Got a Problem with Foot Odor? Here’s What to Do
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The first thing to know about smelly feet is this: they smell because they sweat a lot. There are thousands of sweat glands in your feet - more sweat glands per square inch than in any other part of your body. That’s a lot of moisture! The second thing to know is that it’s not the sweat that makes your feet smell. It’s the bacteria that live on your skin. The naturally occurring bacteria feast on sweat and dead skin cells. It’s this process of ingestion that causes foot odor.
There are two ways in which you might have smellier feet than the average Joe or Jane:
You happen to have particularly aggressive bacteria on your skin. Just the luck of the draw.
You’ve got a condition called hyperhidrosis - a tendency for your feet to sweat excessively pretty much all the time.
No matter which category you fit in - person of average sweating, possessor of hearty skin bacteria, or hyperhidrotic - there are steps you can take to minimize embarrassing foot odor:
Take away the bacteria’s food supply. Remove sweat by thoroughly washing and drying your feet every day. Gently scrape away calluses and dead skin with a washcloth or pumice stone.
Powder your clean feet with cornstarch or antifungal powder.
Apply regular underarm deodorant to your feet.
Swap out your shoes daily. Give each pair a chance to dry out.
Wear shoes made of breathable materials - dress shoes made of leather and athletic shoes made of nylon mesh are good choices.
Wear moisture-wicking socks. Change your socks during the day if you’re a heavy sweater.
If you try these solutions but sweaty, smelly feet continue to interfere with your daily living, make an appointment with the board-certified podiatrists at Affiliated Foot & Ankle Center in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Dr. Samantha Boyd, Dr. Hal Ornstein, Dr. Dan Phan, and Dr. Joseph Saka can offer you additional methods to keep excessive sweating under control. Call our Howell and Jackson offices at (732) 905-1110 or contact us online.
¿Por qué huelen los pies? Si Ud. tiene pies que siempre huelen mal, por favor llame al (732) 905-1110 para pedir una cita con la doctora Samantha Boyd, que habla el español con fluidez.