Your guide to bathing with athlete’s foot

Athlete’s foot is a common fungal infection that can make the skin on your feet itchy and cause it to crack. It often grows in the warm and moist area between your toes. You can still take baths as usual if you have athlete’s foot, but you’ll need to take some precautions and dry your feet thoroughly afterward.

Athlete’s foot can be uncomfortable but does not typically cause serious complications. It may go away on its own with time, but sometimes you’ll need antifungal medications.

Bathing regularly and keeping your feet clean can help clear the infection faster. But taking regular baths and soaking your feet for a long time without thoroughly drying them may worsen the infection, so make sure to thoroughly dry your feet after washing them.

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Baths and athlete’s foot

The fungus that causes an athlete’s foot infection, tinea pedis, thrives in wet and warm places. Your feet are the ideal place for the fungus to develop, as they are often warm and sweaty, providing the necessary nutrients for the fungus to grow.

Taking a bath can cause the infection to worsen. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), if you wish to take baths, you can help prevent worsening the infection by:

• avoiding bathing for too long
• drying your feet and toes thoroughly after
• using soap to clean your feet
• cleaning your bath afterward with disinfectant

Making sure to clean the tub properly after a bath can help prevent reinfection.

You may also try medicinal foot baths to help treat an athlete’s foot infection. Including certain substances in a foot bath, such as apple cider vinegar, may also help. However, research is limited into home remedies for athlete’s foot.

For example, some 2024 research suggests that certain essential oils, such as tea tree oil, may have antifungal effects, although more research is necessary. You can dilute essential oils in water to make a foot bath to soak your feet. Always do a patch test with an essential oil before use.

What causes athlete’s foot?

The itchy, cracking, and discolored skin characteristic of athlete’s foot results from a fungal infection in certain cells on your skin called dermatophytes. Your skin contains a substance called keratin, which the fungi feed on.

The infection develops because the fungus makes its way into these cells through tiny cracks or wounds on the surface of your skin. This usually happens from direct skin-to-skin contact with a person with an athlete’s foot infection or contact with flakes of skin containing the fungus.

This fungus thrives in warm and slightly damp environments, making your feet the perfect place for it to grow.

Your risk of developing athlete’s foot increases if you:

• have a minor injury on your feet
• sweat, and your feet remain unwashed
• frequently wear plastic-lined closed shoes
• your feet are not thoroughly dried

According to the AAD, if you experience recurrent athlete’s foot infections, you can help prevent infection by:

• keeping your toenails short, as your nails may cause the infection to grow
• wearing socks made of quick-dry material to prevent moisture around your feet
• alternating your shoes every day
• making sure your shoes are dry before wearing them
• avoiding walking barefoot, and wearing shower shoes or flip-flops in public areas like public showers
• making sure to wash and thoroughly dry your feet

Athlete’s foot treatment

Plenty of over-the-counter, topical medications are available in your local pharmacy to help clear the infection quickly. Some prescription antifungals may also help, which are available in topical or oral form. They all work to stop the growth of the infection and kill the fungus.

These medications often contain a group of drugs called azoles. These include:

• topical clotrimazole (Lotrimin)
• topical miconazole (Monistat) 

Allylamines, such as terbinafine (Lamisil), are another group of topical drugs that doctors use to treat athlete’s foot.

Applying these medications for around 4 weeks, once or twice per day, depending on the medication, can greatly speed up the time to clear the infection.

These medications can cause slight skin discoloration or itching. It is important to follow the instructions on the label.

If you’ve been using a topical cream for a month without improvement, a doctor may recommend trying a prescription medication to help clear the infection. These may include a stronger topical cream or even an oral medication. Examples include:

• oral fluconazole (Diflucan)
• oral terbinafine (Lamisil)
• topical ketoconazole (Extina)

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Online care for athlete’s foot

While athlete’s foot may clear up on its own, seeking the correct treatment can help prevent it from coming back again and again — helping it go away for good.

Online care services, including Optum Perks Online Care, may make getting treatment easier. With these services, you can submit an online form answering a few questions about your symptoms, and a US-licensed healthcare professional will respond soon after to prescribe a treatment plan.

Summary

Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that grows on the skin of your feet and thrives in warm and damp environments. Taking long baths with an athlete’s foot infection may delay your healing process.

If you want to take a bath, aim to do so quickly and thoroughly dry your feet afterward. Medicinal foot baths with apple cider vinegar may help clear the infection faster. Applying topical medication can also help speed up the time it takes for the infection to go away.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on many prescription medications. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.