Seasonal change on the feet

How shoes affect your feet?

As temperatures and pressures fluctuate, the seasonal change on the feet will inevitably mean a change in our footwear. Some people may complain of dry cracked skin, others may complain or a sandy rough appearance to the sole of the foot.

Others occasionally develop painful splits between the toes. If you have any concerns you can visit your local podiatrist for further advice.

What tends to happen is that with changes in footwear, the environment of your foot has essentially changed and the foot is usually slow to keep up with this adaptation.

With changes in footwear we would recommend keeping a good foot hygiene regime. Washing the foot with a gentle soap or shower gel comes in handy. A mild tea tree shower gel with soothing peppermint and natural oils is an excellent choice. The tea tree is believed to have anti-microbial properties and the oils assist in preventing the skin drying out.

Product examples include Dr Organic Tea Tree Body Wash 250ml or Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Castile Liquid Soap. 

Does moisturiser help?

Your Podiatrist may recommend the use of an emollient (moisturising cream) on a daily basis. We agree but advise not creaming between the toes unless the skin is very dry between them.

The moisturising cream helps to keep the skin hydrated and may help to keep a healthy micro-organism balance. Problems can occur when these levels go out of balance and in hotter weather we may see mild bacterial infections on the sole of the foot. These can appear as small craters or shallow bumps in patches on the skin.

Other people develop can athletes foot (Tinea Pedis). The athlete’s foot can be treated with over the counter medications from your pharmacy.