One of the few drawbacks of summer time – cracked heels!

Added September 4, 2010, Under: Men's Health, Skin Conditions, Women's Health

Have you managed to neglect your feet and especially your heels during these past few months of summer?   Such cracks can be really painful and even bleed.  Although this common foot problem is likely to happen in the summer months when open shoes or sandals are popular, they can carry on into the winter when dry and chapped skin is common.

The first sign that you might develop cracked heels is the appearance of dry, hard, thickened skin around the rim of the heel.   The skin starts to look yellow or dark brown and tiny cracks or fissures start to be visible.  If no cracked heel treatment is applied and more pressure is placed on the heel, these cracks become deeper so that walking and even standing are painful.  The cracks may become so deep that they start to bleed and may even become infected.  Cracked heels definitely seem to be more of a female problem while the guys suffer with Athlete’s foot.

So how can you avoid these cracked heels in the first place? Well the main reasons for them are:

- Long periods of standing on hard surfaces

- A change in walking posture

- High arched feet or flat feet

- Inactive sweat glands

- Misalignment of the metatarsal bones

- Shoes that do not fit correctly

- Wearing open back sandals or shoes

- Wearing heel spurs (you have to admit this cause is rather funny!)

- Surgery to the lower parts of the body

- Other skin disorders such as Athlete’s foot, psoriasis, eczema, thyroid disease and even – diabetes

- Ageing as thick dry scaly skin loses elasticity with age

- Unhygienic conditions or unhealthy dry skin due to climate or disease

- A vitamin, mineral or zinc deficiency

- Omega-3 fatty deficiency

- Being overweight or obese

- Extra dry feet or Xerosis

- Excessive feet activity especially if the skin is already dry

- Lack of attention to foot care and general neglect of the feet which will often lead to cracked skin

So if you have started down the road to cracked heels and feet and you are wondering what to do, here is how to look after your feet including the use of cracked heel treatment:

- Keep the feet clean and dirt free

- Soak them in warm water for about 20 minutes at night

- Apply lots of moisturizing cream and exfoliate the feet

- Petroleum jelly can also be used as a cracked heal cream to seal in the moisture after a foot bath and then slip into thick socks for bed

- Or another method is to use a regular application of a mixture of glycerine and rosewater

- A further method is to apply the pulp of a ripe banana on the dry cracked heels for 10 minutes before rinsing clean and repeat daily

- Use a pumice stone to reduce the thickness of the hard skin in the heal area but do not try to reduce the skin with a razor blade or scissors because of the risk of infection and even taking too much off

- Avoid wearing open-back shoes or thin soiled shoes

- Avoid walking barefoot if you are prone to dry cracked heels

- Exercise the feet regularly

- Pedicures and foot massages will keep heels hydrated and in perfect, crack-free condition

- Change to a diet rich in calcium, iron, zinc and omega-3 fats

- Use a healing natural oils product specially formulated for the treatment of cracked heels

I think you will agree that with a bit of special attention to the care of your feet and some minor lifestyle changes, any cracked heels will disappear and you will go into the coming months with lovely smooth heels to slip into your winter boots or footwear.   The discomfort and pain of dry cracked heels and feet will no longer be a problem.