My Son's Feet Are Peeling!

Updated on April 30, 2008
L.L. asks from Sacramento, CA
14 answers

I don't know if this is normal because of his age but his feet peel constantly! He gets alot of dry skin on the sides and bottom f his feet and I don't really know where it came from. He is cruising so he is more active as of late. Because of the recent warm weather, my husband and I have stopped putting shoes and socks on him during the day. However, I take him to my mom's house at 6 in the morning and it is a bit cooler so we put at least socks on him so his feet don't get cold.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to help the peeling? Is there a special lotion I could use? Or should I just be diligent and scrub/lotion his feet often?

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So What Happened?

Thank you all so much for your responses! I'm glad that this isn't something unusual and my son is a normal little boy (which can be a concern for a first time mom whenever something happens).

What we've decided to do is use a few of the lotions suggested, keep socks off him since the weather is getting warmer, and see what happens. I don't think he has ecxzema but his 1 year appt with his pediatrician is at the beginning of July so we'll discuss it with her if it doesn't improve.

Thanks again for your advice!

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N.Y.

answers from San Francisco on

My daughter had overactive seat glands which caused her feet to peel and have red spots. Her doctor gave us a cream to put on her feet, look into that maybe. hope that helps.

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C.M.

answers from Chico on

This may just be a seasonal peeling with the weather changing. I have the same problem my self...the soles of my feet peel, my scalp and skin get very dry with the change of seasons from Winter to Spring and Fall to Winter. I scrub my feet with the "Ped Egg" file and moisturize them every night and wear socks overnight.

You should ask your pediatrician though, because as another mom said in her post, he may have a "athlete's foot" fungus that requires an anti-fungal treatment and you would need to find out what the doctor recommends for your son's age.

Products with Tea Tree Oil work very well to combat these types of problems, but some make your skin tingly, which your son may not like.

If you call your pediatrician's office and ask to speak with the nurse, you can usually get advice on treating these kinds of concerns without making a trip into the office and paying for a visit...

Good Luck!

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V.T.

answers from Redding on

I make a couple of natural products in my natural essential oil skincare line that you might consider: soft scrub and Bergamot lotion.

The soft scrub, a pumice exfoliant in a gentle lotion and glycerin base, would be best to use at the end of bathtime since the skin would be softened and easier to exfoliate (skin cells on the soles of feet/palms of hands for some people -- and I'm one of them -- simply seem to reproduce at a rapid rate). It is common for those of us with this condition to also have very sweaty feet, which exacerbates the condition. One of the properties of Bergamot is that it gets the bacteria that live on the skin and produce strong odor and build-up of dead skin cells (as a byproduct of "grooming" us) under control, virtually eliminating the problem if used regularly.

A good scrub nightly (until you get on top of the matter) followed by a light application of the Bergamot lotion (which will keep the skin from re-hardening and will help to cut the sweat and odor) should get the situation under control in a week or so. You can then maintain with daily applications of the lotion (morning is good to help control the sweat during the day) and once or twice a week scrubs.

Let me know if you'd like more info on any of these, or take a look at my website: www.mccluckfarms.com.

Good luck!

V. T

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A.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I would try a very hypo-allergenic baby product to add moisture. Be very careful of products that have mineral oil in them. It is the left over product of oil refining. Alba, Arbonne, there is another line at whole foods that is localy grown and it is all essentian oils (I can't remember the name) and several others are all natural-all botanical products. They are plant based (what your body will use naturally). The amount of chemicals that is in Johnson and Johnson is kinda scary. Mineral Oil particles are too large to penetrate the skin, they just sit on top. That is why when you get in the shower, you feel the lotion wash of. With botanical products the particles are small enough to be absorbed. So they actually change what is happening with his skin. It sounds like something that I would have the doctor look at first. Then if it is dry skin you can work from there. I would find a moisturizing baby bath, then an essential oil after the bath, and a lotion through out the day to maintain the moisture. This is the program that I have for an adult woman who has excema (sorry about the spelling-tired mom). She uses the baby line because it is so mild. If you are interested in Arbonne you should know that they have a 45 day money back promise if you don't like your resluts. And they are botanically based. They are also hypo-allergeniclly tested down to 0. No reaction. I have a site ExpectMiracles.myarbonne.com. But you can also search for a rep close to you. Arbonne.com. I have seen it change lives. I wish you the best.

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E.F.

answers from Salinas on

my son did that too i just used regular pink bottle johnson's baby lotion rub it on his feet and put some socks on him so it doesn't get wiped or licked off (since babies do that) the other alternative is to just wait it out until your son's feet get tougher don't worry it'll pass :)

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R.H.

answers from Sacramento on

both of my kid's feet peel. the pediatrician told me that it was just dry skin especially if his feet sweat alot. what works for me is daily application of eucerin calming creme.

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M.D.

answers from San Francisco on

My son went through the same thing at about the same age and it turned out to be eczema. At first the Dr thought it was an allergy to the material on his footed pj's, but I stopped him from wearing them and it continued. His pediatrician then suggested Aveeno lotion. It also helped on the eczema he got on his back and face. There is an Aveeno specifically for babies. I believe it is called something like extreme moisture, or something to that effect. I also use it on my 2 yr old daughter who has really bad eczema and it helps tremendously. 2 other good brands are Aquaphor and Eucerin. Aveeno also makes an oatmeal bath to help if they are itching. If you do give him a bath everyday, my daughter's allergist said to put the lotion on within 3 minutes of getting out of the tub to seal in the moisture or it could have a drying effect on the irritated skin. Hope this helps.

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K.E.

answers from Sacramento on

I would try A&D ointment or vaseline. That helped with our little guys dryness.

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K.D.

answers from Stockton on

My daughter has the same problem. It is usually better during summer months due to her wearing flip flops. Wearing cotton socks has helped a bit, so her feet can breathe. We make sure she does not sleep with socks on at night. Scent free lotion seems to work better. Like Lubriderm, etc. you can get a generic for cheaper. Good luck.

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C.B.

answers from Richland on

I know that there is a botanically based baby oil that has helped tons of other babies called Arbonne Baby Care Body Oil. You can get it at https://secure.myarbonne.com/arbonne/catherinebell.nsf/p1...

To see it you will probably have to copy and paste the above line into your brownser to see.

I hope that this helps your baby as it has helped lots of others.

Sincerely,

C.

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N.D.

answers from Bakersfield on

Everyone that has recommened Aquaphor, I would have to totally agree with them. It can be purchased at Walmart or Rite Aid. It comes in a white tub with blue and red writing. It might seem on the rather expensive side, but it is worth every penny. My entire household uses it for dry hands, feet, cracked heels, lips, diaper rash - anything and everything. It's our "fix-all." It is kind of goopy and sticky. So after I applied it to his feet, I would put socks on him. Good luck!!

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi L.,

I think its normal for them to peel. But if you are concerned, you could try Aquaphor ointment that is very moisturizing. It can be used for many reasons such as dry skin or excema. Give it a try-

Molly

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D.W.

answers from Yuba City on

It is totally normal for skin on feet and hands to peel in the first year.

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J.B.

answers from Sacramento on

I agree with the person that says to use aquafor. (sometimes the j&j lotions can agravate skin problems with their added perfumes and such). My neice has the same problem with her skin peeling when the weather changes-she has very bad excema. Try not to bathe every single day if you can avoid it. Don't use harsh soaps, maybe even give an oatmeal bath. I think there is special oatmeal stuff you can buy to add to the bathwater.

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