Caring for your feet often means giving a lot of attention to your toes and toenails—but what about the back end of your foot? After a winter season of cold weather and cramping your feet into heavy closed-toe shoes, those heels of yours might need a little bit of TLC. A little bit of healing for your heels, you might say. Your heels, like your toes and the balls of your feet, are susceptible to developing calluses, those thick, hardened parts of the skin that form in places where your foot experiences a lot of friction. Although calluses aren’t unhealthy or dangerous, you might be self-conscious about the way they look. Another problem you might have with your heels are thick cracks, or fissures, running through your hardened skin. Cracked heels pose slightly more risk than simple calluses, as the Mayo Clinic points out they can get infected or lead to other health problems if you leave them untreated for a long time.
There’s still time to spruce up those feet before sandal season is fully here. These are some steps you can take that experts say will help heal those heels of yours:
Consider soaking your feet based on which issue is worse. Soaking your feet in warm water can soften your calluses and make them easy to remove, but the extended water exposure can dry cracked skin out and make it worse. If you decide to soak your feet but are worried about your cracks, be sure to moisturize within a few minutes of removing your feet from the water.
Rub your callus with a pumice stone in a circular motion to remove the dead skin, but don’t overdo it. Rubbing too hard or for too long can end up causing bleeding.
When it’s time to moisturize your feet, the American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends using lotion or cream containing salicylic acid, ammonium lactate, or urea, which are formulated to soften calluses. Urea and salicylic acid are also good choices for cracked skin, according to the Mayo Clinic, as these will lock in moisture and soften your skin. Be prepared for some slight stinging or irritation at first.
Once your feet are moisturized, you can put on petroleum jelly to add a protective layer.
Use padding and bandages to protect your feet throughout the day. A liquid bandage spread over cracks can not only prevent infection but also speed up the healing process. Two small pieces of moleskin placed over a callus can reduce friction that could exacerbate it.
Finally, remember to wear the right shoes. Poorly fitting shoes can be a common cause of the friction that causes these calluses to develop. And although you might be eager to enjoy sandals as early in the season as possible, the Mayo Clinic recommends waiting until your cracked skin has completely healed before doing so, as too much exposure to the elements could irritate the skin further.
