Healthy Skin, Healthy Feet
The skin is the largest organ in the body and without it... well I'd rather not picture that, so let's just move on.
Feet get a fairly unique set of conditions to function in, and as long as they are doing a good enough job, they end up with very little attention.
Let's read on and learn about a few of the more common skin conditions that podiatrist get to see.
Glitter is contagious, and will be stuck on you forever.
Corns and Calluses
It’s totally normal for skin to thicken when it experiences repeated pressure, in fact it’s completely necessary. Finger tips for guitarists, toes for runners or even knees for carpet layers are examples of useful calluses.
Usually the skin thickens in an even way that protects the squishy bits underneath. It can become too thick and get in the way, increasing pressure beneath and in advanced cases causing a wound beneath.
Sometimes the forces that cause the skin to thicken occur in such a way to make a central point. This is how a Corn forms.
Heloma Durum (for the latin speakers) typically don’t get better by themselves. The hard centre causes enough pressure on the deeper skin layers to keep growing.
The quickest way to relieve the significant pain is to remove the hard skin. When it is done properly most people report immediate relief. In more severe corns it might take a few visits to completely get rid of them.
Corns do have a habit of recurring eventually. Figuring out why they occurred in the first place and removing the cause is part of getting rid of the corn. Usually shoes are a contributor, as well as the way you walk, and if your skin needs more moisture.
Podiatrists deal with corns every day, and are experts in permanent solutions to all types of corns.
This is the other type of corn
Fungal infections
Of all of the cells that make up your body mass, less than half of them are actually human cells [10.1371/journal.pbio.1002533]. Fortunately for us, these extra 1.3 trillion cells are much lighter than our own and only count for around 0.25% of our body by weight.
Not all of these organisms are “Germs” that make us sick, in fact our life wouldn’t be possible without them. They do all kinds of useful things such as digest food, create nutrients that we need and even defend against attack from less friendly creatures.
Your skin is a great example of this symbiosis, it is constantly covered in mostly beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and tiny invertebrates. Because of this bustling metropolis of resident organisms, other creatures find it very hard to find the real estate to start living on your skin.
If this balance of friendly organisms is upset, you might find yourself with an overgrowth of one type resulting in a skin infection.
When the foot is infected with a fungal pathogen, we call it Tinea Pedis, or “Athlete’s foot”.
If you think you might have tinea, see your podiatrist asap and they will point you in the right direction. Also, try not to scratch it. If it gets the better of you, wash your hands straight away
Yep, trees get fungus too.
Plantar Warts
Speaking of resident micro organisms, there a happy little collection of viruses called Human papillomavirus (HPV). They have a pretty nifty system where they live in the deep layers of your skin but also hide from your immune system so they don't get attacked. This causes the skin to grow weird and produce what we call a wart.
Theres a lot of different types and one that podiatrists see a lot of is the one that causes Plantar Warts. Plantar warts specifially on the bottom of a foot (which is called the plantar surface, hence the name).
Sometime the warts can be very painful depending on where they are, and due to callus which is often covering it they can look like several other things.
Do you know who knows the difference and how to get rid of them?
Yep you guessed it, a podiatrist!
Warts look like little mesas, sort of.