Protecting your heels from dryness
2019.12.01
This is the time of year when the air is dry.
Many people will experience rough skin during this season.
One of the most vulnerable areas to dryness is the heel.
This time, we will introduce the causes of dryness, and self-care to prevent drying.
In the first place, why does “skin dry”?
In the first place, what is the state of dry skin?
Simply put, it is a condition in which moisture and sebum in the skin are insufficient and no moisture is present.
The skin (skin) is roughly divided into three layers.
The top surface is the “epidermis”, the bottom is the “dermis”, and the deepest layer is the “subcutaneous tissue”.
The epidermis is further divided into four layers from the surface: the stratum corneum, the granule layer, the spiny layer, and the basal layer. The outermost stratum corneum contains “sebum”, “keratin intercellular lipids (ceramide, etc.)” and “natural moisturizing factors (amino acids, urea, etc.)”, which play an important role in keeping the skin moist. If they decrease for some reason, the water and lipids in the stratum corneum are lost and the skin becomes dry.
Causes of dry skin
It is said that the “sebum”, “keratinocyte lipid” and “natural moisturizing factor” that are necessary to keep the skin moistened will decrease with age.
In addition, excessive washing, irritation such as friction, and long baths with hot water can cause the loss of sebum and lead to drying.
In addition, the cells that make up the epidermis are born in the deepest basal layer, and gradually move to the upper layer as they mature. After flattening to form the stratum corneum, they peel off as plaque.
This is called “turnover”. But if the cycle of turnover is disturbed, old keratinocytes will remain indefinitely without being peeled, or it will become difficult to produce lipids between keratinocytes and become dry again.
Why are heels so vulnerable to dryness?
So why is the heel quick to dry?
Again, there are multiple causes.
First, there are “sweat glands” on the soles of the feet, but there are no “sebaceous glands”. For this reason, sebum tends to be deficient in nature and is easy to dry.
In addition, the stratum corneum is basically thick, so it can be easily affected by the impact of weight. Therefore, it takes longer to turn over than other areas, and old keratin tends to accumulate.
In addition, if you wear shoes that don’t fit correctly, your feet will move back and forth and right and left in the shoes, and the skin of your heel will rub against the inside of the shoe, causing dryness and cracks.
Skin care to protect against dryness
The basics of skin care are “cleaning” and “moisturizing”.
Wash it with a well-foamed soap so that it is gently protected. If you wash too much, you will remove too much of the sebum that protects the surface of the skin. In addition, if you rub hard, the skin becomes thicker due to frictional stimulation.
Moisturize promptly after washing
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In general, you should wash your feet when taking a bath, but after taking a bath, the keratin is in a moist state, so the moisturizer penetrates easily. When you get out of the bath, apply a moisturizer on the area.
In addition, it is important to protect your feet from irritation by choosing shoes that fit properly.
If skincare does not improve
If dryness does not improve after such skin care, if you have any symptoms such as redness or swelling other than drying, or have strong itchiness, please see a dermatologist.