Three Causes Of Peeling Skin On Your Feet And When You Should Be Concerned
Posted on: 22 September 2017
If you discover peeling skin on your feet, do not freak out. As any good podiatrist will tell you, there are many reasons why the skin on your feet peels, as well as a time and place to freak out over peeling skin. As you will see below, there are three leading causes of peeling skin on your feet. The information provided will also alert you to when you should be considered about this weird phenomenon.
Part of the Normal Shedding Process
Humans shed tons of dead skin cells every year. In fact, you are shedding skin on some part of your body right now. It is a completely normal process. Sometimes it will flake off like dandruff, and at other times it will peel off in pieces like after a bad sunburn. Regardless of how your feet shed their skin, it is normal.
Blisters
If you get blisters on your feet, the fluid that collects under the skin will eventually be reabsorbed by the body as the blisters heal. Subsequently, your body develops these little shaggy pockets or flaps of skin. When the skin tissue underneath the blister is fully healed, your body deals with the protective layer it created by peeling away and shedding. Again, this is totally normal.
Callouses
If you go barefoot a lot, or tend to walk around without socks on, your feet naturally develop callouses. They will develop thick callouses if you do this a lot. Unfortunately, you do not need the thick callouses to protect your feet, so your body sheds them in the form of bubbled skin that peels away. If you want to avoid this process, wear socks and comfortable shoes, even when you are in the house. You can also have your podiatrist shave the callouses and then moisturize the skin underneath to avoid the peeling.
When Peeling Skin Is NOT Normal
Usually, when peeling skin is accompanied by sores, bleeding, pain, and/or nasty looking bumps (e.g., warts), this is not normal. There are some home remedies you can buy off of a drug store shelf that will help with warts or athlete's foot, but you should have it examined by a podiatrist first. If it is nothing that requires a prescription medication, then the podiatrist will let you know which products you can buy over the counter to alleviate these foot problems. Only when the problem reaches critical will the podiatrist have to intervene with more extreme measures.
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