Is your child dealing with peeling, dry skin on the bottom of their feet? If so, they may be dealing with a condition known as juvenile plantar dermatosis (JPD). While juvenile plantar dermatosis is far from the most severe problem that could plague your child’s feet, it is important to proactively treat the condition so that it doesn’t linger and continue to cause discomfort. In today’s blog, we explore the causes, symptoms and treatment options for juvenile plantar dermatosis.
Causes And Symptoms Of Juvenile Plantar Dermatosis
Juvenile plantar dermatosis, also sometimes referred to as atopic winter feet, is a chronic dry skin condition that typically develops in children and pre-teens. It mostly develops in children between the ages of 3 and 14, but the most common age for it to occur is around 8, and it also tends to be more common in boys than in girls. Given the fact that it’s named “juvenile” plantar dermatosis, it’s rare for it to develop in adults.
Juvenile plantar dermatosis can develop for a few different reasons, but some of the most common causes and risk factors include poorly fitting shoes (leading to repetitive upwards and downwards motion of the heel and foot within the shoe), excessively sweaty feet, larger swings in seasonal temperatures/humidity and genetically sensitive skin.
Symptoms of juvenile plantar dermatosis include:
- Red skin
- Dry skin
- Itchy skin
- Peeling skin
- Glazed, shiny appearance
- Painful cracking or skin scaling
Interestingly, juvenile plantar dermatosis tends to develop rather symmetrically on the feet, and the most common locations for skin to start peeling is around the ball of your feet and on your heels.
Diagnosing And Treating Juvenile Plantar Dermatosis
A diagnosis of JPD can be made after a short office visit with a clinician or a foot and ankle specialist like Dr. Silverman. A physical exam can tell a lot about your child’s foot condition, but sample collection and testing may be done to rule out other conditions tinea pedis or atopic eczema. Assuming juvenile plantar dermatosis is the diagnosis, your doctor will walk you through some treatment techniques.
While there is no specific course of treatment for JVP, doctors will work to uncover the root cause of the skin condition and advise treatments based on the true cause. For example, if poorly fitting shoes are the problem, switching the child to a more secure option that doesn’t shift as much during walking may be helpful. Similarly, if excessive foot sweating is the cause, switching to a more breathable shoe may provide the most benefit, as could switching socks when you notice that the socks are starting to get damp.
Other treatments that may prove helpful include:
- Moisturizing creams
- Limiting stress on the feet for a short period
- Prescription ointments
- Going barefoot inside to help keep the foot dry
- Topical steroids
In many cases, juvenile plantar dermatosis ends up resolving on its own, but this process may be helped along by the above treatments. And while it can resolve on its own without proactive care, it can also persist or linger if you ignore it, so help your child make a couple simple adjustments to ensure the condition resolves.