Cracked heels
Causes and treatment of cracked heels
What are cracked heels?
Cracked heels are a common and extremely unpleasant problem that causes not only aesthetic inconvenience (inability to wear open shoes in summer), but also severe pain. Cracks appear gradually. At first, they look like notches - thin and barely noticeable. But over time, the cracks thicken, become deep, and can become inflamed, causing pain when walking.
Causes of cracked heels
Healthy skin on the heels should be supple, soft and thick, as it carries the bulk of the body weight while walking. But if the properties of the skin change, cracks may appear. This dermatitis (skin disorder) is often the result of tight or uncomfortable shoes and long walks. If a person spends all day on his feet, they swell, their blood supply is disrupted and, as a result, the condition of the skin of the heels suffers. A lack of vitamins or an excess of them can also negatively affect the appearance of the heels. Cracked heels can appear due to impaired metabolism.
Sometimes the causes of cracked heels are fungal diseases of the foot, diabetes, gastritis, or poor foot hygiene. However, excessively careful and active care is not beneficial either. For example, frequent exfoliation does not allow the skin to regenerate; it becomes thin and vulnerable, as a result of which cracks appear on it.
Cracked heels are dangerous primarily because they are very susceptible to the influence of harmful microorganisms, which can cause inflammation and entail many unpleasant consequences.
Treatment of cracked heels
Before you start treating cracked heels, you need to find out the cause. If the dermatitis was caused by a fungus or other microorganisms, the treatment must be specialized, in which case even the most thorough care of the heels will not give any noticeable results. Foot fungus is treated with special sprays, ointments and antibiotics. If the cracks were caused by improper care or wearing bad shoes, you should try to change the conditions that led to the disease.
In salons, the treatment of cracked heels consists in a thorough treatment of the skin. Excess layers are removed, and the edges of the cracks are processed in a special way using special tools. In addition, at home it is necessary to actively care for the heels, do contrasting baths. You should prepare two basins of cold and hot water, alternately lowering your legs there. You can keep your feet in cold water for no more than 15 seconds, and in hot water - no more than three minutes. The procedure itself takes about 10 minutes and has a positive effect on the skin, toning it up and stimulating blood circulation.
Soap and soda baths help soften and cleanse the skin: for two liters of hot water, you need to take a tablespoon of soda and half a teaspoon of mineral soap. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes. Submerge your feet in the bath and massage your heels a little, without much effort.
Also, for the treatment of cracked heels, ointments based on petroleum jelly or pure petroleum jelly are actively used. They moisturize and soften the skin. Antibiotic ointments help prevent infection of cracks and fight fungus, if any. It is also worth paying attention to the fortified propolis creams, which promote the fastest healing of cracks.
To prevent cracked heels, you should also do baths and moisturize your skin with warm olive oil, massage, use a fat cream and ointments with petroleum jelly.
But in case of inflammation of the cracks, their redness or decay, it is imperative to consult a doctor who will prescribe a special antibacterial treatment.
The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist
Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after NI Pirogov with a degree in General Medicine (2004). Residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, diploma in Endocrinology (2006).
