Preventing cracked heels

A crack in the heel starts as a thin line and can grow into a painful, sometimes bleeding tear. It is one of the complaints people put up with longest, while the approach is actually quite simple.

1. Why the heel in particular

The heel absorbs the first impact of every step and is pushed outwards in the process. Where the skin is thick and dry it cannot follow that movement and the callused rim tears open at the side.

Open footwear makes it worse: without a back, the heel pad can expand freely outwards, exactly the movement that causes the crack.

2. Breaking the cycle

Moisturising alone is usually not enough while the thick callused rim is still there: the cream does not reach far enough. Removing the rim without caring for the skin afterwards does not work either, because the skin dries out again.

The combination does work. First remove the hard edges and level the crack, then moisturise daily with a urea cream. That gives the skin the chance to close.

• Remove the hard rim, then moisturise
• Use a urea cream every evening
• Do not wear only open footwear
• Do not walk barefoot on hard floors at home

3. What you do at home

Moisturise every evening, after showering or after a short foot bath, when the skin has absorbed moisture. Take the time to really massage the cream in and put on a cotton sock afterwards.

Choose a cream with five to ten per cent urea. For very dry skin a higher percentage can help; discuss that during your treatment.

4. Shoes and floors

Do not walk barefoot on a hard floor all day at home. A slipper or a shoe with a cushioned sole makes more difference than you think.

In summer, do not wear only flip flops. Alternate with a shoe that encloses the heel, so the heel pad is not constantly pushed outwards.

5. When not to wait

A bleeding crack is an open wound. Keep it clean, cover it and have it treated. If you have diabetes or poor circulation, certainly do not wait.

At Pedicure Patty the crack edges are removed and the crack is levelled so it cannot tear further. You then get care advice suited to your skin.

In practice this subject belongs with corn treatment and ingrown nail. There you can read how Patty works, or you can request an appointment straight away.

Further reading: pedicure at home in Hoorn, how do you prevent callus?, how do you recognise a corn?.

Frequently asked questions