Dealing With Hard Skin

Preventing And Treating Hard Skin

To suffer from hard skin is very common and something that most people will experience at some time in their life.It can develop anywhere on the anatomy but is more often seen affecting the hands and feet.

Why Does It Occur?

The feet and hands are put under a lot of strain on a daily basis, carrying the body's weight, absorbing impact, managing weight fluctuations, transfer of goods from hand to hand and facing sometimes extremely adverse weather conditions. It is because of these reasons that the skin on the hands and feet are thicker, tougher and more resilient to damage that anywhere else on the body. The skin on these areas grows cells extremely quickly in response to the outside stimuli.

Signs Of Hard Skin

The first sign of hard skin is to notice dry skin patches. Most commonly seen on the feet and hands, hard skin develops over time and is not usually painful. As it progresses, hard skin can appear a yellowish colour, sometimes turning grey or pale brown and will continue to thicken and harden as time goes by.

Complications Of Hard Skin

Hard skin that is left untreated can lead to more painful conditions such as cracking, callous and corn occurrences and can take a very long time to heal properly.Once the skin has cracked, it is more susceptible to infection, commonly bacterial or fungal which in turn will need further treatments and possible time off work. Apart from the practical issues surrounding hard skin, it is unsightly and can be a source of ridicule and embarrassment for some.It is important to try and prevent hard skin from forming, or if unavoidable, to treat it when it is first noticed.

Treating And Preventing Hard Skin

Preventing hard skin does not have to be a long and arduous chore, in fact it can actually be a pleasurable experience using massage, aromatherapy and relaxation techniques. Simply by submerging the affected area into warm clean water will help to soften the skin. This can be followed by massaging oils or creams into the skin, or by using devices specifically designed to assist in the removal of hard skin.

Pumice stones or other natural products are very good at exfoliating the dead skin cells revealing smoother fresher skin underneath. This is particularly useful on the heels, ball of the foot and toes.

Correct drying techniques, followed by the application of a moisturising cream will help to keep the skin soft. Wearing cotton gloves, sock or soft slippers will also help to keep hard skin at bay.

As we get older it becomes more important to take good care of our feet. This is especially true of those with vascular disease and diabetes who may benefit from having their hard skin treated by a chiropodist as they will be able to perform the task safely and effectively causing minimal disruption to the tissues of the feet.

Hard skin is very common and can develop on anywhere on the body, but in particular, the foot or the hand. It is always best to try and prevent hard skin from developing in its initial stages, but if left to develop, it can be treated and removed relatively easily.