Advice to Deal with Cracked Heels on the Feet

Cracks in the skin at the back of the heel are ugly and can be painful. These are reasonably common, particularly in those people who are predisposed to them. These cracks in the skin around the heel occur when the skin is thicker and dry. As the fat bad beneath the heel bulges out sideways when walking puts pressure on the skin that it can not take, so the skin just tears or splits. The wearing of open back shoes also plays a role in the problem. Various medical problems may also contribute to the dryness of the skin and a numerous biomechanical issues contribute to the thickening of the skin.

When a crack happens, it will need to be taken care of as it can act as a entrance to have an infection to get in. First of all, an antiseptic needs to be used to avoid that if the split is open. It is next necessary to take off the thick callus about the edges of the heel. This can be carried out by a experienced podiatrist for those who have access to one. If not, you'll need to use something such as a foot file, pumice stone or emery board and get to work on reducing it. This can take a great deal of work. Once that thickened skin is removed, then it is essential to use creams and emollients to make the skin soft and adaptable so it doesn't have the propensity to crack. Urea based ointments are usually much better for that. When this original condition is taken care of, then preventative approaches have to be put in place to continue with or else the cracked heels probably will happen again. Regular use of a foot file or similar is advised to keep the thick skin down and regular use of a urea based ointment is important to help make the skin resistant to cracking and prevent the dryness. Keeping away from open back shoes is also recommended.