How to Heal Dry Cracked Heels

Healthy heels are especially important when wearing sandals.

You can usually heal dry skin by using a moisturizer. However, dry heels are a little more difficult to fix because the skin on the heels may have calluses and may crack from the excessive dryness. Therefore, a moisturizer alone may not be enough to fix the problem. That's no reason to worry, however. You just need to spend a little more time on treating the difficult heel area.

Instructions

1. Soak your feet in a large bowl of warm water with two or three drops of moisturizing soap. Allow your feet to soak for at least 15 minutes. This will soften the heels and prepare them for the rest of the treatment.

2. Dry your feet. Scrub the heels with a moistened pumice stone. Make sure that you gently rub the pumice in a circular motion. The pumice will help to eliminate calluses and rough patches on your heels.

3. Apply a moisturizing cream to the foot area. You can use any type of oil-based body moisturizer.

4. Put petroleum jelly on the dry, cracked areas of the heels. The petroleum jelly will help seal in moisture from the cream that you applied previously.

5. Put a pair of socks on to allow the petroleum jelly to sink in. The socks add heat to the heels, for maximum penetration of the moisturizer.

Tips & Warnings

• You can buy heel balms at the drugstore that aid in exfoliating dry areas. Look for products containing alpha-hydroxy acids, urea or salicylic acid. Follow the directions on the label.

• Consult your doctor if your dry, cracked heels become painful or start bleeding.

References

• MedicineNet: Summer Foot Care
• EPodiatry: Cracked Heels
• WebMD: Winter Skin Hazards
• Derm Net NZ; Cracked Heels; Vanessa Ngan