Son's Toes Peel and Crack

My niece just went through this. The doctor said it was a virus (sounds weird huh) and prescribed a cream..it took at least two weeks before it started even looking any better...she also does not wear her crocs anymore. They didn't help the matter. Good luck.

Well, not for nothing, I'm very interested to know what was done for you husband when he was a child. On the other hand, I have mild dermititis (my hands and feet peel and get dry and crack and sometimes bleed with the change of weather)and was told to put eucerin on my feet at night with cotton socks. It definitely helped, but I went to a podiatrist because I have diabetes and he prescribed me lactic acid. My feet are wonderfully soft. Only a suggestion, I hope it helped. Be well, take care and good luck!!!

I had the same problem with my son when he was young (he is 16 now) but i realized it only happened in the summer when he would wear sandals. I used Neosporin pain releif and kept them covered and stopped letting him wear sandals, sneakers and white cotton sock were it from then on and he no longer suffered from dry, cracked, bleeding feet. Just something to try, I hope it helps.

Hi C.,

I am a mother of two 1 yr old and a soon to be 6 yr old. This happens to both my kids my mother-in-law told me this happened to there father when he was little. The doctor told her to use only white socks, after a bath dry the feet really well. This helps a lot, but I also use some lotrimin lotion for atheles food and it stops the peeling and burning. I hope this helps. Good Luck! :)

I remember having this problem myself when I was a little girl (I'm almost 50 now!) Anyway, I'd only get it in the summer and I came to associate it with being around pools (public and private ones). Now that my 13 year old son has a similar condition, I think I've decided that it was some kind of athlete's foot. I treat my son with lotromin spray products 2x a day, keep his feet out of closed up shoes (ie. sneakers) and wash/dry his feet often. I believe the fungus breaks down the integrity of the skin and shows itself as a cracking/peeling or even blisters (this is how my son's is showing itself!) I've also heard tea tree oil is an excellent natural salve. Good luck with your son.

My son had the same problem until my father in law started rubbing some old fashioned Corn Huskers Lotion on his feet. It cleared it up in a matter of days. My father in law said it's what farmers used when their hands got dry and cracked from working on the farm. He said they also used "utter cream" to make them soft. I've seen utter cream sold at Walmart in a cute little jar with black spots on it to look like a cow.

My son is 36 and allergic to milk!!! When he was growing up he always had problems with his feet cracking and being red. Nothing worked and he just got used to it. When he was in his 20's he went to an allergist about his hay fever and discovered the milk allergy. He stopped drinking milk and his feet improved almost immediately. Imagine?? I never would have thought.
So have your son tested for allergies.

Hey C.,

Have you just tried to put plain old vaseline on his feet at night with socks. I know it works with dry skin and cracked heels. And it won't burn him.

Hope this helps.

K.

you could try some vaseline on his feet at night make sure you put some socks on to keep his feet moist
then if they heal a bit you can put on the special cream from the doctor

Hi C.,

I wold highly reccommend Arbonne's baby lotion. The face that the cream is burning and stinging is not a good sign! - maybe it has ahrsh chemicals in it. Products such as vaseline will just sit ont he skin and suffocate it, while Arbonne actualy penetrates and reverses the damage. What we put on our skin goes in our body!

Good luck and email me for a free sample!

:) A.

Hi C.,
Reactivating Body Serum and Hydrating Body Lotion should resolve your son's problem and without pain! These two products are made by Arbonne, botanically based and hypo-allergenic. I have seen many "before and after" from people who have used it and it's wonderful. You can't buy it in the store but if you'll get in touch with me, I can get it for you 35% discount. You can go onto the website, ArbonneInternational.com, to look at the products but can't order unless you're a rep.
You can reach me at ____@____.com or cell ###-###-####.
L.

Hi C.,

My 9.5 yrs old has the same issues when he was little and his dad (lost his nails and skin when little) and to this day he has severly bad dry skin on the bottoms of his feet (they crack and bleed).

We found that the best thing to use is something called "Bag Balm" it's in a green can (probably by the vaseline which works to once under control). It's not cheap but it does work.

How to use:
after your son has bathed in warm water - dry feet (GOOD)- plaster the feet with the bag balm with a little message to the feet and toes (will be slippery after this so you should do right before bed or PLEASE PUT SOCKS ON HIS FEET). Wrap his feet in Saran Wrap and put on his socks - let him keep on overnight - it should take maybe 3-4 days to clear it up. Then to maintain the smooth skin you have 2 options - use very little bag balm (or vaseline) or get a skin lotion (dermasil - we found in the dollar store) or one that has aloe in it. If you do this every night - it will get his feet healed and keep them healthy.

Please let me know how it works - feel sorry for your son I know the pain he's in. when they are cracked and bleeding to ease the pain you could give him a little Tylenol prior to massaging the Bag Balm in. Good Luck!

I have no idea what might be causing it, but maybe try some natural things first. Vitamin E, Tea Tree Oil, Neosporin under a bandaid at night, or Herbal Aloe Force Skin Gel (made by Herbal Answers, Inc. out of Saratoga Springs ###-###-####). Good luck...

HI C.,
I am a pediatric nurse as well. With out seeing the peeling and cracking I can't be certain but did your Doc think it was fungal, dry skin, or what comes to my mind is and old strep infection can cause peeling skin especially on the hands and feet. Those are my thoughts.
M.

Hi there - have you tried Aquafor - made by eucerin? It works really well to protect cracked skin and it should not hurt at all. it is very gentle and helps skin to heal?

Hey C.,

My name is R. and I'm a Master Herbalist and I have a great "all-purpose" salve. I've used it on my daughter's diaper rash, and my sister-in-law uses it on her eczema, another friend used it on his 3rd degree burns. I offer free shipping to any Mamasource member. Feel free to check out my ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com/MorningStar-Herbals

Good luck!

R. Trivedi
MorningStar Herbals

I would try lotrimin.

You could also try using some baby powder. Make sure whenever he wears his sneakers, he's wearing cotton socks.

For the cracks, you may want to try cracked heal cream. Avon makes one that works very well.

YES! My son has the same thing since he was a toddler - he is now 5. The pediatrician had a name for it - something he has told me over and over again, but for the life of me I cannot retain that. Something about him having an allergic reaction to his sweat.

With my son his problems mainly occur in the warm weather. His feet sweat and he in turn has this reaction to the moisture & the heat resulting in painful cracks and peeling skin. The dr. said there is nothing that can be prescribed. Prevention is the best medicine.

Our nightly routine is to treat his feet with:

1. neosporin ointment (not cream) on each crack
2. Bag balm (the stuff in a square green container found in most drug stores that farmers use on cow udders) all over his feet. It mixes with the neosporin for relief and healing.
3. Cotton socks which he wears all night to keep feet moistirized, clean, and to keep the neosporin & bag balm from wiping off. Bandaids & liquid bandages DO NOT work.

Breathable shoes are imperative in the warmer months. He wears crocs most of the time. Without socks if his feet are crack-free and with socks if he has cracks.

Also keeping feet clean so cracks do not become infected with whatever funk can enter. My son frequently takes cool baths to soothe his feet before bedtime.

He has the best cared for feet in the house. It is a pain, but as long as you keep up and treat her daily - at least once a day, she should be ok.

My daughter has the same problem. During the day I put powder in her shoes to help, but during the night I lather them up with diaper rash cream. Desitin and Balmex cream work the best. I cake it on her toes and put socks on her feet. the diaper rash cream works great and it doesn't burn. it is also not as harsh as some of the prescription stuff. It also leaves a little protective coating. If your son wears sneaker during the day you can put te cream on before you put his socks on too!!!!!! good Luck!!!

Sounds like a fungal infection. You should definitely take him to the doctor.

My little brother had this probem growing up and the one thing I remember my parents doing is making him wear 100% cotton socks. Hope this helps - good luck!

I too had the same problem as a child, and although it sounds strange...this is what my mother did, and it worked. She thoroughly coated my feet with Crisco, put a baggie over the foot, and then put cotton socks on me. This was done at night, post bathtime, and worked wonders.