Freaked out by my feet
Question
I've got small, white circles on the soles of my feet. They don't hurt and seem to be hard skin. The thing is I'm afraid that if I take my socks off people will think I have something 'nasty' going on with my feet. My feet do sweat; I dance and live in my trainers. Could this be the cause of it? Is there a way to get rid of it without having to go to my doctor?
Answer
It's not unusual to get a build up of hard skin on your feet, especially during winter when your feet are hidden away in socks and trainers. If it is dry skin you can use a foot file to help remove the dead skin (they look like a huge nail file) and then apply plenty of moisturising cream to help keep your feet soft and smooth. These items can be bought from a chemist or pharmacy. You could also invest in a professional pedicure to help sort out the hard skin patches and get your feet up to scratch and ready for summer.
The patches could also be calluses, especially if you've been wearing shoes that pinch your feet. These aren't usually a serious problem, and can be treated in the same way as patches of hard skin. If the patches feel lumpy or painful it would be best to visit your local doctor (GP).
Another possibility is that the white patches you describe could be a sign of athlete's foot. Athlete's foot is a bacterial infection that can be easily treated with a cream or powders. Treatments can be bought without a prescription from a chemist or pharmacy.
Even though you are aware of these white patches, it's likely that most people won't even notice them, but it's understandable that you want them to look good.
To help keep your feet looking and smelling nice, it's a good idea to make sure you wear cotton socks, especially if you are wearing trainers. If you can, it's also a good idea to not wear the same pair of shoes for two days in a row.
Everybody's feet sweat, especially if they take part in activities like dancing and wear trainers. If you're worried about this you could also invest in in-soles for you shoes. Many of these help to combat sweaty feet and can also offer extra padding to prevent your shoes from rubbing and causing hard skin build up.
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