Cracks between the toes appear frequently. According to statistics, about 30% of people on the planet suffer from this problem. Most calls to dermatologists about this occur in the summer, because cracks between the toes are very noticeable at this time, and since the feet sweat a lot, they are also painful. The first symptoms are itching, dryness, flaking.
The main reasons for this condition:
At the first characteristic symptoms, you need to go to a dermatologist. If the fungal nature of the lesion is confirmed, he will prescribe a course of antimycotics. During the treatment period, you should avoid visiting the pool, bathhouse, and other similar public places.
If the cause of the cracks is not a fungus, then baths with chamomile and calendula decoctions will help. Throughout the course of treatment, you need to carefully monitor foot hygiene, wear socks made of natural materials and comfortable ventilated shoes.
Diabetics need to especially carefully monitor the condition of their feet and in particular the folds between the toes. If left unchecked, you risk developing diabetic foot - which is very painful.
For this category of patients, ointments based on herbal components are prescribed, which have an antimicrobial and wound-healing effect. Before applying local products, the feet are steamed and keratinized areas are removed.
If the skin of the feet is dry, cracks appear between the toes and other parts of the foot. In addition, there is a risk of corns and growths. Treatment in this case has the following features:
Among these local drugs:
Since cracks between the fingers are not a new problem, there are many alternative treatment methods that are available and effective. But you should not hope for an instant effect or a complete cure (in the case of foot fungus) - these techniques will only help improve the condition.
Conclusion. The occurrence of cracks between the fingers can be prevented. But if they have already appeared, even the smallest ones need to be treated, so as to avoid severe pain and infection.
Damage to the skin of the legs occurs periodically in 70% of the population and causes serious discomfort in a person’s daily life. A provoking factor for the occurrence of cracks in the legs is dry skin.
A decrease in moisture in the tissues leads to delamination of the epidermis, which is accompanied by pain, other unpleasant symptoms and even complications. But, unfortunately, loss of moisture in the epidermis is not the only reason for the formation of cracks; there are many more significant preconditions for the manifestation of this defect. The reason for the formation of cracks in the legs can be both external irritants and internal problems of the body.
The appearance of cracks in the legs often signals the presence of serious problems in the body. In fact, gross defects on the legs are only a consequence of a specific disease; it is impossible to get rid of them with the help of ointments alone.
In order to find out the cause of the formation of crusts on the legs, you need to go to the nearest clinic and undergo the necessary tests. This problem should not be ignored, since it may only be the visible tip of the iceberg. It is better to treat any disease in the early stages, avoiding complications.
Drug treatment is prescribed in the presence of a fungal infection. In cases where the injuries on the legs are not of an infected nature and their appearance is due to other factors (rubbing, corns, etc.), softening and healing creams based on medicinal herbs are used. But if a fungus is detected when a patient consults a dermatologist, complex treatment with drugs containing potent substances will be required.
Antifungal drugs include the following types of ointments:
In advanced cases of fungal infections on the fingers and toes, additional oral antiviral agents and antibiotics are prescribed. A fungal infection is a rather insidious disease. To avoid repeated manifestations of the disease, you should follow the doctor’s recommendations and under no circumstances interrupt the prescribed course of medication.
The most popular creams:
Regular Vaseline and glycerin are good for especially dry skin. Shostakovsky ointment has an excellent healing effect in the treatment of cracked legs.
Allergy sufferers are often recommended the Zorka cream; it is almost completely natural and does not contain any fragrances. Diabetics are prescribed SixtuMed foot bath oil to treat cracked feet. For disorders caused by the body's endocrine system, hormones are additionally prescribed.
Traditional methods of treating this disease can be quite effective and are not inferior to drugs from the pharmacy. If the skin separation was initiated by a fungus, it is better to refrain from self-treatment at home. If the cracks have arisen for completely harmless reasons, you can safely begin treatment with herbs and homemade ointments. There are many ways to get rid of the unpleasant manifestations of dry skin: make foot baths, lotions, wraps, apply ointments. Each method is effective in its own way and helps to cope with the problem.
Several ways to get rid of cracked legs at home:
Soda and salt should be diluted in hot water and your feet should be steamed in it. The proportions are as follows: 1 tsp. soda and salt per liter of water. You need to do the procedure daily, and steam your feet for at least half an hour.
To treat cracked legs, chamomile flowers and herbs such as celandine, string and plantain are usually used. Oak bark is good for the skin. Calendula is an excellent wound healing agent with an anti-inflammatory effect. Collections of the listed medicinal herbs will help cope with cracked legs. All you need is to prepare a bath for foot treatments with the addition of a decoction of herbs and steam your feet in it.
Treat cracked feet with honey, applying it at night. For an additional effect, put warm socks on your feet.
A mixture of rolled oats and olive oil helps with dry skin on the feet. The flakes are poured with boiling water and allowed to brew, after which olive oil is added. Apply the mixture to the cracks formed and cover with cling film on top. The duration of this procedure is two hours.
Coniferous oil will be a real godsend for treating dry skin on your feet. To do this, keep the spruce needles in a water bath for two hours (the proportions of water and pine needles are the same - 50 to 50), then add 1 tsp. camphor and 1. tbsp. l. butter. It is necessary to lubricate cracked feet with pine oil daily.
In conclusion, it is worth recalling that timely preventive measures and correct diagnosis will help stop negative consequences. If treated improperly and untimely, foot fungus can result in complications in the form of an intertriginous or dyshidrotic form. If unpleasant symptoms occur in the form of peeling skin, dryness and cracks on the legs, you should consult a doctor to determine the cause of external defects.
In the summer, when we wear open shoes and the skin of our feet is especially susceptible to the negative influence of the environment, cracks often form between the toes. This problem causes severe discomfort - pain and irritation. Therefore, it is necessary to know exactly how to treat cracks that appear correctly.
There are three main causes of cracked toes:
And if you can fight the first reason on your own, then the second and third require exclusively medical assistance. Therefore, at the first sign of a crack in your toes, you should seek help from a doctor.
It is not difficult to diagnose cracks between the toes; they reveal themselves by the appearance of acute pain at the site of injury, redness of the skin and sometimes lymph oozing from the wound. Most often, cracks form under the little toe, but can also appear on the toenails.
You can cure cracks between your toes yourself using folk remedies and pharmaceutical preparations. If the cracks are too deep and cannot be treated at home, then you need to consult a doctor to determine the exact cause of their formation and apply more serious therapeutic measures.
It should immediately be noted that the treatment of cracks in the feet with folk remedies can only be used if the cause of their appearance is associated with wearing open shoes. Foot fungus and the presence of endocrine pathologies require drug therapy.
Foot baths Dilute 1 tbsp in 2 liters of boiling water. l. grated laundry soap and 1 tsp. baking soda. Soak your feet in such a bath for 30 minutes before bed, then treat the cracks with pork fat or apply a compress of celandine oil to them.
Pine ointment Pour 250 ml of boiling water over pine needles (2 tbsp), boil in a water bath for 30 minutes, cool and strain. Add 1 tbsp to the resulting solution. l. butter and 1 tsp. camphor alcohol. Stir and transfer to a glass jar. Use the ointment before going to bed, treating cracks with it and leaving it on all night. This ointment will not only help heal cracks on your feet and between your toes, but will also prevent their occurrence.
Tincture of iodine and aspirin This tincture is suitable for healing deep cracks. ? Art. Mix pure alcohol with 10 aspirin tablets and 1 bottle of iodine. Shake and pour into a dark bottle. Store in a dark place. Apply 2-3 times a week, as needed. Also suitable for preventing cracks.
Cracks between the toes do not go away on their own; they require mandatory treatment. For shallow cracks caused by the influence of the external environment, you can try to cure them yourself using traditional medicine or pharmaceutical drugs. Among pharmaceutical products intended for the treatment of cracks, Carmol, Nutraderm, Super Glu or Ultra Maid can be used. But if there is no result of such treatment, you should consult a doctor.
Cracks caused by foot fungus require specific treatment, which will be aimed at eliminating the cause of the cracks. After an examination, a dermatologist or mycologist will be able to prescribe a special ointment or cream for feet for cracks with an antibiotic, determining the duration of the treatment course.
As a rule, in such cases, broad-spectrum drugs belonging to the group of imidazoles are prescribed - clotrimazole, econazole, miconazole, etc. After the symptoms of fungus in the form of cracks are eliminated, treatment must be extended for another 2-3 weeks.
To avoid the formation of cracks between your toes, you must follow a few simple recommendations:
Only timely prevention will help prevent the formation of cracks on the legs and between the toes, and will preserve the beauty and health of the skin.