The 10 Best Skin Care Tips for Cracked Heels

When we neglect our feet long enough we end up with cracked heels. And cracked heels are not very easy to get rid of. Cracked heels are caused by a lack of moisture in our feet or from calluses that have developed from a lack of care. And when cracked heels reach it extremes, we can end up with bleeding, painful to stand on heels.

Cracked heels are mainly caused when less attention is paid to foot care along with overexposure to harsh surfaces. In medical terms cracked heels are referred to as heel fissures. Usually it is not a painful condition; however, if care is not taken and the cracks deepen then it may cause immense pain and infection.

Cracked heels are more common in people who are constantly moving on rough surfaces barefoot. Older people may suffer from cracked heels more often as the sebum production in the body is reduced with age. A cracked heel is a recurrent condition and needs little attention on daily basis.

Excellent Tips for Cracked Heels Care

Use some of these tips to take good care of your feet during this colder season.

1. Wash feet daily in lukewarm water, blot dry without rubbing and apply a urea-based cream.
2. Fill a tub with hot water. Add salt, soap and squeeze lemon juice in it. Now soak your feet in it for 15 minutes or so and let the hot water soften the hard dry skin.
3. Now scrub and file the softened dry skin as long as you can. Making sure you cover the whole cracked heel and any other dry area on your feet.
4. Physical activity: Continuous standing for long hours or working on rough hard surfaces leads to cracks in the feet.
5. Overweight: More pressure is exerted on the pad below the heels for those who are overweight. This pressure causes the pad to push sideways and if the skin is dry then this pressure causes cracks around the feet.
6. You should also try mixing some petroleum jelly along with some lemon juice and rub it on your feet. This combination is said to have very effective healing powers and make the skin around the region supple and soft again – thereby reducing the chances of any new cracks while also repairing the old ones.
7. If your heels are very dry, use a pumice stone to slough off dry skin, cover feet with petroleum jelly and put a pair of socks before going to bed.
8. Use hot-cold water technique. Dip your feet in hot water and then after five minutes dip it in cold water. Do this for 20 minutes. This method improves the blood circulation.
9. Take a small amount of pure glycerin in hand and massage your feet gently one by one. Keep massaging your feet, taking more glycerin when required. So that blood circulations speeds up and your skin absorbs as much glycerin as possible to relive cracked heels.
10. Overexposure to water: hard water reduces the natural oil production of the skin by making it more dry and rough. Prolonged exposure to hard water can cause dryness and heels to cracks.

I hope you will liked these useful tips. Yes, another very important principle that a number of home remedies for cracked feet is based upon is making sure that your feet are clean. Make it a point to clean your feet every time you come home from outside and before you go to bed.