TL;DR: Key Takeaways
- Athlete's foot = itch + soggy peeling between toes; often one-sided at first
- Dry skin = symmetric flaking on soles, non-itchy, worse in winter
- Fungal cream fixes fungus; moisturiser fixes dryness — no overlap
- Cracked heels are usually dry skin, not fungus
- If a nail is thick and yellow, treat the fungus systemically, not topically
The 60-Second Visual Check
- Between the toes — soggy, white, peeling → fungal
- Between the toes — dry, normal → probably not fungal
- Sole edge — thick callus, deep fissures at heel → dry skin
- Sole — fine scale with an active red border → moccasin-type athlete's foot
- Any small blisters clustered on the arch → fungal (vesicular tinea)
The Symptom Check
Itch is the tie-breaker. Persistent itch, worse in the evening or after removing shoes, strongly suggests fungal infection. Pure dryness feels tight and rough, not itchy.
Upload a photo for AI triage
Our free rash checker compares your foot photo to fungal and dermatitis training data.
Treatment Direction
- Fungal: terbinafine 1% cream once daily for 1–2 weeks, or clotrimazole twice daily for 4 weeks
- Dry: urea 10–25% or salicylic acid foot cream nightly, plus a pumice for calluses
- Both: dry feet fully between toes after showering, rotate shoes, wash socks at 60°C
- Nail fungus (thick, yellow, crumbly): oral terbinafine from a clinician — creams don't reach the nail bed
When to Escalate
Diabetes plus any foot rash needs a same-week clinician review — a small crack can become a wound. Spreading warmth, pus, or a red streak up the leg is cellulitis and needs urgent antibiotics. See our fungal treatment hub for the full decision tree.
Identify this rash free
Upload a photo. Get an AI screening for 80+ rashes and skin conditions in seconds. No app, no signup to scan.
Why one check is rarely enough
A single scan tells you about one spot, on one day. But skin changes are about patterns over time — a new mole appearing, a slow shift in shape, size or colour, or a patch that simply isn't healing. Monitoring the same spots side-by-side, week after week, surfaces the subtle changes a one-off check will always miss — and gives you a clear record to show a clinician if something needs a closer look.
(ScanSkinAI is a screening and monitoring tool, not a diagnosis. Always see a clinician for anything that is changing, bleeding, or worrying you.)
Unlimited scans · Track changes side-by-side · Cancel anytime
Related reading: Fungal treatment hub · Ringworm vs eczema pictures
Frequently Asked Questions
Athlete's foot usually starts between the 4th and 5th toes with soggy, peeling, itchy skin — and it spreads. Plain dry skin is symmetric on both soles, worse in winter, non-itchy, and improves with any moisturiser. If the skin between your toes is macerated or the itch is persistent, it's almost certainly fungal.
Fungal spores survive in shoes and socks. If you treat the skin but not the footwear, reinfection is common. Rotate two pairs of shoes, wash socks at 60°C, use antifungal powder in shoes for 4 weeks after the skin clears.
Usually no — cracked heels are dry-skin fissures. A urea 10–25% or salicylic acid foot cream nightly, plus filing the callus, is the fix. Antifungals only help if the surrounding skin has the classic itchy, macerated fungal look.
Yes indirectly — cracks in dry skin create entry points for fungus. Keeping feet moisturised and thoroughly dry between the toes after showering reduces both problems.
See a clinician if antifungal cream for 4 weeks hasn't cleared it, if nails are thickened or discoloured, if you have diabetes with any foot rash, or if there's spreading warmth, pus, or a red streak up the leg.