subject: Yes, There Are Things You Can Do About Cracked Heels [print this page] Are Cracked Heels Getting You Down? Are Cracked Heels Getting You Down?
Cracked heels can be a real PAIN! Your feet and heels are all dry and red, and it hurts to stand or walk on your feet. Believe me, I know all about cracked heels! I've had cracked heels and the pain was intense, until I did a little research on cracked heels and found some treatments that REALLY worked. Don't despair, there are treatments that work on those painful cracked heels, and I'm going to let you in on the secret.
Why do I have cracked heels anyway?
You may be asking yourself how did I get these cracked heels in the first place? Cracked heels are a result of extremely dry skin on your feet and heels. When your feet get really dry, they form a thick callus around the edge of your heel. This callus on your heel contributes to the problem because that's where small cracks start forming. When your foot has too much pressure from standing and it's not supple because of the dry skin, your foot pad has nowhere to expand, so it cracks. It's like pressing down on a tomato with your hand. After so much pressure it will crack! Other factors that contribute to cracked heels is being diabetic, overweight, or predisposed to a skin condition, such as psoriasis or excema.
Ok, what can I do about my cracked heels?
When I had my cracked heels, all I wanted was something to relieve the pain. Just putting lotion on my feet and heels didn't seem to help. Here are a few treatments that I found to be incredibly helpful. My cracked heels are a thing of the past!
- Wear closed-in shoes (not sandals or flip-flops) until your cracked heels are better. This keeps your feet from drying out.
- Put moisturizing lotion or cream on your feet and cracked heels twice a day.
- Use a pumice stone in the bath or shower EVERY TIME! This is VERY important! You must remove the thick callus on your cracked heels or the fissures (cracks) won't heal.
- Try to avoid prolonged standing on your feet.
- Wear socks to bed at night to keep your feet moist.
Don't let those horrible-looking cracked heels get the best of you!
If you act now by pampering your cracked heels with the treatments listed above, you'lll feel relief soon! Believe it or not, cracked heels are a common foot problem that many people deal with. But that doesn't make cracked heels any less painful!
If nothing works on your cracked heels, go see a foot doctor ASAP!
If these treatments don't make a difference on your cracked heels, you may need to get more aggressive treatment from a foot dr. A doctor can diagnose and treat your specific case of cracked heels. They can also give advice about your feet.
Pamper those cracked heels and you'll be walking pain-free in no time!
