The reasons why the skin on the toes peels off can be very different. Itching of the skin and cracks on the feet is a very common complaint of patients who come to see a dermatologist. This problem can occur at any age in both sexes and is preventable in most cases. What actions should be taken if the skin on the toes is peeling, and what may be indicated by the appearance of this symptom?
Clear the skin on the legs: norm or pathology?
No highly qualified doctor can accurately and instantly answer the question of why there is peeling on the feet. A number of factors can provoke this violation, from harmless to life-threatening. In some patients, the poor condition of the skin on the toes is the result of chronic beriberi, in others it is a neglected fungal infection.infections. Accordingly, treatment regimens will have fundamental differences. In any case, if the skin between the toes peels off, we are talking about a certain violation in the body or the adverse effects of external factors. Cracking of the epidermis on the legs is not the norm.
Poor hygiene
Improper care of the skin of the feet is the first thing to be excluded if the skin between the toes is peeling. The reason, at first glance, is insignificant, but often it leads to serious consequences. With insufficient foot hygiene, the risk of joining a fungal infection, a bacterial lesion, which will be indicated by an unpleasant odor, a change in the color and texture of the nail plates, increases.
In addition to poor-quality foot skin care, other factors can also cause problems. You can determine why the skin on the toes is peeling by the type of shoes a person wears. The small size, due to which the shoes constantly rub, poor-quality material of manufacture - it is likely that this is the whole clue to the problem.
Immune weakening
The problem of peeling of the epidermis on the extremities is most often faced by owners of a dry type of skin. The top layer of the skin on the fingers can also crack due to an acute lack of vitamins and minerals in the body, a long stay in an unfavorable environmental environment. This also includes a sudden change in temperature, climatic regime: skinsimply do not have time to adapt to new conditions.
Another reason why the skin on the toes peels off is bathing in too hard, chlorinated water, which kills local immunity. The protective mechanisms of skin cells are weakened, so there is a violation of the elasticity and integrity of tissues. By the way, for the same reason, the epidermis on the legs can peel off. Such a change in the skin is observed in people of different ages.
Pathological causes of peeling
With the elimination of any of the above non-pathological factors, it is possible to quickly restore a satisfactory condition of the skin. However, it should be understood that this manifestation may be a symptom of serious dermatological diseases. It is much more difficult to deal with them, since most ailments do not have an exact etiology. But still, why does the skin between the toes peel off? Dermatologists name several diseases that are characterized by this symptom.
Fungus on foot
This is the most common ailment of infectious origin. In addition to peeling the epidermis, foot fungus causes itching, burning, redness and a fetid odor. This contagious disease most often affects people with weakened immune systems, young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those who do not follow basic hygiene rules in common areas (pools, saunas, baths, etc.).
You can recognize foot fungus by the appearance of severe unbearable itching, redness. If not on timetake the necessary therapeutic measures, after a few days it will become noticeable how the skin between the toes is peeling. For treatment, antimycotic drugs of systemic and local action are prescribed.
Eczema and psoriasis
These are completely different dermatological pathologies, but they have one thing in common: the inability to establish the cause of the development of the pathological process. Both eczema and psoriasis can affect different parts of the body, but eczema is more commonly diagnosed on the toes. Skin diseases of this type occur against the background of stress, exhaustion of the body, an allergic reaction, and a number of other adverse factors.
With eczema, specific red blisters appear on the skin, which burst after a while and are very flaky, itchy. Psoriasis, unlike eczema, manifests itself on tissues with specific scales. It is better not to delay the treatment of this disease, since it can affect the epidermis not only on the toes, but throughout the body, and even affect the joints. In severe cases, psoriasis leads to a significant reduction in the patient's quality of life.
Allergy
May seem like the most innocuous reason at first glance. The skin on the toes peels off if a certain irritant affects this area of \u200b\u200bthe limb - a detergent or cosmetic, poor-quality synthetic material for shoes, socks, etc.
Sometimes an allergy is manifested not only by damage to the epidermis, but alsoattacks of suffocation, lacrimation, sneezing, swelling of the mucous membranes. If the skin on the toes is flaky, you need to contact an allergist. Knowing about your allergic predisposition, it is necessary to take antihistamines in a timely manner and avoid contact with the irritant.
Is it possible to get rid of peeling
As soon as the causes of deterioration of the skin on the toes become known, it is first necessary to direct efforts to eliminate them, and only after that to focus on the fight against a cosmetic defect. You can restore the condition of the skin using a set of procedures:
- baths with table or sea s alt, essential oil;
- using an exfoliating scrub or special pumice stone;
- using moisturizing and nourishing foot creams.
If the skin of the toes is peeling and cracking due to a serious dermatological pathology, long-term treatment with special preparations is indispensable. So, with dermatitis and eczema, the use of steroid anti-inflammatory and regenerating ointments (Elokom, Afloderm, Celestoderm) is often required, and for allergies, antihistamines (Loratadin, Claritin, Cetrin, Zodak)). In case of attachment to the sites of bacterial infection, the patient is prescribed local antiseptics ("Chlorhexidine", "Miramistin").
How to cure foot fungus
To get rid of a skin infection, you will have to be patient and calm. Pathology occurs asadults as well as in children. Many have been forced to fight foot fungus for years, applying antimycotic drugs to the skin. At the slightest weakening of the immune system, the disease can recur.
To confirm the diagnosis, the patient is referred for scraping. A laboratory study is carried out in order to determine the type of pathogen and its sensitivity to the antifungal component. For the treatment of infection, the use of external (liquid solutions, emulsions, ointments, creams) and systemic drugs is required. In order to prevent fungus, the medicine is also applied to the nail plates. If today the skin is peeling on the big toe, then tomorrow, with a high degree of probability, it will peel off already on other parts of the foot.
Why toe fungus becomes chronic
The main reason for the failure of patients who try to get rid of the disease is the use of drugs in the absence of treatment of shoes with antimycotic agents. The situation looks like this: as soon as the patient manages to remove the fungus on the skin or suppress its activity, re-infection occurs. Therefore, the best solution in the treatment of infection is to replace the shoes with new ones.
Households who live with a person infected with a fungal infection must take precautions so as not to get infected. First of all, you can not use the patient's personal belongings, shoes, including slippers. It is advisable for the patient himself, who has a fungus on his toes, to walk on the floor withoutbarefoot and wear socks. In order to prevent family members of the patient need to use antifungal sprays. Such drugs should be prescribed by a dermatologist.
What should I do if the skin on my child's toes is peeling?
One of the reasons why the pedunculated epidermis peels off at an early age is hyperhidrosis. This pathological condition is characterized by increased sweating of the feet. Often, hyperhidrosis develops due to the baby wearing shoes or clothes made from synthetic materials. If the child's foot is in shoes for a long time, it begins to swell, as a result of which the surface layer of the skin suffers. If the baby has such a problem, before putting on his shoes or sandals, the foot must be treated with a special talc or cream.
Peeling of the skin on the toes in children is often a sign of dysbacteriosis - a condition characterized by a deficiency of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Often, dysbacteriosis occurs against the background of taking antibacterial drugs. Skin problems in a child disappear by themselves as soon as the normal microflora in the intestine is restored. As a therapy, the child is prescribed probiotics, which contribute to the "settlement" of the missing bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.
How to prevent peeling on the skin of the toes
First of all, you should stop wearing tight and uncomfortable shoes. Shoes should be soft and light, not rubbing the feet. You need to pay attention to the increase in sweating of the legs, which can lead to unpleasant consequences. Wet environment mostcomfortable for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms and the development of fungal infections.
Strengthen the body and increase its resistance to various infections, each of us can independently by making appropriate adjustments to the lifestyle:
- eat a balanced diet;
- minimize consumption of s alty, spicy, fatty foods;
- give up alcoholic beverages;
- with a tendency to allergies, use allergenic foods with caution (nuts, seafood, citrus fruits, chocolate, honey, strawberries, etc.);
- avoid areas where there is a period of mass flowering of plants;
- get a good rest.
In order to prevent the development of a skin disease, it is necessary to constantly take measures to strengthen the immune system. You can use immunomodulators and other drugs only after consulting an immunologist.
If the epidermis on the legs is flaky due to increased dryness, it is important to constantly moisturize it with the help of medical and cosmetic products. A worthy alternative to pharmacy and store formulations can be vegetable oil or fatty sour cream.
