Dry & Rough Heel & Feet : How to Treat
Feet are hard workers. They support all your body weight and more! They’re stuffed in socks and shoes, and often they’re not washed and cared for as well as the other parts of your body. The result: The soles of your feet may develop red or flaky patches and begin to peel, itch, and crack. You may even experience bleeding or discharge. Cracked feet, also known as heel fissures, are a common problem for people of all ages. When the cracks in your feet are deep, they often split the skin wide open, making it prone to bleeding and infection, which can cause pain when you stand or walk. So it’s important to treat cracked feet before they get worse. Here, some easy tips for how to treat cracked feet.
Cracked feet are often caused by dry skin that makes them extra susceptible to irritation and cracking. Pressure on the foot makes the skin split. One way to avoid this is to moisturize the soles of your feet twice a day. Use a hypoallergenic moisturizing lotion and apply liberally to feet, paying extra attention to your heels and tendons.
Drink more water to combat dryness and dehydration, which can cause cracked feet or make them worse.
Get regular pedicures so that your feet are clean, healthy, and smooth.
Avoid open-heeled or high-heeled shoes, as these can make cracked feet drier and more painful. Wear breathable shoes with or without cotton socks.
Soak your feet in warm water with liberal amounts of baby oil. Pat dry and surround them in plastic wrap so that they stay moist.
Try an oil-based moisturizing cream. Look for ones with vitamin E, shea butter, and aloe.
Smooth wet feet regularly with a pumice stone. This reduces the thickness of hard, cracked, calloused skin. Be sure to scrub the pumice over the balls and heels of your feet.
Try using a pumice sheet attached to a handle on dry feet. This quickly flakes off thick skin so that cracks are smoothed out. Use twice a day for two weeks.
Never use a razor blade or Credo knife on cracked feet. It may hurt or cut too deeply, and it may cause infection.
Never use scissors, a cuticle cutter, or a toenail clipper on cracked feet. You will cause additional injury.
Don’t pick at the cracks in your feet. You will cause more cracks.
Try immersing feet in warm water and honey for 15 minutes. Honey works wonders for treating cracked feet.
Invest in an electric footbath to warm and massage feet, and fill with milk and water for an extra moisture boost.
Coat your feet nightly with special foot ointment, available at most drugstores.
Make your own foot lotion by combining baby lotion with spearmint and eucalyptus oil. Massage into feet and cover them in thin cotton socks.
Sleep in your lotion-rich socks and then rinse carefully in the morning (your feet may be slippery!).
Scrub your feet every morning with a homemade foot scrub made from 4 tablespoons of salt mixed with ½ cup of baby oil, almond oil, or coconut oil.
Puncture vitamin E capsules and spread the contents on your feet. Vitamin E has been shown to help heal dry, cracked skin.
Douse feet in petroleum jelly and cover them with clean, soft socks. Dab petroleum jelly on the cracks throughout the day.
If all else fails, consult your doctor. You may need a prescription treatment to combat bacteria and infection.
Cracked feet are a nuisance, but they can usually be treated easily and affordably. via:
