Optimal foot skin care for diabetes-related foot ulcer prevention: scoping review

In patients with diabetes, autonomic neuropathy leads to reduced sweating, which can lead to dry skin, and if the condition worsens, these can progress from foot fissures to ulcers. Although foot skin care is important in patients with diabetes to prevent diabetes-related foot ulcers, there are no detailed guidelines that provide specific methodology for achieving this goal. This scoping review aimed to clarify what is known in the literature regarding foot skin care for dry skin for patients with diabetes and propose optimal foot skin care to help prevent diabetes-related foot ulcers.

Literature databases were searched and two independent researchers screened the articles according to the inclusion criteria and then extracted the data. To be included in the analysis, all reports had to be original articles/case studies, studies involving human subjects, and studies on foot skin care for dry skin for patients with diabetes.

Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings showed that application of a moisturizer, especially a cream containing urea or a cream containing 15% glycerol, liquid, and 10% soft paraffin twice a day for at least two weeks, could help relieve dry feet.

Establishing optimal foot skin care for patients with diabetes may require further studies that examine the frequency and long-term effects of foot skin care interventions, with the ultimate outcome focused on the development of diabetes-related foot ulcers.