What are Foot Peelers? Even though you’re moving around more and more as you get on with being an adult, your ‘baby foot’ days don’t have to be over. The soles of your feet need care just like every other part of your body, though most of us pay little attention to them.
Making use of foot peels to give your feet that tender look and feel also has some health benefits as part of its advantages. Consequently, using foot peels helps in getting rid of cracks and creases on foot soles, that are known to cause inflammation and other related conditions.
What are Foot Peels?
Foot peels are chemical products that help get rid of dead and dry skin on the soles of feet. Although most of the available products are designed to be self-administered, help from a physician may be necessary in some rather severe cases.
The foot peels come either in the form of chemical-soaked socks or foot masks or liquid substances to be applied to the affected areas. In addition to that, the kits come with usage instructions on who and how you should use the products. Application periods and methods vary depending on the product you’re using.
Are foot peels safe?
Even though the products used in the foot peeling masks are acids, foot peels have been around for quite a while and are safe to use. At the same time, it is advised that you first consult your physician about the products you wish to use before starting the procedure.
For instance, people with a history of diabetes tend to have side effects after using foot peeling products. While foot peels work by getting rid of the tough layer of skin at the soles of feet, the procedure leaves the new tender layer of skin exposed and prone to injury.
How do foot peels work?
Foot peels work by exposing the dead and dry skin on the soles of feet to chemical agents that cause them to detach from the healthy skin. Not only is the process painless, but it also takes place with little or no discomfort.
To begin with, the foot peeling procedure involves placing your feet inside chemical-soaked sock-like packets and leaving them to soak for about an hour, depending on the product. Next, you clean and rest the feet. The procedure can go on monthly, depending on the product specifications and the severity of your dead skin formation.
So do foot peels really work?
Even though foot peels are mild and gentle on your feet, the products are known to contain some relatively serious ingredients which are necessary to get the job done. Some popular brands have been examined and found to be containing substances like lactic and glycolic acid.
In contrast to the fact that the acids might be otherwise dangerous when used in unregulated settings, they are the basis on which the foot peels do their magic. These acids work by chemically breaking through dissolving the bonds that hold the dead skin to the healthy skin cells.
How often can you do a foot peel?
Even though the usage instructions range depending on the product being used or a physician’s guidance, most foot peels are used on a monthly to bi-monthly basis. Some brands recommend that their foot peels be used whenever one notices skin peels forming. That notwithstanding, the manufacturers also hold that you maintain a one month gap between usage to prevent damage to your feet’ soles.
Regardless of it being a result of disease, natural or hereditary, skin cracking or hardening of the soles of feet is a natural body function. Similarly, the process continues taking place as one grows older.
How long does it take for foot peels to work?
The rate at which the foot peeling process results vary depending on the severity of the dead skin on your feet. However, most products show results within a range of three to seven days upon use and on the upside of two weeks.
Since the foot peels work by being absorbed into the skin, it is advised that you take part in speeding up the process by keeping your feet regularly moist. Once signs of peeling off of the dead skin begin to show, refrain from pulling off or scrubbing the skin but rather let it happen naturally.
How to use a foot peel – Steps to use it
Whether the skin peeling products are being self-administered, or with the help of a physician, the procedure is pretty much the same. Here are the steps to follow for the self-administered variant of the skin peels:
- First off, ensure that you are well relaxed and have some time set aside for the procedure since you’ll have to avoid any serious walking for an hour or two.
- Second, clean up your feet thoroughly with warm water and soap, and keep in mind to rinse with lots of water once done. Using a dry towel, soak off any excess water from your feet while still maintaining some degree of moisture. Your feet must be somewhat hydrated for the best effect and optimum performance of the foot peeling agents.
- Third, place your feet in the foot peel packs as illustrated on the kit and secure the packs to your ankles with adhesive tape. Try as much as you can to relax with minimal movement of your feet, and just let the product soak in.
- After about an hour and a half, remove the packs, discard them and rinse your feet thoroughly with lots of warm water. Be keen not to use any soap products during this rinsing stage as they may react with some foot peel ingredients.
- Keep on moisturizing your feet regularly for the next few days as you let the exfoliating process take place. After a few days when the peeling starts being visible, though it might be tempting or even pleasurable, avoid pulling off any dead skin but rather let the process happen naturally.