Cracked heels
Ganga ILLEPERUMA
Cracked heels are a common foot problem that are often referred to as
heel fissures. Cracked heels are caused by dry skin and made more
complicated if the skin around the rim of the heel is thick. For most
people this is a nuisance and a cosmetic problem but when the fissures
or cracks are deep, they are painful to stand on and the skin can bleed
- in severe cases this can become infected.
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Foot crack |
The skin is normally dry and may have a thick callus which appears as
a yellow or dark brown discolored area of skin, especially along the
inside border of the heel. Cracks in the skin are usually obvious.
If the cracks are bad enough there will be pain on weight bearing,
but it is not there when weight is off the heel. The edges or rim around
the heel will generally have a thicker area of skin. Wearing open or
thin soled shoes usually make the symptoms worse.
Some people tend to have a naturally dry skin that predisposes them
to the cracks. The thickened dry skin around the heel that is more
likely to crack is often due to mechanical factors that increase
pressures in that area.
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Self treatment
Applying an oil based moisturizing cream twice daily is really
important to get on top of this problem. A pumice stone can be used to
reduce the thickness of the hard skin. Never try to reduce the hard skin
yourself with a razor blade or a pair of scissors. There is a risk of an
infection developing and taking too much off |
