As we move into the Winter months and many people suffer with very cold feet and chilblains. These are extremely painful lesions which can occur anywhere on our feet. They are often red and itchy but can also appear purple or blue. They can be especially painful at night and strangely they often feel hot and people think they need to cool them down.

Chilblains are caused by the cold affecting the blood vessels in the skin closing them down so that the blood is diverted deeper. This causes the skin to become even colder and the waste products produced by our cells build up. This causes the pain and redness and sometimes they can even break open if not treated in time.

The best way to treat a chilblain is to warm your feet up gently. You can do this by wearing socks made of bamboo as they are thermo-regulating meaning they keep your feet warm in the Winter but cool in the Summer. If your feet get very cold you can wear 2 pairs of socks as pockets are air gets trapped between the layers helping to keep your feet warm. You should make sure that your shoes have a good thick sole to help insulate from the cold. 

There are various chilblain creams available on the market, however there is a cream called Akileine Winter cream which we advise for this condition which opens the surface blood vessels and warms the feet up. If you suffer with chilblains, we recommend using this cream from September to March to help prevent them also. You should not use this cream on broken skin. If your chilblains are broken, you should dress with an antiseptic dressing until healed.

If you do suffer from this painful condition or think you may have a chilblain you call us on 0121 749 6313 to book in with one of our HCPC registered Podiatrists. You can also purchase bamboo socks or Akileine Winter cream directly from our website www.help4feet.co.uk