Looking for ways to heal cracked heels? It is indeed a painful problem that can be very disturbing, but luckily there are some simple and effective home remedies that you can try. Home remedies for cracked heels are great and work by moisturizing and repairing your skin keeping them soft and smooth.
Cracked heels or heel fissure is a serious foot problem that affects almost 80% of people at some point in life. Two main reasons for cracked heels are dry skin and deficiency of zinc and omega-3 fatty acids in body. A person affected by cracked heel usually suffers from foot pain when standing for over a prolonged period of time. This is normally caused by pressure exerted on the cracked portion making it to expand sideways.
Home Remedies For Cracked Heels
The epidermis layer of the skin which is its surface level gets affected by fissures. Only when cracks are deep, the dermis layer is affected leading to blood loss. Other major reasons for cracked heels are being overweight, use of open backed shoes and skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
But do you know how to treat cracked heels easily and effectively especially at that time of the year when sliding into sandals and flip flops makes you smile? Well, that is until you have realized just how neglected your feet have been over the winter months.
It is true that cracked heels are not only a problem itself, it also affects your everyday lifestyle in many ways even though you may look perfect from head to toe but if your heels are cracked, you would not be able to wear high-heeled shoes, slippers or even the sandals due to the agonizing pain.
Shaping up those dry and cracked heels is easier than you think and does not necessarily require you to purchase expensive foot care products. Often times, simple and effective home remedies are great enough. Here we will review a couple of home remedies for cracked heels and some beauty tips to get your feet back into tip top shape!
Causes And Symptoms Of Cracked Heels
While home remedies for cracked heels can help repair and heal the skin problem fast, it doesn’t have to be costly at all. As there is no doubt everyone already knows that heels are the most important part of the feet, could you just imagine yourself walking with an injured heel!? How does it feel?
Cracked heels are basically a sign of lack of attention to foot care other than just over exposure or lack of moisturizing. The problem can also occur with the lack of zinc and deficiency of omega-3 fatty acid.
Cracked heels are not harmful in any way except when the fissures are deep and tend to become painful or the skin begins to bleed. This could lead to infection and is an avoidable situation mainly for those who are already suffering from diabetes or lower immune system due to aging or other illnesses.
There are also many diseases related to cracked heels. If you are not taking good care of your heel, it is normal that you may suffer from cracked heels. It is not uncommon to find many people suffering badly from cracked heels during winter time and those who are very careless about their feet would even suffer all year long. Nonetheless, below are some of the primary causes and symptoms of cracked heels:
Causes Of Cracked Heels
- People who have dry skin type are more likely to suffer from dry and cracked heels.
- If you’re overweight, your heels are under more pressure which can also result in cracked feet.
- Standing for longer periods of time during work.
- Using shoes that do not fit properly.
- Not keeping your feet clean can cause cracked heels.
- Not using moisturizers especially during winter can cause heel fissure.
Symptoms Of Cracked Heels
- Irritation of skin in the heels
- Feeling of pain during walking
- Growth of thick and hard skin
- Dry and peeling of skin
Home Remedies For Cracked Heels
Although cracks in the skin may arise in any part of the body, they are most common at the rim of the heels and web of the toes. So how do you take care of your cracked heels and heal them? Here’s how.
Drink Plenty Of Water
As dry skin is the single most common causes of cracked heels, keeping your skin well hydrated should be your main priority if you want it to heal faster. But how do you achieve that? It’s pretty simple. All you have to do is to make sure that you drink enough water each day. Indeed water is the single most important home remedies for cracked heels as it is not only helping to keep your body well hydrated but it is also the number one way to having a smooth, healthier, softer and supple skin.
Soaking Your Feet
You need to soak, soak, and soak both your feet. Yes, one of the biggest parts of home remedies for cracked heels is by soaking them daily. This process will help loosen up the loose cracked skin and will allow for dead skins to be easily removed.
First, you should wash your feet properly especially before going to bed. Then, soak both your feet after washing into a bowl filled with lukewarm water for about 5 to 15 minutes. Soaking is a very good way to treat cracked heels especially during winter time when the air is dry. You can put some soap into the soaking water as this can help loosen all the tight dead skin around your feet. In fact, this will also make it easier for you to remove the dead skin from your heels. While soaking your feet is great, a nice warm water bath with Epsom salt can work wonders too!
After you have soaked your feet into the water, pat dry them and using a foot scrubber to scrub away the dead skins. Besides, you can also use a pumice stone to scrape off all the dead cracked skin on your heels and feet. You could see dead cells falling off as soon as you start rubbing. Continue till the skin looks neat and soft. Don’t rinse after rubbing.
Nonetheless, removing dead cracked skin will make room for soft, new skin and will make you want to show them off again!
Apply Foot Creams
This is a simple step that you can do before you go to work in the morning and before bed time at night. Before leaving for work, you can apply the cream on your feet before wearing your socks. Wearing tight ones are excellent too as they can help the moisture-rich cream to act faster on its job!
Also, remember to always clean your foot thoroughly before applying the foot cream. If you have noticed, you will find that foot creams are generally a little thicker because they work better on the tougher skin of your feet.
However, before going to sleep, be sure to put on a nice thick layer of the cream along with your socks! Wearing cotton socks overnight give better results too as this helps the cream to absorb better as well as in maintaining the moisture within your feet. This ultimately allows your cracked heels to heal faster. So, have good rest and let the cream do its job overnight while you sleep!
Lemon Therapy
Lemon therapy is another one of the great home remedies for cracked heels. The acidic property of lemon juice helps clear cracked heels as it works by dissolving the dead and dry skin so that it can be removed easily as well as hastening the subsequent recovery of the skin. You can start by soaking your feet in a bowl of water with fresh lemon juice added for 10 to 15 minutes per each session. Then wash it off with lukewarm water.
Alternatively, you can also mix a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice with some Vaseline and apply the mixture over your cracked heels. Leave it to absorb before washing it off later.
This therapy should be done on a weekly basis until you see improvements. You will notice that your skin starts turning softer gradually.
Banana Paste
Banana is another good fruit that helps in the healing of cracked heels besides its many nutritional benefits. Take a ripe banana and mash it to make a paste. Then use this paste at the cracks so that the skin becomes softer at the edges. Keep it for 10 to 20 minutes before rinsing it off.
Vegetable Oils
Vegetable oils such as olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil and sesame oil are some of the good natural home remedies for cracked heels. All you need to do is apply any of these oils onto the cracks of your heels and massage them thoroughly until absorbed. It is advisable that you do this before sleeping each night for optimum results. However, if you do not have the time to do it every night, aim for at least twice a week instead. You will surely see positive results within a few days.
Massage
While massaging your heel with oil is great, massage your foot in a circular motion with foot scrub can also help peels off the dead cells. You can make your own homemade foot scrub by mixing four tablespoon of sugar or salt with some vegetable oil or even baby oil. Also read about dry skin on feet here.
Eating Healthily
Eat a healthy diet that includes zinc, vitamins and omega3 fatty acids. These are essential to fight against deficiencies.
Wear Comfortable Shoes
You should also wear comfortable shoes especially when the cracks give you too much pain or they become unbearable. Soft and comfy shoes are best for your feet. Also, never wear shoes if your feet are wet or while your shoes are wet. Doing so will only worsen the condition of your feet.
Remember the fact that cracked heels are often a result of a lack of moisture. That is why most of the home remedies for cracked heels emphasize on moisturizing the foot skin. In fact, the healing process works faster too when your skin gets enough moisture. Also read about home remedies for itchy skin here.
In addition, taking good care of your heel during fissure is important as cracked heels are always at a higher risk of getting a bacterial or fungal infection which can also cause foot odor. When it is affected by infection, it becomes tough to heal. People who suffer from chronic ailment like diabetes and low immune system due to aging should take extra care of their feet immediately since infections could turn into a permanent disease if you do not know how to treat cracked heels properly. Also never walk bare foot till the cracks get cleared completely.
So try on the remedies that help moisturize and heal your foot skin today but if you prefer to use over the counter products instead, products like skin repair cream, Vaseline petroleum jelly, lotion and moisturizing cream with cocoa butter, Eucerin and Flexitol heel balm are some of the best skin care products for your heel.
However, if your condition worsens or that you are suffering too much with cracked heels, do not hesitate to consult your physician for prescription and medication.
Now that you know how to make your own home remedies for cracked heels as well as the many over the counter products available today, so start now and get your feet back looking good for summer.
Also check out these remedies for sore feet too.
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