Brief Answer:
Dyshidrosis or sweat gland abnormality

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for contacting HC with your health care concern.

From your description it sound like you have a skin condition on the soles of both of your feet that starts with a large red patch that causes itching and then peels off after showering and drying. Your attempts at treatment with cortisone creams have not helped. If you could take a picture of the rash and attach it to this inquiry I maybe able to give you a better diagnosis but from you description I would say you have either a fungal infection or a sweat gland abnormality.

If this is a fungal infection the area would be rounded with raised edges and with middle portion flattening out and red. It would be associated with plenty of itching. Treatment with steroid creams would actually make the rash worse. Instead of steroid cream I would recommend an antifungal cream called Lamisil or Tinactin. This would take several weeks to get complete treatment and may need additional re-treatments.

The other diagnosis is a sweat gland problem or dyshydrosis where the soles of the feet get a raised rash with itching and occasionally with pain. The rash is also circular but is uniform from edge to edge. There is no flattening out center of the rash. What is happening here is the sweat glands are not going completely out to the skin and sweat accumulates under the skin. With washing the skin allows the sweat to come off and or flake off. Treatment would include continue use of the steroids and a lotion called Lac-hydrin. These help control the symptoms but will not cure the condition.

In summary
1. initially possible fungal infection.
2. Treat with Lamisil or Tinactin for 4-6 weeks
3. Possible sweat gland abnormality called dyshydrosis
4. Continued use of steroid cream and Lac-hydrin
5. Submit image of the rash

I hope this answers your question. Please contact HCM again with your health care concerns or questions

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