Why is my skin forming holes?

Author: Vanessa Weissnat  |  Last update: Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Pitted keratolysis is a skin disorder that's caused by bacteria. It creates crater-like pits or small holes on the top layer of your skin and usually affects the soles of your feet, but can also develop on the palms of your hands. It's more common in people who: Often go barefoot and live in tropical areas.

How do you get rid of pitted keratolysis?

Treatment for pitted keratolysis focuses on removing the bacterial infection from your body. Your healthcare provider will prescribe topical antibiotics that you rub on your skin like a lotion. Antibiotics could include: Clindamycin.

Do skin holes heal?

When cared for properly, most wounds heal well, leaving only a small scar or none at all. With larger wounds, you are more likely to have a scar. Certain factors can prevent wounds from healing or slow the process, such as: Infection can make a wound larger and take longer to heal.

Can skin holes be treated?

A chemical peel is an option for many people with pockmarks. The skin is treated with an acid or enzyme during a chemical peel. New cells are formed as a result of chemical peels penetrating into both the epidermis and middle layers of the skin.

What vitamin deficiency causes slow wound healing?

Vitamin C has many roles in wound healing, and a deficiency in this vitamin has multiple effects on tissue repair. Vitamin C deficiencies result in impaired healing, and have been linked to decreased collagen synthesis and fibroblast proliferation, decreased angiogenesis, and increased capillary fragility.

How Your Body Heals Cuts, Scrapes, and Puncture Wounds to the Skin

What does keratolysis look like?

In these areas, the condition appears as small (0.5-5 mm), shallow pits in the top layer of skin. These pits can sometimes form into larger, crater-like areas. There may be soft, wettish (macerated) white patches around the pits.

What does soaking your feet in hydrogen peroxide do?

Hydrogen peroxide is easily accessible and inexpensive, making it a popular choice for treating foot fungus. Here are some of its key benefits: Effective Antifungal Properties: Hydrogen peroxide can break down the fungal cells that cause infections. Safe and Easy to Use: When used properly, hydrogen peroxide is safe.

Is pitted keratolysis a fungal infection?

Pitted keratolysis is a non-inflammatory bacterial infection, and the lesions consist of small, crater-like depressions in the stratum corneum commonly seen on the soles of the feet and occasionally on the palms of the hands.

How do you get rid of skin holes?

Here's what dermatologists recommend.
  1. Use only non-comedogenic skin care products and makeup. The word “non-comedogenic” means the product won't clog your pores. ...
  2. Cleanse your face twice a day. ...
  3. Use retinol. ...
  4. Treat acne. ...
  5. Protect your face with sunscreen every day. ...
  6. Exfoliate. ...
  7. Be gentle with your skin. ...
  8. Treat sagging skin.

What bug causes holes in skin?

True sand fleas are the Tunga penetrans, also called the chigoe flea or jigger flea. These fleas (the smallest known flea) can bore holes into your skin. They may cause a parasitic infection called tungiasis (sand flea disease) that can lead to severe inflammation and skin lesions (wounds).

What can be mistaken for pitted keratolysis?

What is the differential diagnosis for pitted keratolysis?
  • Basal cell nevus syndrome.
  • Focal acral hyperkeratosis.
  • Keratolysis exfoliativa.
  • Plantar warts.
  • Tinea pedis.

How to get rid of holes in skin?

Many people with pockmarks choose to undergo a chemical peel to reduce the scarring. During a chemical peel, a layer of acid is applied to the face. An enzyme may also be used to produce similar results. These treatments remove the outer layers of skin and cause it to regenerate.

What happens if you leave pitted keratolysis untreated?

Complications. Pitted keratolysis is not contagious and does not have many side effects or complications. However, the condition can sometimes be painful, so leaving it untreated could increase itching, burning, and tenderness, especially when you're on your feet. Over time, it could limit your daily activities.

How to fix skin craters?

Treating Boxcar Scars
  1. Microneedling. Like chemical peels and dermabrasion, microneedling damages the skin in the scar. ...
  2. Fillers. A filler is an injection that literally fills out the indented part of the scar. ...
  3. Laser therapy. ...
  4. Punch excision.

What kills fungus better, alcohol or hydrogen peroxide?

Both rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide kill fungi, too. Which product you use depends on what germs you're trying to kill, the surface you're trying to kill them on, and how much time you have. Rubbing alcohol works faster, but it can damage porous surfaces such as wood or granite.

What is the healthiest thing to soak your feet in?

Epsom salts are the classic staple of a foot soak, aid to help with everything from arthritis to plain old swollen feet. The salts break down into magnesium and sulfate in water, and some believe that these minerals can be soaked in through the skin for the body's benefit.

What can be mistaken for athlete's foot?

Certain conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis, among other things, can also look very much like Athlete's foot. Sometimes, if the skin barrier is compromised, a secondary bacterial infection can occur.

What causes small holes in skin?

Pitted keratolysis is a skin disorder that's caused by bacteria. It creates crater-like pits or small holes on the top layer of your skin and usually affects the soles of your feet, but can also develop on the palms of your hands. It's more common in people who: Often go barefoot and live in tropical areas.

What does an athlete's foot look like?

One of the main symptoms of athlete's foot is itchy white patches between your toes. It can also cause sore and flaky patches on your feet. The skin can look red, but this may be less noticeable on brown or black skin. Sometimes the skin on your feet may become cracked or bleed.

What are the holes in my feet callus?

Pitted Keratolysis – What is It? Pitted Keratolysis is a bacterial infection that makes small holes, or pits, in the skin. It commonly affects the soles of the feet and between the toes. These pits are often worse around the balls of the feet, heels and toe pads, as these are the areas that take the most pressure.

What am I lacking if my skin won't heal?

Diet – poor food choices may deprive the body of the nutrients it needs to heal the wound, such as vitamin C, zinc and protein. Medical conditions – such as diabetes, anaemia and some vascular diseases that restrict blood flow to the area, or any disorder that hinders the immune system.

Which fruit is good for wound healing?

Vitamin C provides the collagen protein that is responsible for repairing tendons, ligaments and healing both your incision and the repairs inside your body. Top 3 foods: oranges, strawberries and bell peppers.

What does a sepsis wound look like?

As the wound begins to dry, a crust starts to form in the outer layer. If the crust is yellowish and if there is a formation of pimples on or near the wound, it could be septic. Sores that look like blisters. If there is a formation of sores which look like pockets of fluid around the area, they could be septic.

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