Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is a highly contagious fungal skin infection that develops on the top outer layer of skin on the foot. The rash most commonly crops up in moist, dark areas between the toes (webbing) where air can’t promote healing. Gym showers, swimming pools, locker rooms, and any environment where you’re prone to walking barefoot are hot spots for athlete’s foot exposure, as fungus transfers from infected foot to contaminated surface and lies in wait of bare feet.
Here are the most common symptoms of athlete’s foot…
1. Thickening of the Skin
Athlete’s foot tends to develop as one of these 3 types of infection. The first type is known as a moccasin type infection, and causes the skin of your bottom heel, and sides of the feet, to become thick, cracked, and painful.
This thickening of the skin will also also quickly infect the toenails, causing them to thicken, discolor (yellow or opaque), until they start to disintegrate and crumble, eventually falling off and leaving the toes prone to greater infection.