Cracked Heels

The sunshine is here and so are the sandals!  The problem is, those heels you have been hiding in shoes and socks all winter are now going to be on display.

But the appearance of your heels is only the tip of the iceberg. Dry skin is at best uncomfortable and in more severe cases can lead to infections and even ulcerations. Dry skin is often termed 'anhidrosis' which covers a whole spectrum of disorders, including dry skin which is not limited to the feet, but can cover much of the body.

The key to alleviating dry skin is moisturising regularly. This is at least daily, but preferably twice a day, concentrating on the heel area, but not between the toes.

If your skin has reached the stage in the photograph with hard cracked skin, then help from a professional podiatrist is advised. Your podiatrist will be able to remove the hard skin from the surface and from either side of each crack or 'fissure'. This is an essential part of the healing process as this skin is essentially dead and, until fresh healthy tissue is reached the fissure will not repair.

If the heels are not attended to, the fissure is so hard and dry, it often cracks even further breaking the healthy skin underneath making it sore and often it bleeds. Once the skin is broken there is a pathway open to infection.

After your podiatrist has removed the callused skin, a daily routine of moisturising is essential. Any moisturiser you have at home is better than none at all and there are many foot creams on the market. 

We highly recommend 'Soothe your Skin' from Bodyessentials.

The ingredients in this product make your skin sing just by reading about them! It is an aromatherapy product  containing   sandalwood, lavender and chamomile. There are many health benefits from these essential oils and they are all bound in a base cream with essential fatty acids, vitamins A and E and minerals.

It is a lovely cream to use, easily absorbed and smells simply gorgeous.

What more could you ask for as the sun shines and you slip your newly refurbished feet into sandals? (Paraben and SLS free!)