Hi,
I am having a problem with what I can best describe as "soft skin" - especially when wet on both my hands and feet.
I have had toenail fungus for years. I keep my feet clean and dry. I've tried lots of creams and other therapies, but have not gone for the pill treatments as my doctor has felt it won't work, and the risks of side effects are too great. My toenails are not black or very yellow, but they are a bit thick, a little yellow, and uneven. Mostly they just look dry. My toenails on my big toes frequently separate from the skin and fall off. I do not get athlete's foot.
Regardless of whether I moisturize or buff my feet, my feet, especially my heels, are always very very dry and a little bit cracked. If I use a foot buffer on dry feet, dry skin powder will just flake off and off and off. Normally I don't have any pain from the skin on my feet.
When my feet are wet, however, the skin becomes very very soft and just rubs off. I can rub it off even with my fingers. When I go for pedicures, the skin will just rub off and off and off, it's almost never ending.
Lately I've noticed that the skin on my hands is beginning to have problems. During the course of my normal shower, my hands become quickly pruned, with some cracking pain. When I get out of the shower, they remain pruned for a long time, with the pruned skin turning a whitish color. It's particularly pronounced and painful on the outer sides of my hands -- like the part of my hands starting from the base of my pinky fingers going to my wrists.
My nails on my hands are fine - strong, pink, even. I don't really have any other problems with the skin on my hands. It's a little dry, but resolved with moisturizer.
I've dealt with ugly, dry feet and nails for so long now it's always just been part of my life. But I'm really worried about what's starting to happen now with the skin on my hands when it's wet, and about the soft skin on my feet when they are wet.
Can someone please advise as to what the condition(s) might be and how to treat?
Thank you,
KMD