Athlete’s foot is not a particularly dangerous or painful condition, but many people find it to be embarrassing or uncomfortable. This common infection occurs when fungus grows on the feet. You can catch the fungus through direct contact with an infected person or by touching contaminated surfaces. When it comes to athlete’s foot, New Jersey’s Skin & Laser Center of NJ explains that some people are genetically predisposed to infection, while others do not get it even with repeated exposure to the fungus.
This fungus thrives in warm, moist environments and is frequently found in showers, on locker room floors, and around swimming pools. It commonly develops on people whose feet become very sweaty while confined within tight-fitting shoes. Symptoms include a scaly rash that usually causes itching, stinging, and/or burning. People with athlete’s foot often have moist or raw skin or scaling between their toes.
In late 2016 she founded the Skin & Laser Center of NJ, LLC in Mahwah, NJ where she continues to treat her medical and cosmetic patients, and further pursues her interest in laser medicine. Dr. Lieb’s mission is to provide high quality dermatologic care using up-to-date medical information and cutting edge technology in an efficiently run practice. Dr. Lieb is board certified in dermatology, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, a member of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery, and the New Jersey Dermatologic Society. Dr. Lieb is a Staff Dermatologist at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood.
Treatment for athlete’s foot typically involves topical or oral antifungal medications. You may choose not to treat it if your condition doesn’t bother you and you have no health problems that increase your chance of severe foot infection, such as diabetes. However, know that untreated athlete’s foot may cause blisters or cracked skin that can lead to a severe bacterial infection. Also, if you don’t treat athlete’s foot, you can spread it to other people.
Severe infections that appear suddenly usually respond well to treatment, while long-lasting chronic infections can be more difficult to cure.
There are several highly effective treatment options for athlete’s foot. Your provider will prescribe one of the following types of medication to be applied as directed at home:
It’s important to note that athlete’s foot can return following treatment, so there are preventive care steps that you should take to help avoid future infections. Even with proper medical treatment, the providers at Skin & Laser Center of NJ recommend taking the following precautions:
Many of these tips can also help to reduce your chances of developing toenail fungus as well. The goal is to keep your skin as clean, dry, and protected as possible.
Skin & Laser Center of NJ in Ramsey provides a wide range of medical, surgical, and cosmetic services for patients in and around New Jersey. Patients can get diagnosis and treatment for acne, skin cancer (with Mohs surgery), chronic conditions (like psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema), moles, melasma, vitiligo, athlete’s foot, toenail fungus, scabies, contact dermatitis, and more. Cosmetic options include wrinkle-relaxing BOTOX® and Dysport®, dermal fillers like Juvederm® and Restylane®, Kybella® for reducing a double chin, chemical peels, Hydrafacial MD, microneedling, laser hair removal, laser acne treatments, laser scar treatments, laser tattoo removal, CoolSculpting®, laser vein treatments, sclerotherapy, and more.
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