The expert and podiatrist offer advice about athlete’s foot

Athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, and heel cracks. These might not sound like major issues, but for anyone affected, they can be painful and something that’s noticeable with every step. But it’s fairly easy to prevent them. Here you’ll find excellent advice and tips from Carola Richardson, a medical podiatrist who is passionate about good foot health.

‘It’s so important to take care of your feet—they carry us through our entire lives, yet they’re easy to forget about. Once you start having problems, though, you need patience, the right steps, and good products to get rid of them. There’s a huge benefit to doing things correctly from the start, for example to avoid using strong medications,’ says Carola Richardson, who also runs courses for podiatrists on nail and skin fungus. In recent years, in her professional practice, she has seen an increase in foot and nail fungus, especially. ‘I think this could be because we exercise more. It’s also twice as common in men. The absolute biggest risk of infection is in public showers and public baths. It’s warm and humid there, fungus spores thrive in that environment, and the infection spreads easily.’

How to get healthy, beautiful feet

- Regular foot soaks, preferably with BIOpH+ Footcare, which treats and builds healthy feet.
- Moisturize with a foot salve that has high-quality ingredients.
- Don’t overfile or buff your feet, as this triggers the skin to form calluses.
- Get regular foot care from a medical podiatrist. First step to healthy feet

First step to healthy feet

Taking care of your feet has never been easier. Regular foot soaks with BIOpH+ lay the foundation for avoiding problems and deliver positive results for anyone dealing with issues like athlete’s foot, heel cracks, and calluses. 

It’s almost impossible to tell with the naked eye that dry feet and flaky skin patches, for example, are fungus—their symptoms mimic both eczema and psoriasis. A first step is to use BIOpH+ Footcare. The foot soak relieves symptoms regardless of whether the person has fungus or not. BIOpH+ is effective, biodegradable, and a safe product with no side effects, according to clinical studies. Many people who see symptoms they think are fungus start treating themselves with medications. But this will be ineffective if they don’t actually have fungus, and the result is that they’ve used strong medications unnecessarily, with the risk of side effects that come with medications. 

‘I’m truly passionate about this topic of fungus,’ says Carola Richardson, who also trains aspiring podiatrists about athlete’s foot.

‘It’s so important to act quickly so the problems don’t develop into moccasin foot fungus that covers the entire sole of the foot or spreads up into the nails. 
She explains that fungus is a parasite that significantly worsens skin quality and can also lead to cracks. With BIOpH+ medical-grade foot care products, you relieve symptoms regardless of whether you have athlete’s foot or not. If you don’t get the desired effect after regular use, it’s a good idea to get a diagnosis. It’s relatively easy to do, either with a so-called DNA test at a medical podiatrist’s office or with a culture done at your primary care clinic.

‘My most important advice of all is to keep the skin on your feet healthy, as well as your nails. Take therapeutic foot soaks, file moderately, and moisturize with a good foot salve—that’s the foundation. If you still develop problems, seek help from a medical podiatrist.’

Do you have athlete’s foot?

- Start by using BIOpH+ Footcare, which relieves the symptoms of athlete’s foot such as calluses, cracks, and unpleasant odor, regardless of whether you have athlete’s foot or not. BIOpH+ removes what shouldn’t be on the skin so that the skin gets the conditions it needs to heal. The skin is the body’s largest organ and our most important defense against infections. If the skin barrier doesn’t work properly, we become sensitive to infections. BIOpH+ creates an environment where unwanted bacteria, viruses, and fungus cannot thrive. When what shouldn’t be on the skin is removed, the skin gets the right conditions to thrive. 

- Get a diagnosis. Fungus symptoms are difficult to distinguish from psoriasis, eczema, or other issues. You can get a simple DNA test at a medical podiatrist’s office or have a culture done at your primary care clinic. 

- If you’ve received a fungus diagnosis, here are some excellent tips to get started:

- Take regular foot soaks with BIOpH+ Footcare and moisturize with the foot salve after the soak. This simple treatment prevents and kills the microorganisms that attack the skin while treating the entire foot. Healthy skin and healthy nails make it harder for fungus spores to take hold.

- Fungus spores can survive for a long time and lurk in shoes and socks. Wash your socks in high heat, or use BIOpH+ Washing powder—you only need to wash at 30 degrees to be sure the fungus spores are dead. Washing at low temperatures with regular detergent can allow the spores to spread to other laundry. 

- Disinfect all shoes you use. BIOpH+ Shoe spray effectively kills fungus spores and other microorganisms in your shoes. It also eliminates any unpleasant odors from the shoes.

- Be consistent and have patience.

How to avoid athlete’s foot

Fungus spores are stubborn and can linger in shoes and socks for a long time. Or in humid spaces like gym showers or public baths. Excellent advice from medical podiatrist Carola Richardson is to both prevent issues by keeping your feet and nails healthy, and always use a towel in public showers and at public baths.

‘A great way to build healthy feet is to use BIOpH+ Footcare and moisturize your feet regularly. Fungus spores take hold in small cracks and flaky skin patches, and by keeping your feet healthy and your skin in good condition, you prevent infection. 
Another simple step is to keep the space between your toes dry. Studies show that athlete’s foot often starts between the fourth and fifth toes, explains Carola Richardson, and she encourages people to dry their feet and between their toes thoroughly after showers and baths. 
Healthy feet are the first step to preventing infection. It’s also important to keep your shoes and socks in good condition and change them often.

‘Socks and shoes made from natural materials are always best, and you shouldn’t wear overly tight or warm shoes—they create an environment where bacteria and fungus spores thrive. I recommend using BIOpH+ Washing powder especially for socks; you only need to wash at 30 degrees to effectively kill bacteria and fungus spores. It’s also a good idea to regularly spray your shoes with BIOpH+ Shoe spray to ensure your shoes are fresh and odor-free.’
The bacteria that cause foot sweat odor are what lead to unpleasant smells, so you’ll see a huge benefit just by using a good detergent. 
And you—bring a towel with you the next time you go to the gym, a public bath, or shower in a communal shower. It’s an effective way to avoid getting athlete’s foot.

How to avoid infection

• Healthy skin and healthy nails are the foundation of healthy feet.
• Breathable shoes and socks made from natural materials.
• Change your shoes and socks often.
• Keep the space between your toes dry, especially between the smaller toes where there’s often close contact.
• Use a towel in public showers and at public baths.