Every dancer has that time when the skin on the bottom of their feet splits. Usually it’s pretty uncomfortable and often can be downright painful. There aren’t too many things you can do to prevent such a split, but there are some things you can do to help the healing process . . .
Keep it clean! The best thing you can do to heal split skin, especially if you’re dancing barefoot, is to clean it after you’ve been in class or rehearsal. Wash your splits with warm water and soap and be careful to not rip the split more. If you want to, you can cut away the loose skin of your split. However, only do this if it seems to be catching and making the split worse! After cleaning be sure to dry the split fully by dabbing at it with a clean towel. Be sure to apply some triple antibiotic and cover with a band-aid to keep it clean all day long.
Every once in a while you may get a split right before your show or performance. In that case there are a few ways to keep it from splitting further. If the split isn’t too deep and you just need to keep it covered so that it doesn’t get worse, I would recommend New Skin. While it does sting quite a bit when first applied, it does the trick to prevent further splitting. If your split is really deep and covering it won’t do the trick then I would recommend trying New Skin, but if that doesn’t work you can use good old super glue. Just remember to clean clean clean your splits after you perform!
The best thing you can do is keep your splits covered and clean while they are healing and know that it can take a long time for them to heal. Allow yourself time to give your feet a little love to keep them refreshed and ready for all the dancing you can get. Remember skin is constantly generating new cells so your skin will heal in no time!
Other Foot Care Products to Try:
Lavender essential oil
Cocoa Butter
Tea Tree soaking crystals