It’s never too early to learn to care for our feet. Foot care includes bathing your feet, trimming toenails and telling your parent or guardian of any sore or irritated areas on the foot.
Children with diabetes have to pay extra attention to their feet and need to seek help quickly from their GP or health and care professions council (HCPC) registered podiatrist if they discover a foot problem.
Wash your feet every day
For good foot health:
Do
- clean your feet, especially between the toes, on a daily basis using a soap-free body wash and warm water
- dry well, including between the toes
- apply a moisturiser, such as E45 if your skin tends to be dry or hard (do not apply between the toes)
- check for anything unusual or painful and tell an adult
Nail trimming
When looking after your toenails:
Do
- get someone to cut your toenails until you are old enough to do it safely yourself
- cut your toenails after having a bath or a shower, while the nails are softer, using nail clippers to cut the nail straight across. Only round the edges slightly to avoid catching the next toe
- leave a bit of the white part of the nail showing, avoiding cutting them too short, which can lead to permanently deformed or ingrown toenails
Footwear
It is important that you have your feet measured at regular intervals, every six weeks or sooner if you feel that your shoes have become too tight.
You should have room to wiggle your toes, but at the same time do not buy shoes to grow into, as shoes that are too big can cause as much trouble as shoes that are too small.
Pick the right style of footwear for the activity
- Trainers for sports
- Lace or buckle shoe, with low heel, leather upper and rubber sole for walking
Try to wear socks made from cotton or wool. Man-made materials encourage feet to sweat (see leaflet sweaty feet leaflet for more information).
Ingrown toenails
These are nails that have grown into the skin, usually down one or both sides of the nail.
There are many causes:
- nails cut too short or damaged by play, sports, dropping an object on to the toe, or poor fitting footwear are a few examples
- they are usually quite painful, especially when wearing shoes, or the pressure of bedclothes, or if someone accidentally knocks the toe
- the skin around the toe can look swollen and inflamed (red), and is often hot to the touch
- it may leak yellow fluid called pus
Bathe the toe in a bowl of warm water with a handful of table salt for no more than five minutes, once or twice a day. Apply a dressing to keep the toe clean.
See a HCPC registered podiatrist as soon as possible and bring an adult with parental responsibility if you are under 16 years of age.
Calluses
These are hard, thickened skin, yellowish, which may be caused by badly fitting footwear.
Foot shape and how you walk can also cause pressure or friction, which can develop into a corn or a callus.
If painful, tell your parent or guardian who can arrange for you to see a podiatrist.
An emery foot file or pumice can be used once or twice a week to help stop the hard skin building up. Be careful not to file too hard.
Use a moisturiser daily and wear well fitting shoes.
Verruca
A verruca is a virus that causes a build up of hard skin and is sometimes described as having a cauliflower appearance.
They may contain tiny black dots. These are small blood vessels called capillaries that have been pushed up to the surface by the virus. This explains why they bleed easily.
You are more likely to catch a verruca if you are barefoot in communal areas, such as gyms and swimming pools.
They are a type of infection which means you can pass them on to someone else. Always cover with a plaster when swimming and do not share towels.
Sometimes you can have one on its own, or you may have lots of them in one area of the foot.
The average life span of a verruca is about two to five years.
If it is not painful, it is not necessary to treat, but if it is or becomes painful, see your GP or podiatrist for advice on various treatments available.
Black toenails
These are caused by injury, which may be one direct injury from dropping an object, but could also occur from badly fitting footwear.
The discolouration is caused by a bleed under the toenail.
Open-toed footwear may be more comfortable and avoidance of sports is recommended until the pain in the toe subsides.
The nail may loosen and possibly fall off. A new nail will eventually grow back, which can take up to a year for a big toenail, but sometimes it can grow back permanently damaged or thickened.
It is advisable to see a HCPC registered podiatrist if you are worried.
Athlete’s foot
This is a skin infection caused by a fungus. You are more likely to develop athlete’s foot if you are barefoot in communal areas, like gym and pool areas.
Use non-slip poolside footwear and change socks once a day (more often if you suffer from sweaty feet) and alternate footwear.
Take shoes and socks off when at home to allow the air to circulate around your feet if they tend to be sweaty.
Symptoms can include burning and intense itching. The skin may be red, broken or bleeding, and can be flaky and sometimes soggy between the toes. It can be seen on other areas of the foot as dry skin, sometimes with tiny blisters.
Athlete’s foot is an infection and can be passed on to others. Do not share towels or walk around barefoot, and wear open-toed sandals when at home.
See the pharmacist or GP for a preparation to clear up the infection and follow the instructions given.
Once the infection has resolved, it is recommended to use an antifungal preparation once a week as a preventative measure, as athlete’s foot can be quite stubborn to cure and can quickly reoccur.
Blisters
Blisters occur during active play when the feet become hot and sweaty, rubbing on the inside of the shoe. Fluid fills up a space within the layers of the skin, like a balloon, to try to protect the area.
Do not be tempted to burst the blister as this could lead to a painful infection and they will go away on their own.
Stop wearing footwear that makes your foot sore and protect the area with a plaster until it heals. Let your parent or guardian know that you may need a bigger shoe size.
Patient information
Further information is available online:
Contact podiatry foot protection
Document control
- Document reference: DP2811/10.24.
- Date reviewed: December 2022.
Page last reviewed: December 16, 2024
Next review due: December 16, 2025
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