Get You Feet Summer Ready: How To Eliminate Dry – Cracked Heels?

With the warmer weather finally here, it’s time to make sure that you are looking after your feet, to avoid them being dry and cracked. Especially your heels! While you often put your dry feet down to exposure to warm weather, there may be other contributing factors that are associated with your dry cracked heels.

The most common cause of cracked and dry feet typically occurs due to a lack of moisturise. Your heels have a decreased amount of sweat glands compared to the rest of your feet. This tends to lead to the skin becoming rough and dry. The fatty pads that present around your heels help to support the skin from becoming soft. So when there is a decrease in fatty padding, you may notice that your skin becomes drier. When your skin becomes extremely dry, this can result in cracks occurring, also known as fissures, as a result of reduced elasticity of the skin.

Typically, these symptoms can be exacerbated by:

1. Deficiencies in vitamins, minerals and zinc

2. Pressure going through your foot due to standing for extended periods of time while working, exercising or simply being at home

3. Aging skin reduces elasticity; resulting in a higher incidence of cracking occurring

4. Obesity leads to increased pressure on the fat pads, which results to in skin losing its flexibility

5. Exposing footwear such as open back sandals and shoes that will cause the fatty padding to expand sideways under the heel; increasing the chances of fissures occurring

6. Hygiene

7. When standing in water for prolonged periods of time this can lead to natural oils being removed from the skin; leading the skin to become drier

8. Poorly fitting footwear that can impact on your gait leading to a change in your walking posture

9. Genetics; in which other family members may also suffer from naturally dry skin and calluses around the heels

Once you have established the cause of your cracked heels, an appropriate treatment plan can be put into place. It is important to make sure that you are applying moisturiser to your feet daily. Typically, it has been found that apply emollient at night always better absorption into the skin. While applying emollient to your feet is often a crucial component of preventing dry and cracked heels, it is important to make sure on warm and windy days to avoid wearing shoes that expose the back of your heels. This will prevent them from drying out too quickly.

Regular podiatry visits to reduce calluses occurring and provide hydrating skin treatments, are beneficial to ensure that your feet are summer ready for the rest of the season.

If you have been experiencing dry, cracked heel come and visits us at Medical Pedicure for an assessment with our friendly Podiatrist’s who can provide an appropriate treatment plan for your heels needs. You can make an appointment by calling 8645 9888 or book online here.

Image Reference:
Good House Keeping UK