Peeling Feet

Causes of skin peeling on feet

The skin on our feet goes through a lot every day as we stand, walk and run around. Our shoes and socks can rub against the skin, and we often don’t take care of our feet as carefully as we should. As such, it’s not unusual to suffer from peeling or flaky skin on the feet. Aside from this general wear and tear, there are several more specific possible causes of skin peeling on feet. They include the following:

Dry skin

Dry rough skin is a common foot complaint and can be the result of everything from not moisturising your feet to wearing ill-fitting shoes, dehydration, and cold or dry weather conditions. If left untreated, your feet can become so dry that the skin cracks and your feet peel. Irritation of the area, for example, by continuing to wear shoes that rub, can also cause dry, scaly feet to peel.

Eczema

Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition that can result in rashes anywhere on the body, including the feet. It usually results in red and itchy skin but can also cause rough, dry patches on skin and peeling. Therefore, if you suffer from eczema, you might experience skin peeling between toes or skin peeling off the bottom of your feet. The condition can normally be treated with medication.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic condition that causes an overgrowth of skin cells. This can manifest as scaly skin on the feet and elsewhere across the body, which looks red and silvery. These patches may sometimes crack and bleed and also result in dry, peeling skin on the feet. The disease can normally be treated with medication.

Corns and calluses

Calluses are sections of hard skin that thicken as a result of friction or pressure, for example, due to your shoes rubbing against your feet. Meanwhile, soft, seed, and hard corns are calluses made of dead skin. It’s possible for both types to crack open or peel, so peeling calluses and corns might be the reason for you having dry, flaky skin on the feet if you’ve noticed a callus outside the big toe or elsewhere. Calluses can form anywhere on the body and, in fact, are a common cause of hard skin on hands and hard skin on finger joints too.

Blisters

A blister is a small pocket of fluid that arises as a result of something rubbing against the skin. If they crack or pop as a result of further friction, this can be a reason for skin peeling on the feet. Although generally harmless, popping a blister might be painful and result in bleeding. It also increases the risk of infection. Blisters can occur anywhere on the foot, resulting in soles, heels, or toes peeling. The best course of treatment is not to pop your blister but instead cover it with a special blister plaster and allow it to go away by itself.

Athlete’s foot

Athlete’s foot is a contagious infection that can result in fungal, flaky skin on feet. It can affect one foot or both and causes symptoms such as flaky skin between toes, skin on the bottom of feet peeling, an itchy red rash, raw skin, burning or stinging feet, and thick, crumbly and discoloured toenails. Having hard skin under the toenail can also be a sign of this and other kinds of fungal infection. These types of conditions can normally be treated with anti-fungal medication.

Sunburn

If you spend too much time in the sun barefoot, you may suffer from sunburn on your feet. This normally results in the affected area becoming red and painful. After a few days, you might notice your foot peel, which is the body’s way of healing itself by getting rid of the damaged skin. For example, you might notice your big toe peeling in strips or peeling patches on the top of the foot, depending on exactly where the sunburn is. Using aftersun or aloe vera lotion to cool and moisturise the skin can help relieve pain and speed up healing.

Trench foot

Also known as immersion foot syndrome, trench foot is a serious medical condition that is caused by your feet being wet for too long. This could be from literally being in water or from wearing wet socks or shoes. The initial symptoms include pale blotchy skin, tingling, pain, and itchiness, but if left untreated, the skin can also start to die and peel off. Trench foot can lead to serious complications, so if you often find yourself in wet conditions and notice symptoms such as peeling skin on the soles of feet or skin peeling between toes, it’s best to contact your doctor.

Foot health concerns related to diabetes

Having diabetes puts you at greater risk of foot problems as a result of the nerve damage and reduction in blood flow that high blood sugar levels can cause. If you are diabetic and notice any change or damage to your feet – whether it’s hard skin around toenails, rough and bumpy skin, the soles of feet peeling, or hard skin on top of the foot – book a doctor’s appointment right away. They will be able to diagnose the issue and recommend a DIY foot peel or another type of hard skin and callus remover that’s suitable for you.

Lifestyle factors

There are certain lifestyle factors that may make you more prone to experiencing skin peeling on feet. For example:

• Wearing shoes that don’t fit properly can mean that the material rubs against your skin. This, in turn, may cause skin peeling on toes or hard skin on feet that cracks and peels. Shoes with tall, thin heels are particularly likely to result in hard skin on the heel due to the extra pressure
• With peeling skin on hands and feet, vitamin deficiency is a possible issue. A lack of vitamin E can result in dry, flaky skin on toes and other parts of the feet, while you need vitamin C to help your skin retain moisture
• Spending a lot of time on your feet can result in dry hard skin on the feet, which is then more susceptible to cracking and peeling
• Walking around outside with no shoes on can result in hard skin on the sole of the foot, as the body tries to protect itself from injury. Over time this may then progress to peeling skin soles of feet

Preventing skin peeling off feet

Ideally, you want to avoid having skin peeling on your feet at all, so it’s a sensible idea to practice good foot care at all times – not just when you notice skin peeling between toes or hard skin underfoot.

Try the following top tips:

• Always wear shoes that fit you properly and that are comfortable and supportive
• Wash your feet carefully, and use a moisturiser on them every day
• Use Footner exfoliating socks or other feet exfoliation products to ensure you always have smooth feet
• As soon as you notice a little bit of hard skin on the toe or hard skin on the bottom of your foot, do a hard skin foot peel or use a pedicure hard skin remover tool – before it becomes a bigger problem or you have skin peeling on feet
• Don’t walk outside barefoot too much, as this can damage the skin and result in thick hard skin under the toe and on the sole of the foot