
What Causes Chapping And Cracking Of The Feet?

Start oral retinoids along with topicals
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to healthcaremagic
I am Dr. Kakkar. I have gone through your query and I have understood it.
Extreme dryness can lead to chapping and cracking of the feet. People who are atopic have inherited low water retentive capacity in there skin which leads to increased trans-epidermal water loss into the atmosphere, specially when the weather is dry and cold in winters.
Repeated washing with soaps exacerbates the condition leading to painful cracks and fissures.
It is advisable to apply a good moisturiser as frequently as possible. Moisturisers specially those that contain hygroscopic and keratoloytic agents like ammonium lactate, urea, lactic acid, glycerine and hyaluronic acid are specially useful in these patients.
Moisturisers should be applied as frequently as possible. I usually ask my patients who are severely affected by dry, scaly and cracked skin to mix (in equal proportions) a potent steroid like clobetasol cream with the moisturiser and apply at least twice daily.
One particular brand of moisturiser which I prefer for application on hands and fee, is the one containing ammonium lactate 12% marketed by Ranbaxy in XXXXXXX I usually ask my patients to mix it with equal quantity of a potent steroid cream and apply it twice daily for 2-4 weeks. Once the condition improves with this combination after 2-4 weeks only moisturisers alone would suffice.
Besides this, for severe cracking and fissuring, I usually start my patients on oral retinoids, which is the most effective remedy in plantar keratoderma. They bring about rapid improvement in the thick cracked fissured skin of the keratodermas. Oral retinoids (Acitretin OR Isotretinoin) are prescription drugs.
For itching you could take an OTC oral antihistamine e,g cetrizine 10mg once daily in the evening
hope this answer your query
take care
regards


Plantar keratoderma
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Oral retinoids are a prescription drugs and covered under iPLEDGE program, therefore you need to get a prescription for it.
Regards

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