Athlete's foot is a common fungal infection that affects your feet.
The main symptoms of athlete’s foot are itchy white patches and cracked skin, usually between the toes.
You can usually treat athlete's foot using antifungal creams, sprays or powders bought from a pharmacy. See a GP if these do not work.
You can catch athlete's foot from walking barefoot in places where someone else has it or touching the affected skin of someone with it.
Read more on the NHS website.
The main symptoms of athlete’s foot are itchy white patches and cracked skin, usually between the toes.
Check if you have athlete's foot
Symptoms of athlete's foot include:

Itchy white patches between your toes.

Red, sore and flaky patches on your feet.

Skin that may crack and bleed.
It can also affect your soles or sides of your feet. If it's not treated, it can spread to your toenails and cause a fungal nail infection.
Athlete's foot sometimes causes fluid-filled blisters.
Read more on the NHS website.
You can usually treat athlete's foot using antifungal creams, sprays or powders bought from a pharmacy. See a GP if these do not work.
Self-care
You can keep using some pharmacy treatments to stop athlete's foot coming back.
It's also important to keep your feet clean and dry. You don't need to stay off work or school.
Do
dry your feet after washing them, particularly between your toes – dab them dry rather than rubbing them
use a separate towel for your feet and wash it regularly
take your shoes off when at home
wear clean socks every day – cotton socks are best
Don't
do not scratch affected skin – this can spread it to other parts of your body
do not walk around barefoot – wear flip-flops in places like changing rooms and showers
do not share towels, socks or shoes with other people
do not wear the same pair of shoes for more than 2 days in a row
do not wear shoes that make your feet hot and sweaty
Important
Keep following this advice after finishing treatment to help stop athlete's foot coming back.
Medical treatments
Your GP may:
- send a small scraping of skin from your feet to a laboratory to check you have athlete's foot
- prescribe a steroid cream to use alongside antifungal cream
- prescribe antifungal tablets – you might need to take these for several weeks
- refer you to a specialist called a dermatologist for more tests and treatment if needed
Read more on the NHS website.
You can catch athlete's foot from walking barefoot in places where someone else has it or touching the affected skin of someone with it.
Read more on the NHS website.