Let’s talk about cracked heels

Cracked heels or heel fissures are basically not beautiful to see and this condition comes about  when the skin on the bottom of the heel becomes hard and dry. It is not life threatening except it gets infected when severely cracked and this can lead to an  infection called cellulitis.

Aside, when the skin around the  heels becomes dry and thick,  other factors that can cause cracked heels include extra pressure on the fat pad of the heels which can cause dry, thick skin to form cracks, or heel fissures.

While anyone can develop heel fissures, there are factors that make people more vulnerable; wearing open-heeled footwear e.g sandals, using harsh soaps, having cold and dry skin, taking hot baths or showers, dry and cold weather and standing for long periods amongst others.

Also, there are some medical conditions can lead to cracked heels, these include juvenile plantar dermatosis, a skin condition in young children, hypothyroidism where the thyroid doesn’t make enough of specific hormones,  athlete’s foot which is a fungal infection, heel spurs which is bone protrusions on the bottom of the heel and Sjögren’s syndrome, a chronic condition that prevents the body from making enough moisture.

But no matter the cause of  cracked heels, there are steps to take for treatment and prevention.

It has been established that most cases of cracked heels can be treated at home by soaking the feet, then moisturizing them at least twice a day. If you have cracked heels, use thick creams that have skin softeners in them.

 

Steps to repair cracked heels:

There is a simple and basic procedure which mainly involves routine care in simple steps; rest your feet in soapy water for 20 minutes, gently scrub with a loofah or pumice stone to remove the thick, hard skin on your heels, dry your feet thoroughly and apply a heavy moisturizer, such as petroleum jelly.

Put on a pair of thick socks to keep the moisturizer in place. and for effectiveness, look out for labels that have ingredients like salicylic acid, urea, lactic acid alpha-hydroxy acid or saccharide isomerate.

All of these ingredients help soften skin while removing dead skin but may cause some stinging or irritation. However, if heels are severely cracked and don’t improve after tge above  treatment for over a week, itbis time to talk to a doctor, preferably a podiatrist that specialises in feet, ankle, and lower leg conditions.

Possible treatment are strapping, that is the use of bandage or dressings around the heel to keep skin from moving around, debridement which is cutting the thick, hard skin of the heels, prescription drugs, skin glue designed to hold the edges of the heel fissures together to allow them heal and shoe inserts to  provide better support by redistributing the weight and preventing fat pad from expanding sideways and cracking the heels.

To prevent cracked heels, check your feet daily, wash it everyday, dry them well, making sure you get between your toes because the skin there tends to stay wet, trim your toenails, file  gently with an emery board to prevent ingrown toenails and protect your feet from temperature extremes.

 

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