Skin problems
Athlete's foot
Athlete's foot is a fungal infection of the skin, usually starting between the toes. It is straightforward to treat and easy to get back, and the reason it keeps returning is usually somewhere people are not looking.
Treatment Summary
How long
30 minutes
What it costs
£35
No new patient fee.
Getting in
Free parking at the Tesco next door, under a minute's walk.
What we do
Does it hurt
No. It itches, and it can sting where the skin has split, but nothing we do in the appointment is painful. We reduce any thickened skin hiding the infection and go through the treatment with you.
A short line in a patient's own words goes here, once we have a real one to use.
Placeholder — name and town go here.
How to tell if it is athlete's foot.
Athlete's foot is not the only thing that makes skin peel. Eczema, a reaction to a shoe material and plain dryness all look similar, and a steroid cream on a fungal infection makes it worse. So we check before we treat.
Athlete's foot with soft, peeling skin between the toes — at Complete Chiropody and Podiatry in Chester-le-Street
Dry, scaly athlete's foot spreading across the sole — at Complete Chiropody and Podiatry in Chester-le-Street
Severe athlete's foot with cracked, macerated skin — at Complete Chiropody and Podiatry in Chester-le-Street
Treatment Information
What we do about it.
01
We check it really is fungal
Between the toes is the giveaway spot, but athlete's foot also turns up as a dry scaly sole that looks like nothing more than dry skin. If we are not certain, we can send a skin scraping for testing rather than guessing.
02
We look at the nails as well
This is the part people miss. The same fungus lives quite happily in a toenail, and a treated foot gets reinfected from an untreated nail. If your nails are involved we say so and deal with both.
03
We clear the skin
Any thickened or soggy skin is reduced so that the treatment reaches what it is meant to. Then it is an antifungal cream or spray from the pharmacy, used properly — which means carrying on for a fortnight past the point where it looks better.
04
We deal with the reinfection
Shoes and socks hold the fungus and put it straight back on your skin. Rotating your shoes, drying properly between the toes and treating the inside of your footwear is the difference between clearing it and clearing it for the fourth time.
What you can do at home
Get it looked at sooner if…
Any of these change what we do and how quickly we do it. Ring us rather than waiting for a routine appointment.
Online booking opens soon
Our appointment diary is not open just yet. Leave your details and be the first to know when it opens, so you can pick a time that suits you, evenings and weekends included.
Diary opening soonOr ring 07838 652554 and we will find you a time.
Rather talk to someone?
Ring during opening hours and you will speak to a person. Home visits are arranged this way.
Tinea pedis is usually caused by dermatophytes, most commonly Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton interdigitale. It presents in three main patterns: interdigital, which is the most common; a chronic dry moccasin distribution across the sole and borders of the foot; and a vesiculobullous form. Diagnosis is clinical, with skin scrapings for microscopy and culture where it is uncertain or unresponsive. Topical terbinafine or an imidazole, continued for two weeks beyond resolution, is first line; oral terbinafine is reserved for extensive or resistant disease. Concurrent onychomycosis is the commonest reason for relapse, since the nail acts as a reservoir. A macerated interdigital space is also a recognised entry point for bacterial cellulitis, which matters a great deal in someone with diabetes.
Questions
Things people ask about athlete's foot.
Usually one of three things: a toenail holding the infection, shoes that never dry out, or treatment stopped as soon as the skin looked better. All three are fixable once you know which one it is.
Yes, most often from a shared bathroom floor or bath mat. Keep your own towel, wash bath mats hot, and it is worth everyone in the house checking their own feet.
Usually the same organism in a different place. That is why we look at your nails when you come in with skin symptoms — treating one and ignoring the other rarely works.
Not on its own. A steroid cream settles the itch and lets the fungus spread, and the skin ends up worse than when you started. If the itching is unbearable, tell us and we will sort out the right combination.
Most skin looks better within a week or two, and treatment should carry on for a fortnight after that. If nothing has changed after four weeks of proper use, it is time to check that it really is fungal.
Still have a question?
Ask it here and we will come back to you by email, usually the same working day. If it is urgent, calling is quicker.
Online booking opens soon
Our appointment diary is not open just yet. Leave your details and be the first to know when it opens, so you can pick a time that suits you, evenings and weekends included.
Diary opening soonOr ring 07838 652554 and we will find you a time.
Rather talk to someone?
Ring during opening hours and you will speak to a person. Home visits are arranged this way.
Athlete's foot
treatment in Chester-le-Street
Our clinic is in Chester-le-Street, right next to Tesco, so parking is free and it is less than a minute's walk from the car park to our door. We also see people from the towns and villages around it, and visit at home across the same area.