Foot Care (it's more important than you realize)

[Chai Guy]

Foot Care is more important than most people realize on the playa.

Here are some of the basics!


1. Alkali Dust, it's not your friend.
The playa is actually not a "Beach" but a dry lake bed. This lake bed is comprised of a fine, white dust that is incredibly high in Alkali content, just like a battery! and it can create a similar chemical burn too!

2. Get right before you go!
Fix all those foot problems before you go to the playa. Get rid of any bunions, calluses, athlete's foot, or other ailments before you get there, as any foot issues will just become worse in the harsh conditions (even if they aren't bothering you so much at home). Treat yourself to a pedicure before you go, or invite your friends over for a pre-playa foot care party.

3. Minimize Exposure.
The best thing you can do to prevent "Playa Foot" (the painful drying and cracking of your feet) is to minimize your feet's exposure to the playa. Wear shoes that completely cover your feet and clean socks at all times. If you have to wear sandals, wear them as little as possible.

4. Foot Hygiene.
Develop a foot care regiment that will counteract the effects of the alkali dust (even when wearing shoes and socks all the time your feet will be exposed as the dust will find a way in). I like to use the following regiment:

Clean your feet thoroughly before going to bed. Get a small basin of water and squeeze some lemon juice or vinegar in with the water to neutralize the effects of the alkali dust (I prefer the lemon juice because it smells better). Once you have all of the dust/dirt cleaned off squeeze a little lemon juice directly on your feet and wipe them off with a clean wash cloth. Next rub in, and cover your feet with some lotion, I really like Mountain Ocean's "Skin Trip" (which I keep in my cooler) http://www.everybodyltd.com/skintrip.html

Now put on some fresh, clean, dry socks and you're ready for bed. Repeat this during the day if your feet feel like they're drying out, or you're just hanging out around camp.

5. Foot Care RX
Let's say that you're on the playa and you find yourself developing the dreaded playa foot. Symptoms will include painful feet, small cracks developing on your heels, or between your toes, and excessively dry feet. Clean your feet as described above, and treat the cracks with a liberal amount of Neosporin or other antibacterial gel. STOP going barefoot!, change your socks 2-3 times per day, clean, and add Neosporin each time. Seek professional medical help if the problems persist.

6. Not all feet are created equal.
Some people run around barefoot all week without any problems, other people (like me) can't have their feet exposed for 5 minutes without contracting "playa foot". Remember that your feet are your only mode of transportation out there and if they quit working your experience is probably fucked. Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you.

Helpful Links:

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/playa_foot.html

http://www.softcom.net/users/rocksci/bman/survival.htm#Playa%20Foot

[dr.placebo]

Good advice, as usual.

Oddly enough, I had a plantar wart that resisted treatment for months until last year on the playa, when I exposed it just enough to the playa dust to make it go away. I've heard similar stories from other burners, so it may not be complete coincidence. Of course, the playa induces altered mental states so it could be delusion.

[GrumpyOldBastard]

and i had a nail fungal infection that i couldnt get rid of. 1 week on the playa and it was gone! all those Dr visits and prescription creams....

i have a really hard time with my hands and fingers drying out and cracking. i bring lotion and use it liberally, but within the 3rd day out there, i usually have 4 or more fingertips cracked and bandaged, and by the end of the week each hand is one big bandage. any tips on hands?

[Chai Guy]

Hands can be just as bad as feet. One reason is that a lot of people use the alcohol based hand sanitizers frequently (because of using the jots and what not).

I'm not saying don't use the hand sanitizer, but whenever possible use soap and water instead. Always apply lotion after using hand sanitizer or washing your hands.

I find that with hands you're more likely to get cracking, dried out skin in places where you've received an injury, so be sure to wear some heavy duty leather work gloves when setting up your camp and putting in rebar.

There are a couple of products that I like for hands, I always use Lubriderm or Mountain Ocean lotions as preventive measures.
For cracks I use Burt's Bees Hand Salve
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00014D5O8/102-2198794-5773759?v=glance
Another is Bag Balm (just haven't been able to find it in convenient smaller version, but you could transfer it yourself to a smaller container. http://www.bagbalm.com/

The main thing is keeping your hands as clean as possible. If you're following the foot care regiment, then your getting all those benefits on your hands as well (unless you have some hottie doing your foot care for you, in that case, fuck off!)

Finally, you can cover your hands in salve or bag balm and put on some light cotton gloves to wear to sleep.

[dr.placebo]

My hands seem to fare pretty well, although the tips of my fingernails get brittle sometimes.

On the other hand (so to speak), I have some tendency to give oil/lotion massages to campmates. Great hand care through caring hands!

[Blade]

I never hear the opposite foot issue mentioned: People working in sturdy boots (for example) all day can get some funky sweaty feet- which won't crack and bleed, but can have their own set of problems, especially if the same funky shoes are back on all the next day!

[Michael Wonka]

I have one word for playa hand and foot care. SHEA!

100% shea butter applied daily, morning and night, will keep the dust gremlins at bay.

Trust me on this. It's magic and it works! Field tested at Burning Man for the past 3 years running.

I buy mine from this company. A fair trade supplier with great prices for some of the best butter on the planet. It can be very expensive at your local health food store.

http://store.africansheabuttercompany.com/shebutoilbul.html

See me at pinhole camp for a free sample!

Michael Wonka
(eat cacao daily for health and happiness)

[Scout]

I know this is both bad and wrong, but here it goes. When I’m in camp I walk around with no shoes on. I’m sorry but the playa dust does not do anything to my feet. In fact in 2001 I had a healing cut on my foot that healed quicker in the dust and heat.

When I go outside the camp I wear a new pair of socks (I bring a dozen new socks for the week) and my playa hiking boots. These boots have been delegated like my playabike for playa use only. At the end of every burn I put them in a plastic bag, playa dust and all and don’t see them again until the following year when I take them out and inspect them before packing them for the burn.

As for hands I use lots of lotion and bring work gloves for when I’m well…working.


Scout