Feet are one of the most important, and probably one of the most neglected parts of your body. Your feet carry your entire weight, they help you stand, and they help you walk, run, and dance. We take them for granted and only realize their true worth when something goes wrong and it affects our normal functioning.
Except for the lucky few who have exceptionally baby soft feet, each one of us has experienced a case of dry feet at one time or another. It can be such a nuisance and also become extremely painful if the dryness leads to cracking of the feet.
Nighttime is when most men complain about their feet drying up. Why is that so? Let’s answer the question. Why do my feet get dry at night? Your feet get dry at night due to your overall skin health, as well as the environment that you’re sleeping in. Nighttime is when your body relaxes and when your mind can actually focus on what’s wrong, and that’s when you notice it more.
During the day, everyone’s so busy and caught up in their daily routines that they don’t get time to focus on their health at all unless there’s some very serious condition that is affecting them directly. Haven’t you noticed how when you get in bed, you can feel every ache in your body that you’ve been ignoring all day? Yes, that’s exactly what happens with the skin too. There’s this and a couple of other factors that lead to the feet drying up at night. Read on to find out more.
Why so Dry?
Our faces and hair get our most attention, mainly because they’re exposed and can be easily seen by everyone. We wash them and care for them as required. Our hands also get the “once-in-a-while” moisturizing therapy. But what about our feet? They tend to get worn out due to the extensive amount of work they do for us, and therefore get dry and cracked.
The primary and most common cause for dryness is lack of moisture. The skin on the soles of your feet and heels are generally drier and there is less moisture retention than the rest of the body. Not moisturizing the feet can cause the dryness to aggravate causing uneasiness and sometimes even pain.
If the air in the room that you sleep in is too dry, that can also be one of the reasons for your feet getting dry at night. Then again, this is linked to the amount of moisture in the air, and ultimately on your skin. If the room is too cold and dry, for instance, if the air conditioner is turned up really high, expect to wake up with dry feet, as well as hands!
We all know how important water is for normal bodily functions and it would come as no surprise when we tell you that dryness in the feet is caused and aggravated by dehydration too. Lack of water leads to the skin generally looking dull and unhealthy. Since our feet are prone to wear and tear, they become more susceptible to dryness and maybe even cracking.
However, it must be noted that on the one hand, hydrating yourself with drinking plenty of water can help you get soft, supple skin, and on the other hand, putting too much water on your skin, in the form of showers or standing on a wet floor for a prolonged time period, can strip if off of the natural oils and make it dry and rough. Oh, the irony! You must’ve noted how after a long shower, your skin gets all wrinkly. That happened because of all the moisture in your skin being lost. If you are prone to having dry feet, long showers, especially hot ones, are a big no.
Using harsh products such as soaps, shower gels, and creams may also trigger dryness on your feet. Some men enjoy taking a shower before going to bed. These products tend to dry out the skin leaving the feet particularly dry at night.
As is with everything in the world, the more pressure we put on our feet, the more they tend to wear out. Sometimes, standing too much and for long periods of time can cause pain as well as dryness on your feet. When we stand, our feet withstand our entire body weight, and that is not a small feat. We must always maintain a good posture and try not to put too much weight on the soles and heels of our feet. Being overweight increases the amount of pressure, since the more the person weighs, the more pressure of the bodyweight the feet will endure. This is particularly bad for the heels as they will definitely start to dry out and crack.
Ill-fitted and exposed footwear are silent attackers. Most men don’t pay too much attention to what kind of footwear they’re wearing and then suffer the consequences in the form of unhealthy, dry feet. Always opt for comfortable shoes that give your feet protection from external factors. If you walk a lot and wear open sandals or flip-flops, you are exposing your feet to all the dirt, filth, sun (if during daytime), and pollution. These factors gnaw away at your healthy feet skin and leave it rough and dull-looking.
It’s funny how in the end it all comes down to a healthy, well-balanced diet. Lack of certain nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and zinc can have some adverse effects to overall health, and to feet in particular. Our skin needs the right nutrients and starts to show signs of dullness if not provided with. A bad diet along with bad hygiene can be a killer combination and must be avoided at all costs.
One thing that must be given particular attention is the fact that your feet drying up at night might be due to some underlying medical conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, athlete’s foot, thyroid disease, and diabetes. The symptoms might appear and aggravate at night, hence the feeling of dryness.
Sometimes, you’re doing everything right and still face the issue of excessive drying of your feet at night. Why though? Blame your genetics. Maybe someone in your family has dry feet and you inherited it from them? Sadly, there’s not much you can do about it, but there are ways to keep the condition at bay and help you achieve softer feet after you wake up.
Soft, supple feet? Here’s how!
It’s understood that you suffer from dry feet. Now what? Let’s hop on to the next part; treatment. What can you do to reverse the process of drying out to get softer looking, healthy feet?
Invest in a good moisturizer, one without alcohol since that really dries up the skin. We know how men think and for them, spending on foot cream is like throwing away money. But trust us, if your feet drying at night is a major issue for you, start moisturizing with a really effective foot cream and get every dollar’s worth of your money! We recommend the Neutrogena Foot Cream Cracked Heel (Amazon) for a gentle, yet effective treatment for dry feet as well and cracked heels. You may also try using petroleum jelly if that suits you.
If possible, moisturize and then cover your feet with light socks to lock in the moisture and beneficial ingredients of the foot cream. You’ll wake up with softer feet in just a single day! There is also silicone gel heel moisturizing socks that you can wear overnight and give your feet the therapy and relaxation they need. You can try out these Moisturizing Socks for Dry Cracked Feet (Amazon).
The best and most effective way to treat dry feet is by using vitamin E. All you have to do is take the capsule, open it up, and rub the liquid inside the capsule onto your feet. This serum is guaranteed to give you results and help you with treating your dry feet at night. It is beneficial for other body parts as well. If your hands feel dry, you may rub the liquid on your hands too.
Sometimes, all it takes is a relaxing visit to the spa. Don’t be shy! More and more men are heading to the spa these days for grooming services and that is a wonderful change that we see and appreciate. After all, self-care is important for all. Get a nice pedicure and maybe your dryness issue will go away.
If you’re more of a DIY-er, we recommend getting the Rechargeable Electric Foot Callus Remover (Amazon) and giving yourself a little spa treatment at home. This handy tool will remove all dry, dead skin from your feet and heels and give you fresh skin that you may then treat accordingly.
If the issue persists and is getting too uncomfortable for you to manage, we suggest you book a doctor’s appointment right away. It might be something serious and it’s better to not postpone the right treatment to fix the issue right away.
