Why Are My Toes Peeling?

You are relaxing at the end of the day, shoes and stockings are off, and your fingers reach down to ease your tired feet. To your horror, you feeling dry, peeling skin on your toes. “Why are my toes peeling?” you ask yourself in a panic. Are they itchy, painful, swollen, red and scaly?. Some or all of these things can occur at the same time. Uncovering the specific cause is crucial. Good foot care, commonsense, a little patience, occasionally a targetted medicated foot cream and in rare cases a stress relief program will see the end of your peeling toes.

Common Causes of Peeling Toes

Normal Skin Regeneration

Our skin is in a continuous cycle of renewal. New skin cells are produced, they live for a while, they die and then shed. This process is not a bad thing and it all happens naturally. Humans have been trying to copy and improve on this process for hundreds and even thousands of years. Skin rubs and soaks are a popular way to refresh and renew the skin on our faces, bodies and particularly our feet.  A pumice stone is a do-it-yourself method to rub away the dead skin cells or you may prefer the services of a pedicure salon that will do this for you. Either way, the outer layer of dead skin cells will be gone, while the cells beneath continue to generate new skin.  Showing some love to your feet could be the best thing ever.

Body Dehydration

The human body uses water to keep all your body systems functioning normally. When we are using more water than we are putting in we become dehydrated. Dehydration doesn’t only make you feel tired and headachey, it also results in dry and peeling skin. You may notice the skin on your arms and legs is dry as well as your feet. Just drink lots of water and your fluid level and your skin will come back into balance. Within a day your skin will probably settle back to its normal texture.

Love Those Strappy Heels? They Could Be The Culprit

Who doesn’t love strutting around in strappy shoes during summer? Well, if you haven’t broken in those new heels, then serious friction might happen as a result of that snug footwear. Anything that causes friction can result in blisters which later cause scaling or peeling of your toes. It is advisable to wear your shoes in short bursts and always choose shoes made of natural materials that will mold to your feet. The moment you begin feeling friction, just change your shoes before it is too late. If it is already too late here are some strategies for wearing shoes after blisters.

Sunburn on Your Toes

When we go to the beach or to a summer outdoor party we know that painful-to-touch sunburn is an absolute no-no. You probably applied sunscreen on your back, face, arms, and shoulders. Did you remember to slather your feet in sunscreen too? Did you remember to reapply? Oops. Sunburn on the tender upper surface of your feet and toes, especially if you spend most of your time wearing covered-in shoes. If you have had too much sun, it is a good idea to cool them off, to reduce the damage. A cool bath or cool wet towels will help a little. Your shoes will be uncomfortable and in a few days, your feet will peel. The damage is done, and your skin will shed and start to normalise in a few days.  Sunburnt toes are really painful. You are unlikely to do it twice!

Swollen Feet and Toes associated with Injury

Perhaps you have walked into the leg of a chair, or dropped a very heavy item on a foot. Swelling often occurs after such an incident. The process is a little complicated. Nonetheless, it is common for the skin to dry out and start flaking or peeling for a couple of days. This type of dry skin tends to normalise as the toes or foot returns to its normal size.

Sweaty Exercise Routines and Moist Environments

Working out in the gym, or regular jogging and swimming causes the foot to get wet and soggy. Then the session finishes and the skin dries out. Then it gets wet again and so on. This may lead to your toes and feet peeling, even in the absence of a fungal infection. Moisture-wicking socks or cotton socks may help with moisture management.  You might consider having a couple of breathable workout shoes for rotation. For those who exercise daily or twice a day, managing skin moisture is very very difficult.

 Medical reasons for Peeling Toes

You might have a Fungal Infection

The spores and bugs that cause fungal infections can be found lying dormant in your skin, your shoes and surfaces and liquids that you touch.  When we add warmth, darkness, lack of ventilation and moisture the fungal infection goes crazy in its new infection heaven. You then have what is commonly called Athlete’s Foot. Red, peeling skin, with or without redness, little blisters and pain. It is important that the moment you notice the peeling toes, get them checked. A fungal infection on your feet can easily spread to your toenails and this can be tricky to get rid of. A fungal infection can also spread from your feet to other parts of your body. Let’s not go there. Attention to good sock, shoe and foot care is the first step. Sometimes an Over-The-Counter anti-fungal cream or spray could treat the problem. If you have no joy check with your doctor or Podiatrist.

Presence Eczema or Dermatitis

Scaling of the skin is one of the symptoms of eczema. Peeling, itching, and dryness all over the body including your toes could happen. Eczema is not limited to children, adults too can suffer with it. There are a few different causes of eczema, too many to go into here. Eczema patches might appear red, darker in color compared to your usual skin tone. If you notice this, you might want to have this checked by a podiatrist or dermatologist. These professionals would recommend the ideal treatment option.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that can result in red flaking skin patches. These patches can occur on your head, arms, hands., legs, trunk and feet. The skin becomes dry, raised and scaly. It can be a real nuisance and quite painful when you wear footwear. There are lots of “cures” for Psoriasis. If you think you have psoriasis it is a good idea to get on board with a dermatologist..

These are the most common reasons for toes that are peeling. It can be helpful to work through the reasons and simple solutions one at a time. If none of the reasons above resonate with you, please seek further medical advice. Make sure you get to the bottom of why your toes are peeling in the first place. Prolonged toe peeling is never attractive.