Care of foot skin is as important as taking care of facial skin. Excess dead layer of skin on feet in winter months can be quiet distressful as it is prone to dryness and chapping. In summers dead foot skin is equally embarrassing for cosmetic reasons. The fact is your foot skin has to bear the brunt throughout the year as it is subjected to the entire weight of body.
Seasonal changes, wearing shoes and socks throughout the day prevent the foot skin to breathe easily. The result is smelly feet and a cozy atmosphere for the growth of bacteria. Thickened dead skin on feet can create several unwanted problems. If you do not take care of it at right time, it is like adding fuel to the fire.
What Causes Excess Dead Skin On Feet?
Build up of excess dead skin on feet can be due to either medical reasons or environmental factors.
Exposure to harsh atmospheric change, keeping the feet in water for long period of time is mainly responsible for accumulation of thick layer of dead skin. The skin losses its natural oil when a person stays in water for long period of time.
The same occurs when a person bathes in hot water shower over a period of time. Feet are also exposed to detergents and soaps. Harsh chemicals rob away lubricant oil from the skin, leading to excess accumulation of dead skin. The quantum of dead skin cells on feet also increases during winter and rainy season.
Besides the environmental factors, dead skin on feet forms in certain skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema, and endocrinal problems. Psoriasis is a skin disease characterized by silvery dry scales on the skin. It is an autoimmune disease. Eczema can occur due to several reasons, like atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis where one of the symptoms is thickened dead skin with itching and rash.
Excess of dead skin cells can lead to corns and warts on foot, besides forming envelope of thick skin on the sole which may result into cracks and fissures.
Home Remedies To Remove Dead Skin From Feet
Excess of dead skin on sole can be easily removed at home. You do not need to go to beauty salon or find other expensive removal methods. However, these home measures are not recommended for diabetics as they are susceptible to infection and complications of foot. They need medical supervision and procedure to treat dry and dead foot skin.
- Vinegar is an effective natural ingredient for removing dead skin on feet. Take half bucket of warm water. Add two tablespoon of vinegar and mix it well. Soak your feet in the bucket for 10 to 15 minutes. Once the skin becomes soft, scrape the upper layer gently with pumice stone. Pat the area dry with clean cloth. Massage the foot with coconut oil or almond oil. Both are good moisturizers. Do the procedure at night before going to bed.
- You can prepare a foot scrub to remove the dead skin. Lemon juice has mild acidic quality to remove dead skin cells on foot. Fill a bucket of warm water. Add three teaspoon of lemon juice. Place your feet in the tub for 10 minutes. Now gently scrub sole area with pumice stone or a soft brush. It will help in exfoliating the skin. Wash your feet with cool tap water and dry the surface. Apply a good moisturizer. Repeat it once in a day for few days to remove the dead layer of skin on feet.
- To soften the dead skin on feet, prepare a scrub made up of ripe banana, powdered orange peel, and avocado. Mix them well in the blender till it forms a paste. Apply the paste on the dry sole and let is remain for 30 minutes. Wash the area with lukewarm water. Apply olive oil as a moisturizer to soften the skin.
- Going to a spa or a pedicure specialist once in a while will help to keep the foot skin smooth and supple.
- Dead skin on foot can is also removed with foot shaver. Use the shaver once in a week to remove the dead skin cells. After using the shaver, with the help of gentle brush remove the remaining skin. Apply a natural moisturizer like coconut oil.