Men and women can develop deep cracks on their heels because of dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, excess weight, diabetes, standing all day or wearing open-heeled shoes. Factors such as carrying excess weight or standing all day long at work can cause the fat pads under the heels to expand out sideways. When this happens, if the skin covering the heels isn't supple or if a callus already exists, the skin is more likely to crack. Besides being unsightly, if the cracks are severe enough, they can cause pain when standing.
Step 1
Use a pumice stone or black emery board to begin removing excess dry skin from your heels. Rub gently but vigorously enough that you see a dust coming off your heels as you rub. Stop when you begin to feel soreness as you rub your heel calluses.
Step 2
Immerse your feet in warm, soapy water so you can clean excess callus dust off your feet and so you can remove any dirt that may be in the cracks on your heels. Let your feet soak until the water cools down. Then pat, don't rub, your feet dry.
Step 3
Rub the cream into your heels, making sure to massage some into the cracks of your heels. Press the cream in so that it penetrates the cracks completely; then put the socks on. If you treat your feet at night, leave your socks on all night.
Step 4
Wash your feet gently in the morning to remove any excess cream. Gently dry them, and get ready for your day as you normally do.
Tips and Warnings
- You can add hydrogen peroxide or vinegar to the soaking water to kill any germs or fungus that may be inside the cracks of your heels. You should stop wearing flip flops or open-heeled shoes since they provide no support for the fat pad under your heels, according to ePodiatry.com. As you stand, the fat pad is pressed to the sides and back of your heel, and this causes the skin to crack, especially if you already have a callus.
- Don't try to use a razor to remove any part of the callus--you could cut too far down and encourage an infection in your foot.
Things You'll Need
- Pumice stone or black emery board
- Gentle soap
- Warm water
- Basin
- Thick, oil-based cream
- White cotton socks
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