Why are my heels cracked?

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I am a 30-year-old Secretary. Even though I regularly moisturize my heels, they still remained so badly cracked that they often bleed. Kindly advise me on what to do.

Juliet (by SMS)

Also known as heel fissures, cracks in the heels occur when the skin on the bottom of the heel becomes hard and parched, and is sometimes associated with thick heel calluses. Often, softening the skin with moisturizers or petroleum jelly does the trick.

The most common other reason for dry, cracked heels may be due to fungal infection known as athlete’s foot. While it usually produces itchy, scaly skin on the soles of the feet and between the toes, athlete’s foot can also migrate to the heels, causing painful fissures. In most cases, over-the-counter products geared toward athlete’s foot successfully treat the problem within a week.

If that approach doesn’t work, see your doctor. Less commonly, cracked heels are a sign of a medical condition such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, Sjögren’s syndrome (which prevents the body from generating enough moisture), or bone spurs in the heels. For such cases, urgent specialist medical attentions are recommended.

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