Crusty feet can be a problem for a lot of people of all ages. It looks unattractive and it can cause some extreme pains. In fact, crusty feet can be embracing and irritating. It can be caused by a lot of things which include walking in bare feet, having some friction against the insole of your shoes and a lot of other reasons but the reality is that it is not something to live with. Crusty feet can lead to dryness of the skin beneath the feet since moisturization of the feet is always a problem with crusty feet. It can be mild, severe or something in between but the good news is that it can be prevented, treated with different kinds of medications including some home remedies.

What are the Symptoms of Crusty feet?

The symptoms of crusty feet are probably more visible when compared to so many other fungal related foot infections. One of the first set of symptoms in this case will likely be a sign of dryness, formation of a thick and a discolored callus tissue. This is also likely to cause some kind of pain while undergoing some daily activities including running and walking. However, if the crusty feet continues to be left untreated, it could lead to a possibility of deep breaks on the feet and this may lead to infection. Other important symptoms to note include redness under the crusty feet, inflammation, itchiness, peeling skin, bleeding, cracks and a whole lot of pain. It is important to note that diabetic patients may not feel the symptoms initially especially due to the fact that they now have a reduced ability to feel their feet. All these symptoms and others make crusty feet look so unattractive and increase the likelihood of serious infection which could become worse if not properly treated.

Crusty Feet Causes

One of the main problems of crusty feet is dryness and this is mainly caused as a result of lack of moisture on the feet. However, the most important question to ask in this case is what could cause dryness that leads to crusty feet? The following are some of the factors that may be responsible.

• Age could be a factor for crusty feet. This is because we begin to lose moisture naturally as we age. However, note that the rate of moisture loss as a result of aging will vary from people to people.
• Weather is a factor as cold weather affects the feet more than hot weather. The possibility of having a crusty feet increase as the weather gets colder.
• Medical conditions could be responsible. For example, thyroid disease and diabetes can contribute to the emergence of crusty feet.
  How you bathe can also cause crusty feet. For example, bathing with excessive hot water has the potential of drying the feet and this could lead to crusty feet.
• Low humidity level is also part of the causes of crusty feet. One thing that can cause low humidity levels is the heating system because they are known to dry the air.
• There is also a problem of vitamin deficiency. It is important to note that vitamin deficiency is capable of breaking down the skin and this could cause crusty feet if not checked on time.

What about excess weight? The truth is that excess weight can add a lot of pressure on the feet and this could cause crusty feet if left unchecked.

Treatment

The treatment of crusty feet will definitely not be complete if the underlying cause is not treated. There are a lot of people who have dry feet naturally but this does not necessary mean that it will lead to crusty feet. If you get your feet moisturized at all times, and there are no underlying problems then crusty feet may not come even if your feet is dry naturally. However, if you have crusty feet for whatever reasons both the ones listed and ones not listed above, then there are common solutions to get it treated. It can be treated with cream, ointment and therapeutic oil.

When using oils to treat crusty feet, it is important to note that there are some oils that can further dry the skin and further increase the crustiness of the feet due to its alcohol content. In view of that, if you must use oils, the oils like baby lotion are ideal since it does not really contain alcohol or other chemical agent that would irritate the skin of the feet. Other simple treatment option include using a mild moisturizing soap around the feet, the application of suitable lotion to the feet immediately after bathing and staying hydrated at all times.

In addition, the use of pumice stones is also capable of removing some of the dead skin under the feet that frustrate the healing process. However, in extreme cases, if all other topical creams like ones containing salicylic acid, saccharide isomerate does not work, then it is possible that your doctor may suggest getting the specific callus tissue removed to make the healing process faster. Do not remove callus tissue on your own as it can lead to infection which will make matters worse if care is not taken.

Pictures of Crusty feet

Pictures, Photos and Images of Crusty feet:

Remedies

Fortunately, there are also home remedies that can be utilized to get rid of crusty feet. Some of these remedies are simple enough to just minimize the pain and they are effective. So if you do not want to try the treatment methods listed above, you can try out these remedies listed below:

Scrubbing

Scrubbing the affected area of your feet is one of the ways to get rid of the crusty feet. However, before you start scrubbing, it is always advisable to ensure that you have first soaked your feet in warm soapy water. What this does is to ensure that the feet are made soft which will make it easier to scrub. You can simply use a pumice stone to do the scrub and the rinse your feet with clean water. You can combine this with the application of a cream and repeat the process for some time.

Coconut Oil

A lot of people do not really know about the usefulness of coconut oil in solving the crusty feet problem but the truth is that it works. Coconut oil will fight bacterial and fungal infection on the skin of your feet as well as help moisturize your feet. Coconut oil has some potent antifungal and antimicrobial potentials and properties.

Rub

There is mentholated rub and it is useful when trying to get rid of crusty feet. You can always rub it on your feet before going to bed at night. However, ensure that it is rubbed on a clean and dry feet. You should start seeing the result after some time.

Glycerin

This is one of the most common remedies for crusty feet. It works quite well as it contains humectants properties. It is advisable to mix glycerin with some lemon juice in equal parts and apply on your crusty feet. You can leave it for about 20 minutes and have it washed off with water after that time duration. For best result, it is advisable to repeat for about two to three weeks.