Xerosis - By Dr. Vieira, DPM, AACFAS
Now that flip flops are a distant memory and next summer feels like light years away, we all tend to neglect our feet. We tuck them away in big fluffy boots to hibernate all winter long. This time of year, as the temperatures drop and the air dries out, so does our skin.
We will see many patients start coming in complaining about dry, flaking skin that just won't go away. People try lotion after lotion, some even quite expensive, to try and alleviate the problem unsuccessfully. What people don't realize is that sometimes it's not just a simply a case of dry skin.
Xerosis is the medical term for dry skin and can be very itchy, irritating, painful and unsightly. Many times it will not respond to over-the-counter lotions and might require more involved treatment. Severe and chronically dry feet can be linked to a more serious underlying condition or disease. Evaluation by a podiatrist can help rule out these type of conditions and, if necessary, guide you towards appropriate testing or specialists. However, in most cases, xerosis is a localized and self-limiting condition that is very successfully treated with prescription medications that actually chemically remove the dry skin.
In some cases, patients can also develop cracks or fissures in the skin which can be extremely painful and can lead to more serious issues like bleeding and infection. If you notice these, you should call a podiatrist and be evaluated as soon as possible. When this occurs, intervention is required to remove the dead callused skin and medications may be required to prevent infection and help the skin heal. If you notice redness, swelling, drainage or pus, this can be serious and should be treated as an emergency.
For more information on xerosis or dry skin and related treatments, please contact our Long Island foot doctors at Advanced Podiatry today at either our Manhasset, Huntington, Coram, Woodbury, Mineola, Williston Park & Maspeth, Plainview NY practice! Or submit a request through our site's contact form.
