About PediStick

Emollient is another word for cream, which you apply to your skin. Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and protects you against bacteria, viruses and fungus. Emollient is used to repair the natural barrier of your skin. It is particularly useful when your skin is dry or weak, but even if you don’t have any issues with your skin at the moment, using an emollient can keep your skin hydrated, preventing future problems. You may have noticed that there are lots of different emollients on the market. Some emollient products contain ingredients (e.g. urea or lactic acid) that draw and hold water, which has a strong moisturising effect [1]. These products can also help your skin to produce its own natural moisturising factors. The best emollient product for you will depend on your personal circumstances, such as the condition that your skin is in and your medical history, as well as your lifestyle and personal choice.

When it comes to foot health, using an emollient is key. People often don’t think about their feet until they have problems with them. When you have dry or hard skin on the feet, it can cause irritation, itching, pain, difficulty walking, and infections. Dry skin is very common in the UK – affecting a third of adults. As you get older, you’re even more at risk of dry skin – it affects 9 out of 10 adults over 80 years old [2]. It can sometimes be caused by inadequate nutrition and hydration, but often simple things like not rinsing off soap or shower gel from the legs and feet properly can cause dry skin, as these disrupt the skin’s natural moisturising factors. Unfortunately, dry skin often goes undiagnosed and isn’t treated effectively, and when it comes to the feet, many people have difficulty reaching them to apply emollient properly [3]. There are also certain medical conditions and medications that can cause dry or hard skin, or make it worse. If you have one of these conditions, creaming your feet is extra important: Diabetes Peripheral arterial (vascular) disease Inflammatory arthritis Anaemia Thyroid disorders Cancer Kidney disease (diuretics) Skin disorders – e.g. psoriasis, eczema Use of certain medications – e.g. steroids, statins Some can revert to filing the skin using rasps, files or even motorised tools to ‘shave’ away skin. Your skin is a living organ which has cycle of 28-30 days whereby the cells regenerate in order to keep the surface healthy. Filing your skin disrupts the skin cycle making it go into a frenzy, at times more dry or even hard skin develops in the long-term. You may find in some people using a tool to file away hard or dry skin becomes habitual with little results. Podiatrists and Dermatologists recommend a good urea emollient to tackle any hard or dry skin to your feet instead of mechanical filing.

Diabetes, a condition whereby blood sugar levels are too high, affects over 4 million people in the UK [4]. Diabetes-related complications with the feet are common [5]. Diabetes not only causes dry skin on the feet, it can also cause changes in the structure of your joints, leading to areas of high pressure. This can lead to the formation of hard skin (callus), which can be painful. Dry or hard skin on the feet can be very risky for people with diabetes; sometimes the skin can break down, leading to wounds or ulcers, and these can become infected [5, 6]. Diabetes can also cause delayed wound healing, which can impair the quality of life of our patients even further. Our recommendation and practice is always evidence-based, and our approach to emollient advice is consistent with the latest evidence for people with diabetes [7].

Peripheral arterial disease, a condition that affects circulation and leads to reduced blood supply to the legs, can also cause dry and cracked skin on the feet. It affects one out of five adults over 60 in the UK [8]; in some cases it occurs as part of diabetes, but people without diabetes can have the condition too. Creaming your feet is very important if you have peripheral arterial disease, as it can prevent the skin from splitting and causing wounds, ulcers and infections. The nature of the condition means that wound healing is impaired as less oxygen and nutrients can get to the site of the wound [7].

Inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis) often causes damage to the joints in the feet, leading to painful hard skin (callus). This hard skin can break down due to the pressure caused by weightbearing activities, such as walking or standing. This results in wounds and ulcers that can easily become infected and can be difficult to heal, due to the immunosuppressing medications that our patients with inflammatory arthritis are often taking for their condition. At PediStick we can help you prevent painful hard skin and ulcers, but in line with current guidelines [9], one of our key aims is to help our patients prevent these problems from occurring by creaming their feet.

Skin disorders, such as psoriasis and eczema, can cause extensive areas of dry skin, including dry skin on the feet. Whilst you might also be prescribed a specific product for psoriasis or eczema from your GP or consultant, current evidence states that emollients without active ingredients should be applied generously for dry skin caused by these conditions [10, 11].

Anaemia, caused by iron-deficiency, can reduce the amount of oxygen to your skin. When the skin on your feet doesn’t get enough oxygen, it can become dry and weak. Deficiencies of other vitamins and minerals, e.g. vitamin B12, can have a similar effect on your skin. If you have these issues, applying cream to your feet can reduce the dryness.

Thyroid disorders, such as an underactive thyroid, can cause dry and itchy skin on the feet, including cracked heels [12]. This can cause pain for our patients, especially when they are walking. We advise our patients to apply cream to their feet to help their skin repair.

Both cancer itself and treatments for cancer (e.g. chemotherapy and radiotherapy) can cause sensitive dry and flaky skin on the feet [13]. This can lead to cracks in the skin, which can be a portal for infection. We help our patients to prevent dry skin by advising them to cream their feet effectively.

In addition to immunosuppressants for inflammatory arthritis and cancer treatments, several other medications can cause problems with the skin on the feet. Long term steroid use causes dryness and thinning of the skin, making it more fragile and prone to injury [14]. Statins, which are used to lower cholesterol, can also cause skin dryness and sensitivity, whilst diuretics (water tablets) dehydrate the skin, also causing dryness. Creaming the feet can make a huge difference to the skin in these cases.