Footcare
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO LOOK AFTER YOUR FEET?
It’s important to know how to look after your feet properly, especially if you spend a lot of time on your feet or you’ve got a specific foot-related condition. Our feet can often get overlooked, but there are lots of reasons why taking care of your feet is important.
From athlete’s foot and bunions, to verrucas, fungal nail infections and everything in between, we’re here to help you understand the different types of foot conditions and how to take good care of your feet, from your heels to your toes.
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FOOTCARE CONDITIONS
There are many different types of foot conditions, but most of them can be treated at home once you know what to look out for and how to treat and prevent them.
We’ll talk you through the most common foot conditions, including symptoms, treatment and how to help prevent them. The best thing you can do for your feet is have a regular foot care routine, keep an eye on any changes and get clued up on the different types of foot conditions and how to treat them.
Fungal nail infections are common and can affect the fingernails and toenails.
The good news is they’re not serious and can be treated. Symptoms of a fungal nail infection include:
• Nail discolouration
• Thickening of the nail
• Pain or discomfort, particularly when applying pressure
• Brittle nails
Most fungal nail infections occur as a result of the same fungus that causes athlete’s foot infecting the nails. This fungus likes warm, dark and moist places, which is why it’s so common on the feet.
Fungal nail infections occur when your feet are regularly warm and damp, for example, if your feet are prone to being hot and sweaty. If you have athlete’s foot, this can also spread and cause fungal nail infections.
There are some things you can do to help prevent a fungal nail infection, including:
• Treating athlete’s foot as soon as possible
• Keeping your feet clean and dry
• Wearing clean socks every day
• Throwing out old shoes
• Wearing flip flops, sliders or other suitable footwear at the gym or swimming pool
• Not wearing shoes that make your feet hot and sweaty
• Not sharing towels, shoes or nail clippers
Fungal nail infections can be treated with products like Boots Fungal Nail Treatment Solution, which makes it difficult for the fungus to survive and multiply. Check the information on the pack or speak to a pharmacist to find out if this is suitable for you.
If over the counter treatments haven’t worked or the infection has spread to other nails, speak to your GP or Livi GP1 for advice.
If you have diabetes and think you may have a fungal nail infection, speak to your GP straight away.
Find out more about fungal nail infections and how to treat them.
Athlete’s foot is a common fungal infection that affects the feet. It won’t go away by itself, but it can usually be treated with antifungal creams like Boots Antifungal Cream (Contains clotrimazole. Always read the label) or sprays like Boots Athlete’s Foot Dual Action Foot Spray (Contains tolnaftate. Always read the label). Athlete’s foot can keep coming back, so it’s important to know what to look out for and how to help treat it.
You can catch athlete’s foot by your skin making direct contact with another person with the infection, or by walking barefoot in places where someone else has athlete's foot like gym changing rooms or swimming pools and showers.
Symptoms of athlete’s foot include:
• Itchy white patches between the toes
• Cracked or bleeding skin on the feet
• Fluid-filled blisters
If left untreated, athlete’s foot can spread to the toenails and lead to a fungal nail infection. A range of athlete’s foot treatment options are available, but you may have to try a few different options to find the one that works for you.
There are things you can do to help prevent getting athlete’s foot, or to help stop it from coming back, including:
• Keeping feet clean and dry, and always drying feet after washing them (especially between your toes)
• Using a separate, clean towel for your feet
• Taking your shoes off when you’re at home to give your feet a chance to get air to them
• Wearing clean cotton socks every day
• Wearing flip flops or sliders in changing rooms and at the swimming pool
• Not sharing towels, socks or shoes with other people
• Not wearing shoes that make your feet hot and sweaty
If you have athlete’s foot, it’s important not to scratch the affected area, as this can cause it to spread to other areas.
Speak to your GP or Livi GP1 if you have athlete’s foot and treatments from a pharmacy aren’t working, or if the infection has spread to other parts of your body. If you have diabetes and you suspect you may have athlete's foot you should speak to your GP as soon as possible.
Warts and verrucas are small lumps on the skin. Most people will get a wart or verruca at some point in their lives.
Warts can occur anywhere on the body. They feel firm and rough, and often warts on the feet appear in clusters. Verrucas only occur on the foot and have a small black dot under the surface of the skin.
Warts can sometimes be itchy or uncomfortable. Verrucas may feel slightly painful, like standing on a needle.
Warts and verrucas are both caused by a virus which can be spread from person to person through close contact or via contaminated surfaces. This is most likely to happen if your skin is wet or damaged. It can take weeks or months for warts and verrucas to appear after contact with the virus.
There are things you can do to help stop the spread of warts and verrucas, including:
• Washing your hands after touching a wart or verruca
• Wearing clean socks every day
• Covering warts and verrucas with a plaster when swimming
• Not sharing towels, socks or shoes with other people
• Wearing flip flops or sliders in gym changing rooms or at the swimming pool
• Not scratching or picking a wart
Warts and verrucas may go away on their own, but this can take a long time. There are gels, sprays and pens that can help treat warts and verrucas if they’re bothering you. Speak to your pharmacist for more information on how to treat verrucas or warts.
You should see your GP if any of the following apply:
- you have a wart on your face
- you have a wart on your genitals (penis, vagina, anus)
- you have a wart that keeps coming back
- you have a very large or painful wart or verruca
- you are worried about a growth on your skin
- you have a wart that starts to bleed or changes in appearance
- you have a wart or verruca and have diabetes
Bunions are hard, sometimes painful lumps on the sides of the feet.
Symptoms of bunions include:
• Hard lump on the side of the foot, by your big toe
• Your big toe is pointing inwards towards your other toes on the same foot
• Hard or swollen skin
• Skin that looks redder or darker than the surrounding skin
• Pain along the side or bottom of the foot (this may be worse when walking or wearing shoes)
It’s not clear what causes bunions, or what can be done to prevent them. It may help to avoid shoes with high heels or pointy toes and make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes that are the correct size.
Surgery is the only way to get rid of bunions. You can help to ease discomfort caused by bunions by doing the following:
• Wearing wide, low-heeled shoes with a soft sole
• Applying an ice pack, such as Boots Hot & Cold Compress, for five minutes at a time
• Trying bunion relief pads or a bunion brace
• Taking paracetamol or ibuprofen, if suitable for you, to help manage any discomfort
• Trying to lose weight if you’re overweight
• Avoiding wearing tight, pointy or high-heeled shoes
If you’re trying to lose weight, Boots Online Doctor5 has a range of advice and information to help support you with weight loss, from a FREE 10-week loss programme to FREE weight loss webinars.
Speak to your GP or Livi GP1 if home treatments aren’t helping with bunion pain, the pain is stopping you from doing your usual activities or your bunions are getting worse.
If you have diabetes and suspect you may have bunions, speak to your GP straight away.
If you have diabetes, it’s really important to take good daily care of your feet and speak to your GP or foot specialist if you notice any changes or anything unusual.
Having diabetes means you are at increased risk of developing foot problems which can lead to serious complications.
Most foot problems can be avoided with a regular footcare regime. Top tips for helping look after your feet when living with diabetes include:
• Checking your feet every day
• Maintaining a healthy diet
• Keeping active
Speak to your GP straight away if you notice something you're concerned about. If you think you have a foot condition, a cut or a blister you should seek advice as soon as possible.
If you have diabetes, it’s a good idea to get your feet checked every year by your GP, diabetes nurse or podiatrist. Speak to your diabetes care team to find out more.
Find out more about looking after your feet when you have diabetes.
For more information about diabetes visit the Boots Health Hub Diabetes information page.
Corns and calluses are hard areas of skin that can occur on the hands, feet and toes. They’re not usually serious, but they can sometimes be tender or painful.
Corns are small lumps of hard skin, whereas calluses are larger patches of rough, thick skin. Both corns and calluses are caused by pressure or rubbing of the skin.
Corns and calluses can be caused by:
• Wearing uncomfortable shoes
• Shoes with high heels or shoes that are the wrong size
• Wearing shoes without socks
If you have a corn or callus, there are certain things you can do yourself to help get rid of them and stop them coming back, including:
• Using insoles or heel pads inside your shoes
• Wearing thick, cushioned socks
• Soaking your feet in warm water to soften corns and calluses
• Filing hard skin with a foot file or pumice stone
• Moisturising your feet to help keep them soft with a moisturising cream
• Using a product like Boots Corn Removal All-in-One Pen
Take a look at our range of products to help with corns.
Speak to your GP or Livi GP1 if, you have a corn or callus and it bleeds or there’s any discharge, it’s not improved after three weeks of home treatment or it’s causing you considerable pain.
If you think you have a corn or callus and you have diabetes, heart disease or problems with your circulation, speak to your GP immediately. Do not try to treat corns and calluses yourself if you have any of these conditions.
Find out more about corns.
Heel pain is a common foot complaint and can have many different causes. The good news is, heel pain is usually easily treated at home, depending on the cause.
The best ways to help ease heel pain include:
• Resting your foot, and raising it when you can
• Applying an ice pack, such as Boots Hot & Cold Compress, for up to 20 minutes every two to three hours
• Wearing wide, comfortable, low-heeled shoes with a soft sole
• Avoiding wearing high heels or tight, pointy shoes
• Using insoles or heel pads inside your shoes, such as Boots Ball of Foot & Arch Pain Insoles
• Using a bandage around your heel and ankle to add extra support
• Taking paracetamol or ibuprofen if suitable, to help manage any discomfort
• Avoiding walking or standing for long periods of time
Speak to your GP or Livi GP1 if the pain is getting worse, or stopping you from doing your normal activities, or hasn’t improved within two weeks of home treatment.
If you have diabetes and have heel pain, speak to your GP straight away.
Find out more about heel pain.
Find out more about foot supports.
Environmental factors, lots of walking, hot showers, harsh soaps and a poor foot care routine can all cause dry skin on the feet. The good news is, with a few simple steps you can help treat and prevent dry skin.
Try soaking your feet in warm water to soothe the skin, then removing dry skin with a pumice, foot file such Boots Foot File or hard skin remover like Boots Hard Skin Remover.
Follow up with an intensive moisturiser like Boots Dry & Cracked Foot Softener.
Take a look at our full range of hard skin removal options.
An ingrown toenail is when a nail grows into the toe. You can get an ingrown toenail on any toe, but they’re most common on the big toe.
If you have an ingrown toenail your toe may be red, painful and swollen, and your toenail may curve under at the side.
If you feel hot and shivery or your toe has pus (a thick, yellow-white liquid) coming out of the side, you may have an ingrown toenail that’s become infected. If this happens, speak to your GP who will be able to prescribe antibiotics, if suitable.
Ingrown toenails can be painful, but there are things you can do to help treat them at home. These include:
• Soaking your foot in warm, salty water to help soften the skin and reduce the risk of infection
• Wearing wide, comfortable shoes
• Taking paracetamol or ibuprofen if suitable, to help manage any pain
• Not cutting or picking at the toenail – it’s best to leave the nail to grow out
• Not wearing tight, pointy shoes
You can help prevent ingrown toenails by not cutting your nails too short, cutting toenails straight across, keeping feet clean and dry and not wearing shoes that are too small.
Speak to your GP or Livi GP1 if at-home treatments aren’t helping or you have the signs of an infected ingrown toenail mentioned above.
If you have diabetes and think you have an ingrown toenail, speak to your GP straight away.
Find out more about the prevention and treatment of ingrown toenails.
Pompholyx (or dyshidrotic eczema) is a type of eczema that affects the hands or feet.
Symptoms of pompholyx include a burning or prickly feeling followed by blisters that come and go. These symptoms usually last two to three weeks at a time.
Pompholyx is usually a long-term condition, but treatment including moisturisers and steroid creams like Boots Derma Care Hydrocortisone 1% Cream** (Always read the label) can help control the symptoms. There are ways you can help ease symptoms of pompholyx on your feet, including:
• Wearing socks or tights made from natural fibres like cotton or silk, rather than nylon
• Wearing shoes made from leather instead of plastic or rubber
• Avoiding any soaps or detergents you think may cause your symptoms
• Using gentle, soap-free washes, like Boots Derma Care Daily Moisturising Shower Cream
• Not bursting any blisters you may get on your feet
If you think you have pompholyx or have any concerns, speak to your GP for advice.
LEARN MORE ABOUT FOOT CARE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
There are a few simple things you can do to help keep your feet in good condition, including:
• Keeping them clean and dry – this is especially important between your toes
• Checking for cuts, sores, redness, swelling, bruising or anything else out of the ordinary
• Cutting toenails and filing hard skin regularly
• Applying moisturiser to help prevent dryness and cracked heels
Looking after your feet doesn’t need to be time-consuming – you can set aside as little as ten minutes a week for your footcare routine.
If you have a pre-existing health condition that can affect your feet, such as diabetes, it is important that you take good care of your feet every day and check them for any changes.
There’s no significant difference between a podiatrist and a chiropodist. Over recent years the term podiatrist is more commonly used, but both refer to a specially trained foot care professional.
Chiropodists and podiatrists can treat a range of foot-related concern from calluses and corns to more specialised and complex issues such as sports injuries or foot ulcers.
Athlete’s foot and eczema can cause similar symptoms, such as itchiness, but they are different conditions. This means the causes and treatments for each condition will be different too.
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that affects the skin on the feet. It can be spread from person to person. Athlete’s foot will usually need an antifungal treatment, such as a spray, cream or powder, which can be bought from your local pharmacy or online. You can shop all athlete's foot treatments here.
Eczema is an inflammatory dry skin condition that can occur on any part of the body. A good foot care routine which includes the use of emollients can help keep the symptoms of eczema at bay. A topical corticosteroid such as hydrocortisone cream can also help treat eczema flare-ups. It’s worth speaking to your GP for advice if you think you have eczema. Alternatively, you can access eczema treatment via the Boots Online Doctor Eczema Treatment.5
Dry, flaky or scaly skin or nails are typical symptoms of foot fungus. Athlete’s foot and fungal nail infections are the most common types of foot fungus. Foot fungus can usually be treated with an antifungal medicine specific to the type of foot fungus you have – your GP or pharmacist will be able to advise you on the right type of antifungal medicine for you. If left untreated, fungal infections can spread – for example, athlete’s foot can spread to the nails and cause a fungal nail infection.
Take a look at our range of products for athlete’s foot and fungal nail infection treatment.
Speak to your GP if you have any concerns, if you have a fungal infection that won’t go away with fungal treatment, or if you have diabetes and think you may have a fungal infection.
Plantar fasciitis causes pain on the bottom of the foot, around the heel and arch. The pain usually feels better after exercise but then returns after you rest. The pain is usually worse when you start walking after sleeping or resting. If you have plantar fasciitis, you may find it difficult to raise your toes off the floor.
You can help ease symptoms of plantar fasciitis yourself at home by trying the following:
• Rest and raise your leg whenever you can
• Apply an ice pack such as Boots Hot & Cold Compress every two to three hours for up to 20 minutes
• Wear shoes with good arch support and cushioned heels, or use insoles or heel pads
• Avoid tight or pointed shoes, flipflops and backless slippers
• Try gentle stretching exercises or an exercise such as swimming that doesn’t put pressure on your feet
• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen if suitable for you, to help manage any discomfort. Don’t take ibuprofen in the first 48 hours as this may affect the body’s healing process
• Avoid walking or standing for long periods
• Avoid walking barefoot on hard surfaces
• Try to lose weight if you’re overweight
You could also try the Boots Plantar Fasciitis Foot Massage Roller to help soothe heel and arch pain. Take a look at our range of products to support plantar fasciitis.
If you’re trying to lose weight, Boots Online Doctor5 has a range of advice and information to help support with weight loss, from a free 10 week loss programme to FREE weight loss webinars.
Speak to your GP if symptoms are severe, getting worse or don’t improve after two weeks, or if you have diabetes and you’ve got foot pain.
1 Subject to availability. Eligibility criteria may apply. Charges may apply.
5 Access to test kits and prescription-only treatment is subject to an online consultation with a clinician to assess suitability. Subject to availability. Charges apply.
*Subject to availability. Charges may apply.
** Always read the label
***Treatments provided by Boots Online Doctor are subject to a consultation with a clinician to assess suitability. Charges and eligibility criteria apply. Subject to availability.
†Contains Clotrimazole. Always read the label.
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