Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of urea-containing socks for the treatment of xerosis of the foot in diabetic patients.

Material and Method: After baseline foot examination, the participants wore urea-containing socks which contains 20 mL of urea solution on both feet for 2 hours. Repeated foot examination was performed by a physician after one week. Participants were given a satisfaction survey at the end of the study.

Results: Eighteen participants enrolled in the study. One withdrew from the study due to minor side effects (swelling of skin but no peeling after the use of urea-containing socks for 3 days). The results from 17 participants indicated that the number of xerosis of feet was reduced compared to baseline (1.09±0.85 vs 1.61±0.58, p=0.036). Moreover, the severity of xerosis was reduced significantly after using urea-containing socks compared to baseline (1.77±2.13 vs 2.46±2.37, p=0.000). Only 10 participants (58.82%) with high degree of xerosis at the beginning of the study needed further treatment. The rest of the participants need no further treatment. Mild side effects were experienced in 12 participants (70.59%) including burning sensation, itching, rash or numbness. No participants experienced serious side effects.

Conclusion: Short term observation indicates that urea-containing socks are safe and can be used as alternative treatment for xerosis of the foot in diabetic patients with high efficacy in mild xerosis. However, patients with high degree of xerosis may need repeated treatment or use other treatments concomitantly.