Cracked heels are medically known as heel fissures which are characterized by the linear cut wound that mostly affects the epidermis of your heels. Sometimes it may get deep into dermis and become painful. The feet of human body do not have oil glands that are why their skin is dry as compared to the whole human body. Excessive pressure on feet pads makes the feet expand in side ways and the dry skin on the sides get cracked.
Causes of Cracked Heels:
The major causes of cracked heels are:
- Deficiency of zinc and omega 3 (fatty acid)
- Excessively hot showers or baths make the foot skin dry that leads to fissures.
- Cold weather
- Medical condition such as diabetes and thyroid disease
- Skin allergy and epidermal conditions that is medically defined as eczema, psoriasis and etc
- Long sun exposures
- Lack of moisturizing
- Aging can be major factor because the foot skin naturally gets dry and cracky as we age.
- Improper care of feet.
- Ill fitted shoes and bots.
Treatment of Cracked Heels with Home Remedies:
Here are the effective home remedies that can solve the problem of cracked heels
- Wash your feet with warm soapy water at night before going to bed. Do use hot water because it makes the skin dry.
- Rub your foot skin, especially the heels gently while washing. For the purpose of exfoliating, use a pumice stone. It will gently slough off dead skin. After washing properly and carefully dry the whole foot which will lessen the chance of a fungal growth that grows on wet and warm areas of foot.
- Moisturize your feet daily with the body lotion. If you still find your heel skin dry, you can apply Vaseline on it.
- Foot soak is very relaxing. It will lessen the pain in your heels. You can daily soak your feet in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. In this water add ½ cup of white vinegar, 2 tbsp of salt and little amount of shampoo. The acetic acid of vinegar will soften your dry cracked heels. While soaking you can easily exfoliate your skin than dry thoroughly and moisturize. Put on cotton socks.
- Mix 2 tbsp of olive oil with 1 tea spoon of white vinegar and few drops of fresh lemon juice. Massage it gently on your heals till it gets dry. Leave it for whole night. Wash your feet in the morning.
- Take a raped banana and mash it till it becomes a thick paste. Apply it on your cracked heels for 15 to 20 min. Rinse it off with warm water. You can apply it twice a week.
- Mix mustard oil with equal amount of paraffin wax. Apply it on your heels. Massage foe 15 min. Leave it overnight. Wash it off in the morning and apply moisturizer.