Foot care for dry and bleeding playa feet

[much2naughty2]

I've seen several references to the problem of "Playa Foot". Although playa is apparently caysed by the playa dust pulling all the moisture out of your feet. Diabetics often fight this problem for a lifetime. Dry cracked and bleeding heels and feet can really put the screws to a good time, so here is a tried and true solution someone suggested to me and I've had really good luck with.

Lotions and potions can help, however, crackes on the feet rarely heal until the excess thick skin has been removed. They just continue to crack and bleed.

I've used files, rasps, and razors to remove the excess for many years, but often go to far and cause more bleeding and sores that need to heal. Plus you have the skin dust all over. I now use a Ped-Egg rasp that really takes off the old dead skin and leave a smooth surface. Then coat my feet with an anti-fungal cream, like Tinactin.

Here is the key to soft and healed feet. Wrap your feet in plastic wrap and wear socks while you sleep-. The plastic wrap holds the moisture in and allows your feet to heal.

In the morning remove the plastic, rinse your feet and apply a good lotion for the day. Hard to believe but try it before you knock it. It really works.

[Fire_Moose]

That may work...but virgins won't know until they are out there. Everyone is different. When i was out there i would walk around camp bare footed and give my feet a daily vinegar bath and lotion. put new socks over the exxxcess lotion and off i would go. While some camp mates never wore shoes out there and were fine.

/shrug

[gaminwench]

I second the moose: barefoot during the day 'round camp, flip flops for potty runs, slide-ons for exploring out - then a vinegar & water footbath followed by lotion (hoof cream?), socks and boots for nighttime. Before bed, allover baby wipe 'bath', then lotion on hands/feet...(11 years & NO playa foot!)

[Boijoy]

I got "playa thumb" in 2008. Hurt likasumm bitch.

[much2naughty2]

Really, everyone is different? hum, didn't know that. sorry! But just in case your correct, and we are different, let just say my suggestions weren't directed at the folks that never have dry and cracked feet that bleed. Supposing you are correct, and we are different, would putting vinegar on cracked and bleeding feet help them heal or hurt like hell? (snark snark)

Seriously, I believe you and that lots of folks won't have a problem at all, and a simple vinegar wash will suffice. But for those that do, this works, even if this advice comes from first time burners. There are jobs like being on forest fire crews that experience worse heat and dust conditions. Try getting a "playa" like burn/rash to heal under your arms and in your crotch caused by ash and soot.

[TomServo]

I opened up my foot on a buried tent stake. So yeah, shoes are a good idea. But, at the med station, the medic washed my feet with a 50/50 combo of vinegar/ water...and advise I try it anyways, as it helps against playa foot. Have used it ever since.

[Fire_Moose]

oh another way to keep yer happy feet is to find me and ask for a foot rub. I hear mine are the best.*



















*please note: Foot rub offer is exclusivly for women with sexy feet...radical exclusion....right?

[Bounce530]

I haven't had playa foot (yet) but a problem I did have was sanitizer hands, from using the sanitizer gel outside of the porto's. Hands always get dried out within the first 3 days.

[ConnieH]

I haven't had playa foot (yet) but a problem I did have was sanitizer hands, from using the sanitizer gel outside of the porto's. Hands always get dried out within the first 3 days.

yep, me too...which makes me think if I didn't baby my feet and keep them covered, I would probably get playa foot if I walked around barefoot during the week. I brought lots of lotion for my hands, tried to put it on at least 3-4 times a day. We were camped close to the portos, so sometimes I'd skip the sanitizer and go straight back to camp for an alcohol free baby wipe, much gentler on my hands.[/i]

[oneeyeddick]

Who in the hell brings plastic wrap to the playa ?

[Fire_Moose]

fetishists?

[oneeyeddick]

Oh crap, thanks Moose... I just remembered something I saw in 2003 involving a portable rack, a bondage clown and a girl, some shrink wrap, a croppers whip....and some poop.

Thanks again !!

[dr.placebo]

I get playa foot rather quickly out there, although it usually only attacks my heels. Barefoot on the playa dust is strictly forbidden for my feet.

I like to have a good foot soak in the afternoon. Drain off excess cooler water into a basin, then plunge the feet in. The sudden drop in temperature is a rush. After the soak, lotion up and put on socks (sometimes deliberately wet socks). Dispose of grey water properly.

I second the recommendation of lotion and socks (not so sure about the plastic) before going to bed.

[oneeyeddick]

I had playa hand really bad one year and I tried lotion and some latex gloves to let it soak in real good.

When I took the gloves off a couple of hours later, my hands were swollen like I had fallen asleep in the bathtub...very painful for about an hour, and my hands were in worse shape for the rest of the day because of it.

I would suspect that this would happen to your feet also with saran wrap around them, but to each thier own, I suppose.

[Kiro]

Oh crap, thanks Moose... I just remembered something I saw in 2003 involving a portable rack, a bondage clown and a girl, some shrink wrap, a croppers whip....and some poop.

Most terrifying thing I've ever seen written here. Perhaps anywhere.

[C.f.M.]

Oh crap, thanks Moose... I just remembered something I saw in 2003 involving a portable rack, a bondage clown and a girl, some shrink wrap, a croppers whip....and some poop.

Thanks again !!

...so it really DID used to be better.

I was barefoot around camp, never washed or rinsed or moisturized and I was fine.

You don't need the saran wrap, if you want to moisturize over night. Vasoline+socks while you sleep is an old trick.

[AntiM]

MyLarry swears by bag balm for playa paw.

[C.f.M.]

MyLarry swears by bag balm for playa paw.

Bag Balm is pretty much vasoline, as far as moisturizing properties - well, I mean, it is vasoline, with some other stuff added.

Shea butter, or some straight-up oil (almond, E, jojoba, etc.) would be a more healthy/"green" route.

[Fire_Moose]

Vaseline huh? I might go buy a bunch and cover myself in it. walk the playa as a goopy, dusty mess!

[AntiM]

Bag Balm has one added ingredient: 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate, which is an antiseptic. The base is a petroleum/lanolin mixture. Oddly, playa dust does not stick to it at all.

We've tried oils and other alternatives. They do not work on his hide whatsoever; he has this odd, tough skin. So for him, bag balm it is. I don't use it, I hate the feel of it on my skin.

[theCryptofishist]

OED
It's possible that you have a very mild latex allergy.

[Boijoy]

Udder Cream is very good also. Yes. THOSE udders.

[misfit]

diabetics seem to have the worst time with playa foot. most come to the playa with already cracked and dried out heels.

[epic_elite]

i like to bare foot it.

i didnt really have much problem, but i did lotion frequently.

a gal from a neighbor camp gifted footbaths, she used the vinegar solution. but the vinegar was from pickle juice. it's supposed to be super-hydrating.

[oneeyeddick]

OED
It's possible that you have a very mild latex allergy.

Nope, worn gloves for hours serving food before, my hands were just in really bad shape before the lotion/glove combo.

[much2naughty2]

Hey misfit, your dead on my point. Diabetics really fight this problem and it's misserable. Some of the other solutions suggested probably work well, but I was just sharing a method that allows your own body the chance to heal it's self.

The udder cream is a great idea as well for underarm and crotch rash as well as feet. There used to be a product for woman that got rashes under their boobs, but strangly enough, it was a lot like udder cream I used to use it in the summer at fire camp, but haven't seen it in years.

[Fire_Moose]

Just a quick note about foot baths....


Take an empty 2.5 gal water suitcase and cut it in half along it's seam (the longest way around) you now have an instant foot bath!

[greenthumb85]

My camp always keeps diluted vinegar in a spray bottle and that seems to work for every one. But every one is different, a couple of my friends spend the whole week bare footed and never use anything, but one guy in my camp had it bad last year! He had some cracks in his feet before getting there, and before we even had the domes set up, his whole heel was black! We soaked him down with vinegar and sent him to the medical tent and they just soaked his foot for a few hours to get all the playa outa there. He wore shoes and socks and hit his feet with vinegar 2-5 times a day after that, and he was fine the rest of the week.

Keep vinegar on hand and don't walk around barefoot and you should be fine.

[Mojojita]

I have seen many people on playa have their deep bloody heel cracks closed with derma bond (super glue).

It really makes a difference how much dead callous is on your feet - so get a really good pedicure before you go (guys too). It is a fun pre-playa ritual for us and the leg and foot massage that is included is really good during all the preparation stress.

[mdmf007]

I opened up my foot on a buried tent stake. So yeah, shoes are a good idea. But, at the med station, the medic washed my feet with a 50/50 combo of vinegar/ water...and advise I try it anyways, as it helps against playa foot. Have used it ever since.

if you came to an ESD station it was 10-20% solution at most. ESD does not normally soak feet, but will give you advice and let you search out a solution. Only the most severe of playa foot gets treated.

Do not rely on ESD for foot treatments, "Radical Self Reliance"