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Foot Care Medications

What is Foot Care?

The Feet are an essential part of the body, they bear the weight of the body and help keep you mobile. Due to their important use in everyday life and also their susceptibility to wounds, dry skin, calluses, blisters, injuries or infections, it is very important that we take care of our feet.

At Meds For Less, we have a range of foot care products ranging from elastic bandages to cover and protect cuts and wounds, treatments for fungal infections, creams to rehydrate the skin and callus treatment products.

You can now buy any of our foot care products online easily, conveniently and reliably at Meds For Less and expect next day delivery to your home address.

Foot care is the practice of maintaining the health, hygiene and comfort of your feet. Key aspects of foot care include:

Daily hygiene such as washing the feet with warm water and soap during shower, especially in between the toes.
Moisturising the feet to prevent dryness or cracking, but avoiding areas between toes.
Doing nail care and trimming nails to prevent ingrown nails
Regularly check your feet for blisters, cuts swelling or unusual changes
Wear footwear with good support, avoiding regular use of high heels or tight shoes

Certain individuals are at higher risk of developing certain foot conditions and hence specialised care for these people may be necessary.

Diabetics should more regularly check their feet for diabetic wounds – as these can get infected and cause serious complications
Orthopedic foot care can address issues such as flat feet or bunions
Visiting a podiatrist for chronic issues or advanced treatment

What Products are Available to Help Maintain Good Foot Care?

There are a wide variety of products to help maintain good foot care and manage aspects such as hygiene,comfort and moisturisation. These products may include:

Cleansing products such as:

Antibacterial soaps for daily washing and to remove dirt and prevent infections
Foot soaks and bath salts for relaxing and soothing tired feet
Exfoliating scrubs to help remove dead skin and the buildup of calluses

Moisturising and conditioning products such as:

Foot creams and lotions (Urea based or Shea Butter based) designed to prevent dryness or cracking
Heel balms targeted for repairing cracked heels
Foot masks – hydrating masks that condition and soften the skin

Footwear accessories:

Protective insoles which provide protection, arch support and cushioning – especially for flat feet
Heel pads and cushions – reduce pressure on heels and improve comfort
Toe spacers to align toes and prevent conditions such as bunions or hammer toes

Anti-fungal and medicinal products:

Anti-fungal sprays, creams and powders to treat and prevent conditions like athlete’s foot
Medicated corn and callus pads to help soften and reduce thickened skin
Foot odour sprays – help control odour causing bacteria
Fungal nail treatment removers – which remove fungal infections from the base of the nails

You can now browse our full catalogue of foot care medicines and medicines for wounds in feet online at Meds For Less.

Do foot care medications help with calluses, and which products are recommended?

Foot care medications can help treat calluses by breaking and softening thickened skin, hence reducing discomfort and making it easier to remove hardened layers. Medications for callus removal usually involve keratinolytic medicines like salicylic acid or urea which are the agents responsible for breaking toughened skin. Some of the common callus removal medicine options include:

Salicylic acid based pad products which exfoliate and soften callused skin, allowing for gradual removal of calluses. These include Dr Scholl’s callus remover pads or Curad Mediplast pads. These pads are applied to the callus for 48 hours in which time they break the toughened skin and remove the callus. They also shield the skin from further irritation
Liquid Salicylic acid based products such as gels which are applied directly to the callus. The solution is allowed to dry, in which time it breaks the toughened skin, the remains of the callus is then gently filed away.
Some urea based creams such as Flexitol heel balms, gold bond ultimate rough and bumpy skin cream or Eucerin roughness relief creams can be massaged into the callus to soften the skin and reduce thickness.
Pumice stones or foot files are needed for manual exfoliation of the skin after the callus is softened.
Sometimes protective pads and cushions may be used to prevent further irritation of the callus. These pads include Dr Scholl’s callus cushions.

The process of removing calluses is as follows:

Soak your feet in warm soapy water for 10-15 minutes to clean them
Apply callus removing medication, either as pads or gels
Use a pumice stone or foot file to remove the dead skin
Moisturise the skin daily and keep it hydrated to prevent recurrence
Protect the skin from future calluses by using callus pads or cushions.

What are the side effects of common foot care medications?

Common foot care medications including those used for fungal infections, calluses or dry skin can sometimes have side effects. Although these side effects don’t affect everyone, when they do occur they are usually mild. Some of these side effects include:

Skin irritation, redness, peeling or mild burning in response to callus pads or creams.
Overuse of callus pads or creams can damage the surrounding healthy skin or tissue

Burning itching, redness in response to antifungal creams, powders or gels
Allergic reactions to antifungal medications or callus pads or creams that can cause swelling or excessive irritation

Allergic reactions are a rarer but more serious side effect of foot care medicines, if these occur, please seek medical attention immediately.

These medications for foot wound or injuries can also have potential side effects depending on any underlying sensitivity or health conditions you may have.

For a more comprehensive list of side effects for each medication, please consult your healthcare provider or the patient information leaflet that accompanies each medicine.

Advice for Foot Care

Proper foot care is necessary for maintaining healthy feet, preventing discomfort and avoiding common problems such as calluses, dry skin and infections. Some helpful tips and advice for maintaining good foot care include:

Ensuring you have a daily foot care routine, this can involve activities like using mildly warm water and soap to clean your feet, including the area between your toes
Moisturise your feet regularly to keep the skin soft and hydrated,however do not moisturise inbetween the toes as excess moisture there can promote fungal growth
Trim your toenails regularly and properly to avoid having ingrown nails
Regularly inspect your feet for any blisters, cuts, redness, swelling or signs of infection
Wear proper footwear that will support your feet and allow you to have enough room between your toes. Avoid wearing high heels or shoes that pinch for extended periods
Protect your feet in public spaces by wearing flip flops or water shoes in communal showers, locker rooms or pool areas to avoid fungal infections

In certain cases you may encounter that despite adequate foot care, there may be some signs of foot issues. These can be managed by a more thorough foot care routine such as:

Using urea or alpha-hydroxy based creams to deeply moisturise or exfoliate the dry or cracked foot skin
Using callus pads, gels or other medicine for foot corn to treat calluses/ corns on the feet
Use topical Over the Counter (OTC) antifungal creams, powders and gels to treat fungal infections if they arise

FAQ

What is the best medication for treating foot pain and soreness?

When considering treating foot pain or soreness, its important to understand and address the underlying cause. The pain and soreness could be due to a muscle sprain, arthritis, injury or inflammation (plantar fasciitis). Below are some of the medicines you can use to treat foot pain depending on the type and causes of the discomfort.

Over the Counter (OTC) pain relievers such as Ibuprofen or Paracetamol. These are good to relieve mild to moderate pain, the Ibuprofen in particular is good for pain due to inflammation in conditions such as arthritis, swelling due to overuse or plantar fasciitis.

Topical pain reliever creams such as menthol or camphor based creams or gels (Biofreeze or Bengay) can be used for muscle soreness or fatigue. These can provide cooling relief and reduce soreness in muscles and joints.

For foot pain for specific cases, different treatments and medicines are required: For specific treatment for conditions like plantar fasciitis, muscle soreness or fatigue, arthritis or specific types of medicine for foot wound , please consult your healthcare provider about your symptoms to find the medicine that is best for you.

How effective are foot care creams for cracked heels?

Foot creams are very effective at treating cracked heels when used regularly. They work by moisturising the skin, promoting healing and preventing further cracking. The effectiveness of foot creams vary depending on the nature of the cracks and which foot cream is being used.

Foot creams work by hydrating the skin and providing excess moisture as cracked heels usually occur due to dryness and lack of moisture. This helps soften the skin and reduces the likelihood of future cracks. Foot cream ingredients also help to accelerate skin regeneration and repair.

Many foot creams contain “exfoliating agents” such as urea or alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) which remove dead skin cells and promote smoother skin.

The severity of the cracks can impact how effective foot creams are.

For mild cracks, regular use of foot creams helps resolve these cracks in 1-2 weeks
For moderate to severe cracks, creams containing 20-40% urea or AHAs are highly effective in softening and repairing toughened ksin
For extreme cases such as severe cracks with bleeding, creams can help the skin hydrated and protected but additional care may be required. Please consult your healthcare provider.

Can foot care medications help with an athlete's foot, and which ones work best?

Athlete’s foot (Tinea pedis) is a fungal infection caused by special fungi caused by dermatophytes. Antifungal medications can be used to treat athlete’s foot.

These work by killing the fungus, preventing its spread and reducing symptoms like itching, redness and scaling. The best treatment for an athlete’s foot depends on the severity of the infection, however most cases respond to Over the Counter (OTC) antifungal medicines.

These OTC antifungal medicines such as Clotrimazole, Terbinafine and Miconazole can come as topical sprays, creams or powders . For more severe and drug resistant fungal infections of the feet, prescription medications may be needed such as Oral antifungals or stronger topical medicines.

Are there any over-the-counter treatments for nail fungus?

Mild to moderate nail fungus (Onychomycosis) can be treated with several Over The Counter (OTC) options which will stop fungal growth and improve the appearance of affected nails.

The most common OTC treatment for nail fungus is topical antifungal solutions such as Clotrimazole, Miconazole or Tolnafate.

Nail specific antifungal products such as Penlac Nail Lacquer (Ciclopirox) is a topical solution applied directly to the nail. This solution is applied directly to the nail and treats surface level infections in the nail beds. It is often taken as a supplement to oral medicines.

For more severe nail fungal infections, please consult your healthcare provider for the appropriate medicine or treatment procedure.

How often should I apply foot cream for best results?

To achieve the best results, you should apply foot cream once or twice daily depending on the specific products you are using and the condition you are trying to treat.

General application guidelines include applying twice daily (once in the morning or once in the evening) for dry, cracked or rough skin. This helps to deeply hydrate the skin overnight and protect it during the day. If the condition you are trying to treat is really mild, you may only need to apply it once a day, please check with your healthcare provider.

For maximum benefits in applying foot cream, clean your feet with warm water or soap, exfoliate if needed using a pumice stone or foot filer, apply foot cream generously, especially to areas prone to dryness like the heels, balls of the feet or sides.

For special cases like using antifungal foot creams to treat infections like athlete’s foot, use the creams as directed on the pack or by your healthcare provider. This is usually once or twice a day.

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