Cracked heels are usually caused by dry skin. In order to heal up the cracks and prevent future ones, you need to hydrate the skin. There are two ways to do this:
Firstly
Change what you wash with. Detergents which foam, eg soap, shower gel, shampoo, cause our skin to dry out and increase the pH of skin which is normally more acidic. Switching to an emollient soap substitute in the bath or shower will help prevent dryness. These are available from pharmacies, most of the dry skin brands you will have heard of make a wash product. Some examples include Aqueous cream, Hydromol ointment, E45 shower cream, and Eucerin shower oil.
Secondly
Apply emollients daily after bathing. Our skin on our feet does not have oil glands like the skin elsewhere, it relies on sweat only, and if you are not producing much sweat, your skin will be dry. Feet therefore need something stronger than your usual body lotion. Products with a high concentration of urea and glycerine are very good. These are usually found in products called foot creams or heel balms. Applying straight after bathing allows that moisture to be locked into the skin.
Persistent friction from ill-fitting footwear can also cause cracks in the heels. Wear lace up or velcro fastenings for your shoes rather than slip ons, fasten them securely onto your feet, and avoid slippers.
However not all cracking is caused by dryness. Heels can split because of fungal infections or skin diseases, such as psoriasis. These require additional different treatments to settle the problem. The appearance of this skin is often inflamed and unhappy looking. It can be helpful to see your podiatrist if you are unsure what has caused the cracks, as there are visible signs which can help us diagnose these and we can send skin samples off to a lab for testing.
Do you suffer from cracked heels? Unsure what is causing them? Want some help getting them treated? Contact us today to arrange an appointment with one of our HCPC registered podiatrists
