SKIN and nails of the feet just don't get any respect. When researchers talk foot science, they lavish attention on bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments.
And when athletes trade stories in the locker room, they'll recount the finer points of a plantar fasciitis episode -- but are far less likely to breathe a word about a wicked case of warts or toenail-crumbling fungus.
Embarrassment: That's forgivable. Taking the humble foot wrapping for granted: That would be nothing short of foolish.
Layers of resilient skin offer the first line of defense against infection-causing microscopic nasties, and thick nail armor protects toes' most vulnerable parts from bashing and bruising.
Well-exercised feet endure more abuse than the typical couch-potato foot, meaning that trauma, fungi and viruses are more likely to present problems. Ignore them and you run the risk of their getting painfully out of control and keeping you on the sidelines.
Luckily, prevention and treatment for most athletic skin ailments is simple. And scientists are steadily finding new solutions, using tools such as sock-testing robotic feet and duct-tape home remedies.
Here's a closer look at the top five surface problems of feet.
Blisters
Cause: "Pure physics," says Dr. Brian B. Adams, director of the sports dermatology clinic at University of Cincinnati and author of a textbook on the subject. Meaning: they're all about friction.
A new shoe that slips and rubs a bit on your heel may feel fine at the store, but after 1,700 steps -- a runner's typical mile -- it can peel away outer skin from the layers beneath. When that happens, fluid rushes into the gap from surrounding tissue, and there's your blister -- painful, and a nice breeding ground for bacteria too.
Treatment: Don't rip off the skin flap. ("There's no Band-Aid as good as your own skin," Adams says.) Soak in warm Epsom salts. Big blisters can also be sanitized, lanced with a sterilized needle and drained, which speeds reabsorption of loose skin and helps keep infection at bay.
Prevention: Also a matter of physics. Get shoes that fit well, says Dr. Carolyn McAloon, a podiatrist in private practice in Castro Valley, Calif. For super-sweaty feet, try rolling antiperspirant along your soles. And for known hotspots, dab friction-reducing petroleum jelly or a personal lubricant such as Astroglide, McAloon adds.
Change socks often, because sweat actually increases frictional drag on the skin. But watch what you're buying.
