Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesTreatmentWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Treatment
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Prevention
Skin peelingbetween the toes has several potential causes. Fungal infections like athlete’s foot, healing skin, damp environments, and underlying conditions may cause the skin between the toes to peel.
Studies suggest more than 70% of people in the United States will experienceathlete’s footat some stage in their life.But it’s not just athletes who get athlete’s foot, and peeling skin has other causes.
This article discusses the causes of skin peeling between the toes, treatment options, prevention strategies, and when to see a healthcare provider.
Burak Karademir / Getty Images
Causes for Skin Peeling Between the Toes
Fungal infection (athlete’s foot) is almost always the cause of skin peeling between the toes. You may have other conditions or develop cellulitis or another complication.
Athlete’s Foot
The fungus that causes athlete’s foot can be found in warm and damp areas like locker rooms, pools, and showers.Anyone can get tinea pedis, whether or not they are an athlete.
Possible symptoms include:
In some cases, infected skin may lead to an unpleasant odor between the toes.
Athlete’s Foot: What Gets Rid of Fungus for Good?
Skin Ulcers or Wounds
If you have had trauma between your toes (such as stepping on something sharp while barefoot) or you developed afriction blister, the skin will heal through several stages. The old skin will peel away after new skin has closed the wound.
People with diabetes may develop open sores, calleddiabetic ulcers, on their feet. This can happen between the toes. They may have decreased sensation due toperipheral neuropathy(nerve damage) and not notice that an ulcer has developed. Diabetes can also lead to poor blood flow in the feet, which impairs healing.
Diabetes also increases the risk of fungal infection between the toes. This can further complicate the healing of ulcers.
Shoe Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitiscan occur on any area of the skin that comes into contact with something irritating to the skin.
There are various materials used to make shoes, including:
Several chemicals are used in the production of leather and rubber for shoes. Skin coming into contact with any of these materials can cause contact dermatitis.
Symptoms may include:
If the skin is no longer in contact with the substance that is causing irritation, contact dermatitis may clear up on its own. In some cases, treatments like creams or ointments may be required.
Dyshidrotic Eczema
Dyshidrotic eczemais a form of eczema that causes itchy blisters on the hands, feet, toes, and fingers.It is more common in people with other forms ofeczema(an inflammatory skin condition that causes an itchy rash), and it often runs in families.
This form of eczema only impacts the hands and feet (including between the toes). Symptoms may include:
What Is Dyshidrotic Eczema?
Cellulitis
Skin peeling between the toes is a risk factor for developingcellulitis. Also, the affected skin may peel later in the course of cellulitis.
Cellulitis can cause a variety of symptoms, including:
As the skin heals, it may also peel and fall off.
Trench Foot
Symptoms include:
Treating skin peeling between the toes will depend on the underlying cause.
Whether or not you need to see a healthcare provider will depend on the severity of your symptoms and their underlying cause. A simple athlete’s foot infection can be treated with over-the-counter products and typically heals within a few weeks, for example.
Contact your healthcare provider if you have peeling skin between the toes that doesn’t heal over time or bothers you. Seek immediate medical care for signs of cellulitis, such as hot, red, taut skin, or a rash or sores spreading or streaking up the leg or arms.
While it is not always possible to prevent all of the causes of skin peeling between the toes, some steps can prevent it:
Summary
Treatment options vary but may include topical creams or ointments, medications, and phototherapy. Practicing good hygiene, wearing sandals in public showers, and keeping the feet warm, clean, and dry can help prevent skin peeling between the toes.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ilkit M, Durdu M.Tinea pedis: the etiology and global epidemiology of a common fungal infection.Crit Rev Microbiol. 2015;41(3):374-388. doi:10.3109/1040841X.2013.856853American Podiatric Medical Association.Athlete’s Foot.Endotext.Skin manifestations of diabetes mellitus.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Eczema types: contact dermatitis signs and symptoms.Lazzarini R, Mendonça RF, Hafner MFS.Allergic contact dermatitis to shoes: contribution of a specific series to the diagnosis.An Bras Dermatol. 2018;93(5):696-700. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20187370NHS.Overview - contact dermatitis.National Eczema Foundation.Dyshidrotic eczema.Penn Medicine.Cellulitis.DermNet NZ.Cellulitis.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Trench foot or immersion foot.Anand P, Privitera R, Yiangou Y, et al.Trench foot or non-freezing cold injury as a painful vaso-neuropathy: clinical and skin biopsy assessments.Front Neurol. 2017;8:514. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00514
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ilkit M, Durdu M.Tinea pedis: the etiology and global epidemiology of a common fungal infection.Crit Rev Microbiol. 2015;41(3):374-388. doi:10.3109/1040841X.2013.856853American Podiatric Medical Association.Athlete’s Foot.Endotext.Skin manifestations of diabetes mellitus.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Eczema types: contact dermatitis signs and symptoms.Lazzarini R, Mendonça RF, Hafner MFS.Allergic contact dermatitis to shoes: contribution of a specific series to the diagnosis.An Bras Dermatol. 2018;93(5):696-700. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20187370NHS.Overview - contact dermatitis.National Eczema Foundation.Dyshidrotic eczema.Penn Medicine.Cellulitis.DermNet NZ.Cellulitis.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Trench foot or immersion foot.Anand P, Privitera R, Yiangou Y, et al.Trench foot or non-freezing cold injury as a painful vaso-neuropathy: clinical and skin biopsy assessments.Front Neurol. 2017;8:514. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00514
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ilkit M, Durdu M.Tinea pedis: the etiology and global epidemiology of a common fungal infection.Crit Rev Microbiol. 2015;41(3):374-388. doi:10.3109/1040841X.2013.856853American Podiatric Medical Association.Athlete’s Foot.Endotext.Skin manifestations of diabetes mellitus.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Eczema types: contact dermatitis signs and symptoms.Lazzarini R, Mendonça RF, Hafner MFS.Allergic contact dermatitis to shoes: contribution of a specific series to the diagnosis.An Bras Dermatol. 2018;93(5):696-700. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20187370NHS.Overview - contact dermatitis.National Eczema Foundation.Dyshidrotic eczema.Penn Medicine.Cellulitis.DermNet NZ.Cellulitis.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Trench foot or immersion foot.Anand P, Privitera R, Yiangou Y, et al.Trench foot or non-freezing cold injury as a painful vaso-neuropathy: clinical and skin biopsy assessments.Front Neurol. 2017;8:514. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00514
Ilkit M, Durdu M.Tinea pedis: the etiology and global epidemiology of a common fungal infection.Crit Rev Microbiol. 2015;41(3):374-388. doi:10.3109/1040841X.2013.856853
American Podiatric Medical Association.Athlete’s Foot.
Endotext.Skin manifestations of diabetes mellitus.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Eczema types: contact dermatitis signs and symptoms.
Lazzarini R, Mendonça RF, Hafner MFS.Allergic contact dermatitis to shoes: contribution of a specific series to the diagnosis.An Bras Dermatol. 2018;93(5):696-700. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20187370
NHS.Overview - contact dermatitis.
National Eczema Foundation.Dyshidrotic eczema.
Penn Medicine.Cellulitis.
DermNet NZ.Cellulitis.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Trench foot or immersion foot.
Anand P, Privitera R, Yiangou Y, et al.Trench foot or non-freezing cold injury as a painful vaso-neuropathy: clinical and skin biopsy assessments.Front Neurol. 2017;8:514. doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00514
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