How to Get Smooth Heels

Moisturize your ankles at least twice a day to keep dry skin at bay.

Daily life can take a toll on your feet. Standing on a hard surface for long periods of time or wearing open-backed shoes, for instance, can cause drying and cracking of your heels. The damage to your heels can be even greater if you are overweight. Severely cracked heels can be painful and are unattractive. To avoid having to deal with this, frequently treat your heels with moisturizers and remove any hard skin that may appear.

Things You'll Need

• Basin
• Epsom salt
• Pumice stone or foot file
• Foot lotion or oil-based moisturizer
• Socks

Instructions

1. Make a foot bath. Fill a basin with warm water and add 1/2 a cup of Epsom salt to it. Soak your feet in it for 20 minutes. Pat your feet dry with a towel. The Epsom salt acts as an anti-inflammatory, removing pains and aches, while the water softens the hard skin on your feet.

2. Wet a pumice stone with water and rub it over your heels to remove any dry skin build-up. Add light pressure as you scrub your heels with the stone. Keep rubbing until the hard skin is gone and the heel feels smooth. Use a foot file as an alternative.

3. Rub a foot lotion over your heels to add moisture and to soften them. As an alternative, use an oil-based moisturizing lotion.

4. Apply a generous amount of foot lotion on your heels before bedtime. Wear socks over your moisturized feet, and go to sleep with the socks on.

5. Remove the socks in the morning. Your heels will feel soft and smooth. If your heels are severely dry, it may take several treatments for them to fully soften.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid using scissors or a razor to remove dead skin from your heels. You may injure yourself by taking off too much skin and can trigger an infection.

• Use a pumice stone on your heels in the shower at least twice a week to keep dry skin at bay.

• Consult your doctor if your heels maintain dry and cracked. An underlying medical condition, such as an underactive thyroid or psoriasis may be to blame.

References

• ePodiatry: Cracked Heels
• Granny Med: Epsom Salt for Foot Pain
• Bella Sugar: Three Ways To Soften Rough Feet