Cracked Skin on Feet and Toes

Hi Kim,

I agree with some of these posts that it is NOT just dry skin - I would definitely take him to a dermatologist and see what they can do for him. If you want to try a different type of cream/lotion - I am a personal wellness coach and work with Herbalife products - we have an amazing skin care line that is based in vitamins A, C & E and also Aloe which is very healing. I would be happy to send you more information if you would like. Good luck - D.

I"m so sorry to hear this is happening to your son. I really think you should take him to a Dermatologist, since your other doctor doesn't seem to know what is going on. I know it's slightly different, but my son has very dry skin and had eczema. A friend recommended Arbonne and it cleared it up in days. It is fragrance and chemical free, so you don't have to worry about that. We used the Baby lotion and Baby oil, but they also have an oil product for adults that you could use. Good luck.

It is well known that cracked and peeling skin is oftentimes a result of a food allergy or food intolerance.

When my daughter was 3 months old, we discovered she had an allergy to cow milk simply because the skin around her neck started to peel. All on its own. She hadn't been out in the sun, nor had she gotten into anything that would have "burned" her. It was ugly, red, and hurt. I quit feeding her formula (she was breast fed; I was unable to breast feed) with cow milk in it, and all of her peeling skin went away--almost overnight. She's never had an issue since. We kept her off cow's milk until she was 1.5 years old. Now she is 11 years old and has started having issues again, so we've taken her off cow's milk again. Even though she seemed to have "grown" out of her cow milk allergy, it's always possible for her to get it again--and keep it (both her mom and dad are allergic to casein).

I would RUN to a Naturopathic Doctor and have your son tested for cow milk allergy (done with a saliva test--tests for milk, egg, soy, gluten) and then, while you're there, I'd also get a food intolerance test taken (doesn't cost a lot).

Allopathic doctors are NOT trained at all in food and nutrition and how food issues affect (adversely) the body. They will continue to tell you what to put on/use to "control" the sores/peeling, but they will not be able to get to the root of the problem, or the cause, and help you get rid of the what's causing his sores/pain. I know; 40 years of missed diagnoses of food allergies and food intolerances means 4 years of me still trying to get my body healthy. I've been working with alternative care/health doctors. They are the ones helping me get better, not the allopathic doctors.

If he were my son, I would do everything in my power to figure out what is causing the peeling/sores, then eliminate that problem from his diet, if necessary.

Good luck.

When the external remedies fail, look at internal remedies: NUTRITION!

Our skin reflects our inner health. Our society still lives in they myth that a low-fat diet is healthy. It's not. We need fat for our skin, hair, nails, and especially brain (which is 20% fat). Not the bad, trans-fat, but good fat.

It won't hurt to add more omega-3 fats to his diet: avocado, olive oil when you bake, all-natural peanut butter, fish oil-supplements. In moderation, it's ok to use real cream, real butter (esp. organic), and even grass-fed red meat. The real thing fills us up and reduces hunger, which is why eating real fat actually helps people lose weight!

Dermatologists aren't nutritionists. Find a licensed nutritionist and get some internal help too.

I would get some bag balm which I think is lanolin and put that on his feet with the socks. Much more potent than lotion. It's sold for farmers to put on cows udders but has a human version also. I used it as a kid for my dry feet and it worked wonders.

I think you need to keep trying to find out the cause, maybe with a new doctor! It sounds horrible to him, and your doctor hasn't been very helpful. Please take him to a new doctor.

I would take him to a podiatrist or a dermatologist.

I would add cod liver oil to his diet. Also, I would use Burt Bee's foot cream and apply it every time his skin starts to dry. Once a day may not be enough right now.

These doctors don't seem to have any answers for you. You should bring him to a dermatologist, because I bet they'll be able to help more! If the sores are open, I would lean towards Neosporin or some kind of anti-bacterial, healing cream. Can you bandage his toes separately after putting the cream on? I used to use Eucerin but found that the tub of CeraVe works much better for me, plus it's a lotion consistency and can be rubbed into my kids really quickly without leaving a "film". I hope you find something to help. I feel so sad for your little boy!

My son had the same problems. I had a pediatrician look at it, and it turned out to be a sepcific type of eczema that I believe he called "tennis shoe foot" or something like that. We got a prescription for a cream that we applied twice a day for 10 days, got him some leather shoes, and his feet are now perfectly normal little boy feet. Find someone who knows about eczema. Good luck!

My husband has this problem every winter. he uses vasaline and makes sure he wears all cotton white socks. dr.OZ suggested using cocoa butter for dry skin.

Hi. So sorry your little one is going through this.
Some other thoughts in addition to good advice:
1. What about vitamins? have you tried adding omega fish oil? or a good multi vitamin for children?
2. are you drying feet after washing?
3. aquaphor?
4. cotton socks?
5. vitamin d suppplement?

hope this helps a little.
Keep us posted, Jilly

We use white petroleum jelly and socks every night. Humidifier in the room. The white petroleum jelly is in a tube at Target and super cheap. Good luck.

I'm so sorry your son is going through this. It sounds terrible. I agree that you should see a specialist. Either a dermatologist or a podiatrist. I think it's kind of odd to have such dry skin on your feet to the point that they are cracking and raw. I wonder if there's some type of fungal infection. That might explain why it got worse when you applied the Eucerin since fungus thrives in moist conditions and a moisturizer like Eucerin may have exacerbated things. Please get another opinion and rule out any other problem besides just "dry skin".

*IF* he does have just dry skin and the dermatologist/podiatrist confirms this, perhaps you could try putting Lanolin on the area if they can't suggest a better lubricant/moisturizer. I know it seems strange, but it worked wonders for my cracked, bleeding nipples when I was nursing. And when my thumb-sucking daughter's thumb gets "raw", I apply a little Lanolin on it and it helps a lot.

How sad for him. I would make an appointment with either a dermatologist or a podiatrist.