4 Steps to Manage and Heal Cracked Dry Feet

 

Dry, cracked heels, something I struggle with year-round. They’re rough and uncomfortable, affecting the way I stand and walk.  During warmer weather, dry, cracked feet may also affect your choice of footwear. They make me self conscience in the summertime so I don't wear cute shoes

It isn’t much you can do to stop dry, cracked feet from occurring the first time (especially on the heel of the foot), there are some steps I took to quickly return my feet to picture-perfect smoothness. What’s more, you can easily stay ahead of the problem so dry heels don’t remain a consistent bother.  I have to have "HOT GIRL" feet.

Cracked Heels: How to Deal

The obvious treatment for cracked heels is to get weekly pedicures; however, who has the time and money this takes, not me. Not to worry:  I found some at-home remedies for dry, cracked heels that can make a beautiful difference.

Here’s what’s easy to do at home to make cracked heels look and feel amazingly better:

• Each night, after washing your feet (save time and do this quickly with a disposable cleansing cloth or antibacterial wipe), use a pedicure file—I like the rasp foot file
  —on your heels. Use firm yet gentle pressure and stop if you feel any discomfort.
   
• Next, apply a layer of a salicylic acid lotion to your heels and any other areas of your feet where dry skin is a problem.
   
• Follow with a generous application of Lavender Softing Balm.  Massage it over the entire foot; even better if you have someone to do this for you.
   
• If heels are severely cracked, apply a soft gauze pad and secure it with the first-aid tape, and then put on a pair of cotton socks before getting into bed. This keeps the products you applied in contact with the dry heels throughout the night, which means better results.

The next morning, your heels will start to look and feel remarkably better—but you may need to follow this routine for several nights if your heels are very dry. Be patient, we promise the results are worth the few extra minutes each night.

My dry, cracked heels are under control, and now I do the routine a couple nights per week, or as needed just to maintain soft attractive feet. But don’t forget to regularly tend to your heels with an emollient, daily moisturizer (AKA  Foot lotion), or the problem will steadily worsen all over again.

if the process above doesn’t seem to help despite several attempts? Ask your pharmacist about using a moisturizer that contains a high concentration (20%–40%) of urea. It’s not the most cosmetically elegant ingredient when used in high amounts, but it will provide further exfoliation plus deep hydration of thickened, dry skin.

Important note: Talk to your physician if your cracked heels don’t respond well to over-the-counter skincare products.

Learn more about body care.

References for this information:
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, February 2017 and August 2015, ePublication
Clinical, Cosmetic, and Investigative Dermatology, August 2015, pages 455–461
British Journal of Community Nursing, December 2011, pages 594–597
Skinmed, November-December 2004, pages 350–351
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, volume 3, Issue 3, 2002, pages 217–222