Dry and cracked heels can be a frustrating and uncomfortable problem for many people. Not only can they cause pain and discomfort, but they can also be unsightly and embarrassing.
Fortunately, there are several tips and tricks that you can try to help soothe and heal your dry and cracked heels. In this article, we will explore five effective tips that you can use to improve the health and appearance of your feet.
Have you ever experienced dry or cracked heels?
Have they reached the point where they’ve started to crack and even bleed?
Have you tried moisturising, but can’t work out why they don’t completely heal, or keep coming back?
Here are our 5 go to tips and tricks!
1. See your Podiatrist for a tidy up
First things first, if you already have thick, heavily calloused (a build up of dry skin), with or without cracks, you may want to see your Podiatrist to have them debrided (shaved) back to the level of good skin.
If the callous is very thick, it may take 2 – 3 regular appointments every 4 – 6 weeks to get the callous back under control. Once you’ve had callous in the area, the skin is likely to have lost some elasticity and created a cycle of building up into callous.
Some people who are particularly prone to callous, may need ongoing maintenance from their Podiatrist.
2. Self-maintenance
Its not just up to your Podiatrist, a lot of the management is up to you!
In between Podiatry appointments, it is recommended that you moisturise your heels every day. Even when the callous is back under control, and you have lovely smooth heels again, don’t give up on moisturising – this is a common mistake.
It’s all about self-maintenance. Once you stop moisturising, the dry skin and callous will start to build again and you may not notice until its really bad again.
3. Routine
Routine is key
You wouldn’t forget to brush your teeth every day would you? Moisturising your feet needs to take the same priority. Making it part of your morning or evening routines can help it to become a habit and less of a chore to think about.
4. Frequency
Frequency is another important factor, which is why a daily routine works
If you are only moisturising your feet a couple times a week, it is like taking one step forward and two steps backwards. There is too much time in between applications for the skin to dry out, especially with showers washing off your efforts. Compare it to your hands being washed several times a day and if you wash them too much, they dry out too!
5. Exfoliation
Showers aren’t all bad for the callous though (and are definitely still needed to keep your feet clean). Gentle daily exfoliation of the heels in the shower can also help. Either with a loofah or exfoliating glove, this will take off a superficial layer of skin each day and help keep them smooth. As an added bonus, this can also help you use less body wash by having a vehicle for the body wash to bubble up on and spread more easily – rather than just your hand and half of it runs down the drain.
Care for your Feet!
Dry and cracked heels can be a common issue for many people, but it’s important to take steps to care for your feet and prevent this problem from worsening.
By following the five tips we’ve discussed in this article, you can help to soothe and heal your dry and cracked heels, as well as prevent them from recurring in the future.
Remember, taking care of your feet is an essential part of your overall health and well-being, so don’t neglect this important aspect of self-care.
