Sweaty feet: what really helps against wet feet and odour
Damp feet are unpleasant – and an ideal breeding ground for athlete’s foot. With these tips you can get sweat and odour under control.
Our feet have a particularly large number of sweat glands – around 250,000 per foot. So sweating is completely normal. However, some people sweat much more than necessary for cooling. The unpleasant odour, by the way, is not caused by sweat itself, but by bacteria breaking it down.
Possible causes
- Predisposition – excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) often runs in families
- Non-breathable shoes and socks made of synthetic fibres
- Stress, hormonal changes or excess weight
- Rarely, conditions such as an overactive thyroid
Tips for dry feet
- Wash your feet daily and dry them thoroughly, especially between the toes
- Change socks daily – ideally cotton, wool or functional fibres
- Alternate your shoes so each pair can dry out for a day; take out the insoles
- Prefer breathable leather shoes, and open shoes in summer
- Foot antiperspirant from the pharmacy, applied in the evening to dry skin
- Foot baths with tannins, e.g. sage or black tea
Why sweaty feet increase the risk of fungus
Damp, softened skin is ideal for fungi. So pay particular attention to the spaces between your toes – redness, itching or whitish, flaky skin may indicate athlete’s foot.
When to see a doctor
If you sweat heavily despite all measures and it affects your everyday life, a dermatologist can help – for example with tap water iontophoresis. Sudden, heavy sweating should be checked by a doctor.
How we help
We remove thickened calluses where bacteria like to settle, check your skin and nails for early signs of fungus and advise you on suitable care, socks and shoes.