Practicing bad foot hygiene can allow the fungus to thrive and breed easily. The fungus lives off the dead skin cells in your foot and it will be just a matter of time until the symptoms of the infection becomes evident. With the infection slowly developing, the skin surrounding your foot becomes dry and scaly. The fungus can survive for some time in puddles of water, which may be stepped on by people. When these happen, the fungus will adhere to the skin of the foot and voila, you have the start of an athlete's foot. Of course, you will not be immediately developing the infection. However, if you are not hygienic and your feet are always wet and moist, then there is a great possibility that athlete's foot will develop. When you use public facilities where there is moisture, these fungus adhere to the outer layers of the skin. When not washed out and dried, this fungus can live inside your shoes or await another foot, which it can adhere to the next. Symptoms of athlete's foot How do you know when you have athlete's foot? There should be slippers to be used only outside of the house and another pair exclusively for roaming around inside the house. Even when taking a shower, always use shower shoes or shower slippers. Talcum powder is a very powerful vanity item because it reduces perspiration. Always use it most especially before doing any activity that will surely leave you perspiring. It is caused by a fungus that grows on or in the top layer of human skin that result to infections. Fungi the primary cause of athlete s foot are known to thrive in warm, dark, and moist areas like inside of the shoes. These fungi also thrive on dead body tissues like dead skin and nails. Since it is very contagious, more and more people become prone to the skin condition. If you are advised by the physician to use medication either topical or oral make sure that you educate yourself about the proper prevention of athlete s foot to keep it from being recurrent. These simple rules of good hygiene can keep you away from the persistent fungi that cause athlete s foot: 1. Bear in mind the importance of washing.