Question
Hello David.  Maybe you can throw more light on my foot
problem.  I certainly hope so.  I would like to know what you
think it is and how I could best deal with it.

About 10 years ago I deleloped a tendency for the skin on my
foot to blister.  It sometimes itched.  The skin would then peel,
sometimes layer after layer.  Areas of my foot, underneath or at
the sides, seem to develop thickened skin and then it itches and
begins to peel.  I find myself picking at it and I am amazed at
the sheets and sheets of skin I can remove.  Obviously
sometimes this makes the foot sore because there can be a
thickened area of skin next to a thin area that I have worked on.  
Don;t ask my why I do this, I an a picker naturally.  Not good I
know but having said that I hate to think how thick my skin
would be if I didn;t get rid of it.

I have been to the doctor who said it was either exzema or
contact dermatitis.

BTW this only happens on one foot!!

I hope this is all the info you need

Lynne

Answer
Hello Lynne

Any time I read about someone with thick skin or itching, etc. - I read "poor circulation." That is something podiatrists never seem to tell you.

Here is what to do; get your metabolism UP by doing a daily aerobics program. If you have stairs, excellent. I have a fire escape stairs at work, so every hour I take a "cigarette break" and walk up and down a flight of stairs one time. It takes about 2-3 minutes. I call it a cigarette break because my employer frowned upon me going out and walking up the stairs every hour. When I asked them why they let people who SMOKE take a 5-15 minute break every hour, but I cannot take a 1-3 minute break, I told them that from now on, I will be on a smoke break...

If no stairs, but The Step. Do 5-15 minutes every morning, then 5-15 minutes every evening. Simply step up and down 10 times starting with your left foot. Pause. Then 10 times starting with your right foot. Pause. Then back to the left foot.  

Next, avoid various foot creams. They make things worse.

Invest in a device called Dremel wood grinder. They sell them, as well as The Step, at Walmart. Next to the paint counter. This hand-held machine comes in battery charge and plug-in. Battery charge is suitable for you. Buy tubes of fine-grain sandpaper and attach a tube to the end of the Dremel wood grinder. Use the grinder to smooth down the calouses on your feet. As time goes by, the new skin underneath will grow out and the calouses will go away.

I do mine once a week. Not for toenails. Grinds them down too fast.

Trust me on this one. I had awful feet with thick callouses and big cracks in my feet. Now my feet are pink and free of calouses and cracks.

In time, you will have nothing to pick at. It took me about 3 months to get good results.

Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please write to me again. Have a great day.