Dry Cracked Heels
Cracked heels are a very common problem, and are usually simply a sign of severe dry skin. This usually happens to people who wear open footwear for most of the time. You will rarely see cracked heels on a person who wears closed footwear, although this is not impossible.
In most cases, cracked heels are a combination of calluses and dry skin. Calluses are areas of thickened, toughened skin and occur as a result of constant friction or pressure on the affected area. Excessively tight or ill fitting footwear is normally the reason why calluses develop on the feet. Calluses do not always cause trouble; they are in fact the body’s way of protecting itself. The normal, thin layer of skin is unable to withstand the constant friction or pressure, and therefore it thickens. However, sometimes, if the callus itself gets too thick, or if it cracks, it could cause problems.
When the skin of the feet suffers from constant friction as well as severe dryness, the most likely outcome is cracked heels. This is sometimes merely irritating and unpleasant to look at, but cracked heels can sometimes turn into a severe problem. If the fissures in the skin go too deep, they will result in bleeding and pain. It can sometimes be difficult to walk with cracked heels, and with broken skin. The risk of contracting an infection during this condition is always present. This is especially so in the case of the feet, which are almost constantly in contact with dust and dirt.
The first thing you need to do if you suffer from cracked heels is to examine your footwear and see if it needs to be changed. Secondly you will need to get rid of the dead, dry, callused skin, for this purpose you should start using a pumice stone regularly. Be gentle remember that the pumice stone is only supposed to scrape away dead skin, not healthy, living skin. This is why you should never use any kind of sharp object to cut away a callus you won’t know if you’re cutting too much skin till you’ve actually done it. After you have washed your feet and used a pumice stone on them, you need to moisturize your feet. A thick moisturizer like petroleum jelly is the most effective.
Finally, you will need to look out for any aggravating factors, and address them. Obesity, skin conditions such as psoriasis, health conditions such as diabetes and physical problems with the foot itself, such as heel spurs, can all contribute to cracked heels, and need to be treated individually.
