Health

What causes thick, peeling skin on the foot, the kind that no amount of sloughing helps?

September 01, 1997 | Bookmark +

What causes thick, peeling skin on the foot, the kind that no amount of sloughing helps?

Answer

There can be a number of causes for this condition. To arrive at the most probable cause, one would have to know what the underlying skin looks like and if this is a general condition all over the foot or if it is localized to specific areas of the foot. Is the underlying skin red and inflamed or is it pink and normal in appearance? Are the thick areas of skin only under weight-bearing areas which would indicate a mechanical (friction or pressure) cause? Contact with a skin irritant such as detergents or chemicals used in washing clothing or the manufacture of shoes may be the cause. Certain systemic diseases such as psoriasis, atopic eczema, and scleroderma can also cause generalized thickening of the skin of the feet.

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The peeling skin may be the tipoff to the most probable cause in this case: a fungal infection of the skin caused by the tinea rubrum species of fungus. The underlying and around the edges of the thickened areas are usually red and inflamed. Small cracks may appear in the skin, and in general, the foot does not look healthy. This fungal condition is quite resistant to treatment, but with proper medication can be cured.  – Godfrey Mix, D.P.M.

These symptoms can be caused by many different dermatologic conditions. Tinea pedis (athlete's foot), psoriasis, eczema, xerosis, and many other problems can contribute to thick, peeling skin. Your client could try a heavy emollient with glycolic acid or Lac Hydrin 5% twice daily for several weeks. If that does not help the problem, a dermatologist or podiatrist should be consulted. – Phoebe Rich, M.D.

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What’s the cause of the pinkish-red oval area on the pad of my client’s toes?

I have a client who has a recurring problem with her fourth toes during the winter months. Both of her “ring finger” toes develop a pinkish-red oval area on the pad. Then a month later, when I see her again, the skin has become dry and hard like a callus, with the layers of skin peeling away to reveal a deeper, dark epicenter.  It’s extremely painful for her and, needless to say, we do not touch it. But it clears up in the summer when she’s wearing open-toed sandals, so I suspect it has to be due to the boots she wears in the winter. Plus she never puts lotion on her feet or uses a foot file in between visits. What do you think causes this?

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What are the big white spots on my natural-nail client’s nails?

I have a client who has been with me for about two years. She used to wear acrylic nails but has been a natural nail client for eight months or so. She has these white spots on her nails — big spots that are dry, but not flaky, right in the middle of the nail. I did try to buff them lightly but they do not come off or grow off. I had a new client come in last week who had the same on her toenails. She said it started after she had a pedicure done at another salon. Can you help?

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