Okay so you’ve come back home after a day of being on your feet, and for once you decide to let them escape your shoes and give them a rub down.  Buy hey whats this?  My heels don’t look right.  The skin is yellow and thick has formed a callus on the heel and is starting to crack.  How did this happen.

Well for most people the causes of cracked heels, or heel fissures as they are sometimes referred as, can be one or a combination of things. If you spend a lot of time on your feet, if your are overweight, this constant pressure on your heel pads.  Or poor fitting shoes or open back shoes will not cup the heel and give it proper support, allowing it to expand sideways, and eventually crack.

For others cracked heels can be symptomatic of their skin type.  Some medical conditions such as diabetes or eczema, lead to naturally dry skin, and the heel are prone to drying out resulting in dry cracked heels.

So what is the best treatment for cracked heels?  Well first lets look at some simple remedies that you can do yourself.   There are a number of cream moisturizers for available which will soften the heel callus.  A pumice stone can be used to wear away the hardened skin, but never attempt to cut the skin off with a sharp razor or knife.  It better to do a little at a time and gentle ease away the problem.  And of course correctly fitted footwear will always help, with a firm heel cup to ensure support.

For most people these remedies will work, but in some cases you may have to see your doctor who will refer you to Podiatrist or possibly a Dermatologist.  If your heels are very painful when standing, your physician wil strap your foot to hold the cracks together while they heal.  And they can advice on prescription moisturizers and alternative foot supports.