Conclusions No conclusive recommendations were possible due to wide variation in study quality , method ologies and outcome measures .
A synthesis of available literature suggests that treatments containing urea as a primary active ingredient have been the most research ed .
Background Xerosis , literally dryness of the skin , of the foot is a common condition encountered clinical ly , which can lead to discomfort and predisposition to infection .
Currently , there are no evidence -based recommendations on which moisturiser formulations best alleviate xerotic symptoms .
The aim of this review was to guide clinical practice in the treatment of primary and diabetes related foot xerosis , by identifying from the existing literature the most effective ingredient or formulation of topical treatments for symptoms of primary foot xerosis in the general population .
Comparison of salicylic acid and urea versus ammonium lactate for the treatment of foot xerosis. A randomized, double-blind, clinical study.
Xerosis is defined as dehydration of skin characterized by redness , dry scaling , and fine crackling that may resemble the crackling of porcelain . The present double-blind trial was a r and omized paired comparison study evaluating the keratolytic effect of 5 % salicylic acid and 10 % urea ointment ( Kerasal ) on one foot and 12 % ammonium lactate lotion ( Lac-Hydrin ) on the other foot in mild-to-moderate xerosis . Seventy patients were initially enrolled in the trial . Fifty-four patients were evaluated after 2 weeks of treatment ; of those 54 patients , 39 were evaluated after 4 weeks of treatment . Although there was significant improvement in severity of xerosis after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment , there was no statistically significant difference between treatment groups . Irrespective of the mechanism of action , this study shows that both Kerasal and Lac-Hydrin 12 % lotion result in reduction in the severity of xerosis after 4 weeks of therapy
Conclusions No conclusive recommendations were possible due to wide variation in study quality , method ologies and outcome measures .
A synthesis of available literature suggests that treatments containing urea as a primary active ingredient have been the most research ed .
Background Xerosis , literally dryness of the skin , of the foot is a common condition encountered clinical ly , which can lead to discomfort and predisposition to infection .
Currently , there are no evidence -based recommendations on which moisturiser formulations best alleviate xerotic symptoms .
The aim of this review was to guide clinical practice in the treatment of primary and diabetes related foot xerosis , by identifying from the existing literature the most effective ingredient or formulation of topical treatments for symptoms of primary foot xerosis in the general population .