Athlete's Foot

It begins between the toes. An itching, a burning, the skin becomes cracked, whitish, moist. Athlete's foot is one of the most common skin infections of all — dermatologically speaking, a fungal infection favoured by moisture, warmth and a weakened skin environment. Medicine treats the pathogen. BodySignal asks a different question: why does the fungus find a breeding ground specifically in you?

Because fungi do not grow everywhere. They need a specific climate — moist, warm, enclosed. And that describes not only the spaces between your toes, but an inner state: something in you is locked in, stagnating, finding no room to breathe. Fungus grows where air and light are absent. It shows you where something in your life is festering in concealment.