Our feet deserve more attention and good care. Sore and tired feet can affect how you feel. Research shows that one in three women suffer from very dry heels, which can lead to cracked heels.
Dry skin has lost its natural capacity to retain moisture. The skin is therefore less elastic or even stiff and no longer moves with the movements of your foot.
As a result, the skin is no longer able to absorb your weight while standing or walking. The pressure that arises can cause the skin to crack. Dry heels can be recognized by a hard, dry skin around the edge of the heel. The heels may appear discolored with white fissures or vertical cracks.
Causes
Cracked heels are common in both men and women. It is more common in women, because they often walk with open shoes in the summer. The skin then loses moisture faster and dries out sooner.
People with a standing profession or overweight are also more likely to suffer from cracked heels. There is then more pressure on the heels, because they bear a large part of the body weight. Also diabetes and age may play a role.
foot care
Cracked heels can sometimes become serious and painful and even bleed, become infected or inflamed. In that case it is best to consult a doctor. Less serious forms of cracked heels can be solved yourself with good foot care or you can visit a chiropodist.
Filing dry heels is an effective way to remove this dry rough skin. There are special files for the heel, which you can use to gently sand the edges of fissures smooth. However, filing too much can also cause fissures to pop open.
Dry skin is best taken care of by moisturizing it well with a moisturizing cream. There is also special fissure cream for calloused skin around the heels. These creams promise visible results after three days and restored skin after seven days.
By continuing to take good care of the skin of the feet, further problems can be prevented.
