forgetting also people with large or slightly thin toes. These characteristics make the feet more prone to friction in shoes, or more sensitive to pressure. And patients with deformed feet or toes (corns, calluses in case of hallux valgus, hammer toe, claw toe, and flat or hollow foot.
It is rare for babies and children to have dry feet. “When this is the case, it is due to a pathology of the atopic eczema type”, specifies the pedicure-podiatrist post-urologist.
Treatments for dry feet
In case of dry, cracked feet, with calli, it is important to take care of them daily at home, and if necessary to consult a podiatrist pedicurist if the appearance of the feet does not improve.
How to have soft feet?
First of all, it is important to wash your feet every day! “We opt for lukewarm water and we avoid prolonged foot baths which dry out the skin,” advises the pedicure podiatrist.
“We complete with daily hydration to soften and regenerate,” explains Judith Zaoui, Akiléïne product manager. choose creams with emollient, nourishing, moisturizing agents such as glycerin, shea, vegetable oils, and panthenol (pro-vitamin 5). »
If you want to treat yourself to a homemade foot bath, it should not last more than 5 to 10 minutes and no more than once a week.
You can also, once a week maximum, grate the dry areas. “We use the grater in the shower, on damp skin. It’s less aggressive than on dry skin,” recommends Muriel Montenvert.
Which grater to choose?
Between the pumice stone, the emery cloth manual grater, the metal manual grater, and the electric grater, the choice is vast. We don’t always know what is best. Advice from Muriel Montenvert, pedicure-podiatrist.
“At the beginning, the pumice stone is abrasive but, as it is used, it becomes polished and we then tend to rub too hard. I, therefore, do not recommend it. »
The electric rasp is developing more and more and is appreciated for removing calluses from the feet. “Be careful, warns the podiatrist, there is a risk, in the event of improper use, of overheating the skin of the feet and of having pain. »
There remains the manual grater which is available in emery cloth or metal version. Which do we choose? “The best is the manual emery cloth grater,” says Muriel Montenvert. It is used in the shower and must be thoroughly cleaned with a small nail brush to remove impurities. » Depending on the frequency of use, consider changing it after six months or a year.
And the metal grater? “It’s more aggressive, doesn’t work well in the shower, and if it’s not stainless steel it can rust! “ Warns the pedicure-podiatrist post-urologist.
How to deeply moisturize your feet?
It is important to apply an on dry feet, and cracked feet, and a moisturizer daily. But not just any! “You have to choose a specific cream for dry feet, for cracked heels”, specifies the pedicure-podiatrist post-urologist.
Morning or evening? “Preferably, the cream for dry feet is applied in the evening. It will penetrate and last longer. A small hazelnut is enough to massage the dry foot, and the cracked heel for one to two minutes, explains Muriel Montenvert. You can then, if necessary, remove the excess cream. »
Moisturizing your dry feet in this way daily can see an improvement in about a week to ten days.
“At the same time, you have to make sure you have a sufficient supply of water, between 1.5 liters and 2 liters per day, advises the pedicure-podiatrist post-urologist. And it is advisable to limit your consumption of green tea. The latter is a diuretic. It ‘leaks’ water from the cells of the body.
“You have to provide the same care as for dry feet and, in the event of cracks, apply a large amount of healing cream in the evening,” advises Muriel Montenvert. Do not hesitate, if the crack is large, to tighten the wound by applying adhesive skin sutures. »
And if these home treatments do not give good enough results, do not hesitate to consult a podiatrist-podiatrist. The latter offers extensive medical care. It uses scalpel blades to cut away dead skin in just the right places. It also gives advice on the choice of socks, preferably in natural fibers and seamless, on shoes, and on daily habits.
Creams for dry feet
To moisturize your feet, don’t use your day cream for the face or your body milk! Here is a small selection of specific products.
Special for very dry feet: based on natural shea butter, macadamia oil, and an active ingredient that protects the youthfulness of the skin (piperazine), Akiléïne cream for very dry feet on mature skin repairs and moisturizes the feet very damaged with calluses and cracked heels. (Approx. 6.50 euros).
Anti-cracks: based on urea for its moisturizing and keratolytic qualities, Mavala hydro-repairing foot care fights against any excess thickness of the horny layer of the feet. It limits the risk of calluses and cracks. (Approx. 9.50 euros).
N on greasy: based on water, glycerin, lavender, and macadamia, Yves Rocher’s express absorption foot cream nourishes dry feet and penetrates quickly allowing you to put on your shoes immediately. (Approx. 8.90 euros).
Good care will make it possible to forget his dry, cracked feet, with horns, and to find very soft feet.
