Tips to avoid Cracked Heels
Your feet are the most active part of your body, even more than your hands!. It is essential to take care of them.
Cracking and fissures in the skin of heels and the balls of the feet can be very painful, especially for heavier people as there is more pressure on their feet.
Cracks and fissures are more susceptible to bacteria, which can multiply rapidly and travel deeply because of the pressure exerted on feet.
Cracks and fissures are often hard to heal because wounds are surrounded by calloused skin.
Here are some tips to help you manage skin susceptible to cracks and fissures:
1. Do not expose your feet to extremes of hot and cold, this will encourage the skin to harden.
2. Wash your feet in lukewarm water, blot them dry - do not rub them.
3. Apply urea based cream at least daily.
4. At night, use a pumice stone to slough off dead skin, then cover your feet in petroleum jelly or urea based cream and put on cotton socks; wear these in bed for the night.
5. For some people the hot/cold water technique works Dip feet in hand hot water and then after 5 minutes cold water for 5 minutes. Repeat this for 20 minutes, it is designed to help increase the circulation in your feet.
6. Choose shoes carefully, make sure they are comfortable and fit well (see our shoe buying tips), buy the best quality shoes you can afford.
your feet are in safe hands.
In our lifetime our feet will walk an average of 70,000 miles. This is the equivalent to walking 4 times around the world!
In this time, we will experience the ‘breaking in’ of new shoes, blisters, corns, infections as well as generalised foot and ankle pain.
Contented Soles are trained to evaluate, diagnose and manage all conditions relating to the lower limb.
Podiatry, Orthotics and Complementary Therapies
We offer a range of treatments. Find out more on our treatments section. Also, please see our advice section for all sorts of tips and information.