feet and diabetics

[jedsusan]

i have type 2 diabetes and regulary use a foot file on my feet. but a freind just told me not to. can anyone help as i have a lot of hard skin. or is it safe to continue using a foot file. i have had my feet checked by my nurse

[Baby Jane]

Hi jedsusan

My dad was not allowed to use anything abrasive on his feet, but that was a few years ago so may be things have changed. We use to use a prescribed hard skin cream.

BJxx

[ethandron]

you probably know the reason for the advice not to do things like that - if you have a lack of feeling in your feet due to nerve damage (because of the diabetes) you won't know if you're overdoing the filing and could end up with sores on your feet, which (also due to diabetes) could take a long time to heal. worst case, you could end up with ulcerated feet and that would be a big problem, maybe even leading to amputation.
if you have total, normal feeling in your feet i can't see that a little gentle filing would hurt, but the best thing is as baby jane suggests, use cream specially made for hard skin on feet, it does work but you do have to use it regularly.

[ruthann58]

saw a bit about foot creams on the tele the other morning they tried out several different ones and netrogena came out top .....no i dont sit and watch tele all day i work from home sewing and have the tele on when i am working

[Goodsoulette]

as a diabetic you need to look after your feet and I would have thought cracks ion your feet due to too much hard sking would be worse. File lightly, use some cracked heel balm, either scholl or flexitol and ask your nurse.

[joko]

soak your feet for at least 10 minutes, then scrape with your fingernails.
it will remove all the dead skin easily

also scrub hard in the bath