Having smelly feet can be a very unpleasant and embarrassing problem! The scientific term is B̾R̾O̾M̾O̾D̾O̾S̾I̾S̾ 

 Yes there is an actual diagnosis for that. As per The Institute for Preventive Foot Health, 16% of the population aged 21 years old or up have experienced foot odor. 

But what makes our feet smell so bad? There are actually a few « ingredients » are needed.

 

First you need to have sweaty feet.

Then you need bacteria.

The bacteria feed of the sweat and create bad odor!

 

What can you do to improve it?

✔︎ Wash your feet daily; this will decrease the bacterial load. This will also wash away the sweat.

 

✔︎ Avoid wearing shoes without socks. The problem with this is that it will make you sweat more and since you don’t have socks to absorb the moisture, your shoes will do it. This will get the inside of your shoes dirty. This in turn will harbor bacteria. So you will not only have stinky feet, but stinky shoes as well!

 

✔︎ Prioritize socks with natural fibers (like cotton, wool, bamboo) over synthetic fibers. The natural fibers will absorb the sweat while the synthetic will repel it leaving it on your skin.

 

✔︎ Change your socks throughout the day when they start feeling moist. If you know that you sweat from your feet, bring a pair of clean socks at work and consider changing to a fresh pair mid-day. 

 

✔︎ Use an antiperspirant on your feet. This will help your feet stay dry. It can be over the counter. Any of the different products will work )bar, spray or roll-on). You need to make sure that it is an antipersipirant, not just a deodorant. You can tell usually by writing the label (It will usually mention if it is a deodorant or an anti-perspirant). Another trick is to look at the active ingredient. Antiperspirants usually contain an aluminum salt (ex.: Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex Gly).

 

✔︎ You can try a more natural antipersipirant like black tea! This one is not applied directly on your feet, you will have to soak them inside. Black tea contains tannins which act as an astringent. 

 

✔︎ If the two above solutions don’t work, other modalities can be used like a prescription strength antiperspirant can be used, Botox injections on the sole of the feet or iontophoresis.

 

✔︎ Rotate your shoes. By rotating your shoes you allow them to completely dry between usage which will help decrease the bacterial load. 

 

✔︎ Use antibacterial spray in your shoes. This will help eliminate the bacteria present in our shoes. 

 

Last but not least, Contact the office and make an appointment to have us take a look at your feet and help formulate a treatment plan that is unique to YOUR situation!