Cracked Heels Treatment
Cracked heels, medically known as heel fissures, are mostly attributed to overexposure of the feet which in turn leads to the lack of moisture. However, what it most signifies is a lack of a detailed foot care regimen. It starts off as a scaly patch on the heels worsening into peeling and cracking of the skin on the heels. In some cases, cracked heels also bleed and can result in pain while walking. There are a number of herbal remedies that one can use to ease the pain and eliminate cracking.
Hydrogenated vegetable oil is the most commonly practiced herbal remedy for heel fissures. First, thoroughly clean your feet of any grime. Pat it dry and apply the hydrogenated vegetable oil in a thick coat all over the cracks. You can add a few drops of Margosa oil as this will prevent the broken skin from getting infected. Put on a pair of thick cotton socks as this will trap your body heat and raise the temperature of your feet significantly. Keep your feet elevated to increase blood flow and after about 30 minutes you can wash your feet with lukewarm water. Slice and squeeze a lemon. Soak the lemon rind in the lemon juice and gently scrub your feet with it. You may have to do this a couple of times. Lemon juice is a mild acid and will help to remove the excess Hydrogenated vegetable oil without leaving the skin dry.
The pulp of ripe bananas is another common remedy. Mash a banana and evenly spread the pulp all over the cracks. Leave this on for ten minutes and then wash it off with lukewarm water. Alternately, you could also mix petroleum jelly with the juice of one lemon. Spread this mixture all over the cracks and wait till it is completely absorbed. Another excellent remedy is a gentle massage using coconut oil. Coconut oil being a natural moisturizer greatly aids in treating cracked heels.
It is also important to exfoliate the soles of your feet so that you can get rid of all the excess hardened skin. Soak your feet and then use a pumice stone to gently scrub away the thickened skin. Do not use too much pressure and do not try to get rid of all the excess skin on the first day itself as you could aggravate the open wounds. Use roughly ground rice as an extra-gentle exfoliant. Unlike the pumice stone, the rice will not take off visible layers of dead skin, but it definitely will smoothen out your skin.
