Feet are your physical base. They keep you up and running. This is why maintaining good foot health is important.
Dry and cracked heels, also referred to as heel fissures, are a common foot problem in winter and it seems to affect women more often than men. Dry and flaky skin is the result of extreme climatic conditions, such as extreme cold, lack of moisturisation, overexposure to pollution and some medical conditions, such as vitamin deficiency, eczema, overweight, diabetes, thyroid and psoriasis and ageing. If you have chronic dry or cracked heels, consider whether you are at risk of these other health conditions and talk to your family doctor.
Cracked heels are one of the most common foot issues that can arise if you do not pay proper attention. Cracked heels are especially prevalent when you walk barefoot or feet are exposed through open-back shoes. In some cases, cracks in the heels can become very deep and cause extreme pain.
Dry/cracked feet are a sign of lack of attention towards your body and one of the worst nightmares for most women. The skin around your heels is prone to dryness. When the skin becomes too dry, it loses much of its elasticity. This can result in cracked heels.
The cold and dry weather causes loss of moisture and hampers proper blood circulation to the feet. The skin of the feet suffers as a result. The skin on the heels is harder and thicker than most other parts of the body. Loss of moisture causes the living cells to change into dead horny cells. Therefore, there is a build-up of dead cells. If the lack of moisture proceeds unchecked, cracks develop on the heels and may even extend beyond the dead cells causing pain. But don’t despair. There are natural ways to get baby-soft foot skin.
Give yourself weekly foot treatments at home to revitalise the skin. Soaking the feet in warm water helps to soften the skin and remove dead skin. For daily foot and heel care, apply pure almond oil on the feet daily before your bath and massage it into the skin. After your bath, apply a cream while the skin is still damp. This helps to seal in moisture. Massage the cream into the skin. The feet will remain soft and smooth.
Honey is a natural remedy for common foot problems. Honey contains antimicrobial and antibacterial properties which can heal and cleanse cracks.
Mix one cup of honey in five litres of lukewarm water and soak your feet for 10 minutes. You can use honey as a foot scrub after the soak or apply it as a foot mask overnight. You can repeat it twice a week.
You can opt for cheap home remedies available in your kitchen. Take lemon halves and some quantity of sugar. Dip the lemon halves into sugar and scrub on the heels daily and wash off with fresh water. Follow a daily treatment for cracked heels for one week.
At night, before retiring, soak the feet in hot water for about 20 minutes. Add some coarse salt and shampoo to the water, before soaking the feet. Hot water helps to soften the dead skin on the heels. With the help of a pumice stone or a heel scrubber, rub the heels gently, in order to remove the dead cells. Avoid metal scrubbers. After washing the feet, massage them with a cream, rubbing it into the skin. A cream containing lemon and turmeric would be ideal.
Bandage the heels with a clean cloth. Then wear cotton socks and go to sleep. This way, the cream will remain on the heels and not get onto the bedclothes. Keeping the heels smeared with cream all night will soften the skin and replenish moisture loss. Repeat this every night for a week.
Coconut oil contains anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties which can help the skin retain moisture. It is widely used for the treatment of dry skin, eczema and psoriasis. Not only does coconut oil help retain hydrating water on the skin’s surface, but it also removes dead skin cells. On top of that, coconut oil can help strengthen tissues underneath the epidermis.
Coconut oil can be used in place of your regular foot lotion to prevent cracked heels; consider using it daily. Apply the oil liberally on your feet before going to bed. You’ll have smoother heels in the morning. Moisturise your feet with coconut oil twice a day when you experience deep cracks.
Prevent cracked heels by soaking, scrubbing and performing the hot olive oil treatment on your feet twice a week. Apply olive oil with the help of a cotton ball and gently massage your feet in a circular motion till the oil is soaked in the skin. Cover the foot with a cotton cloth and wash it after some time with lukewarm water. Apply the oil before going to bed.
Rub olive oil on your heels as soon as you emerge from a shower or bath in the morning, and apply the oil again each night before bed. Wear socks to bed to keep the oil on your feet and off your bedding.
Sesame oil is very useful in treating cracked heels since it is considered to be very nourishing and moisturising. Sesame oil contains vitamins, nutrients and minerals along with its anti-fungal properties. Apply sesame oil on your heels and other parts of the feet and allow it to soak in the skin naturally. You may wash the feet with normal fresh water. Sesame oil softens and soothes dry and cracked feet efficiently.
Make sure that you wear closed back shoes and socks since open-back shoes can cause cracked heels and make them deep which causes severe pain sometimes. Also, be sure to match your footwear to the season. Select weather appropriate footwear to give appropriate protection to your feet and help prevent cracked heels. Use cotton socks and avoid synthetic material, woollen socks during winter that can irritate the skin and cause dryness.
Avoid soaps and shampoos which contain strong, harsh chemicals and use homemade skin cleansers with organic ingredients. Make sure to keep cracked heels protected by covering them with a thick layer of cotton cloth to create a protective barrier on the surface of the skin to moisturise dry skin. Consider eating a diet rich in Vitamin E, calcium, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids to maintain optimal skin health.
