2 At-Home Remedies to Help Your Cracked Heels

At Foot & Ankle Center of Oklahoma, we treat patients for many different foot and ankle conditions, including heel pain, sports injuries, and diabetic foot issues. By proxy, it might not seem as though cracked heels are as important as some of these other medical problems, but this is simply not true.

Although it may sound like a fairly cosmetic issue, cracked (fissured) heels can be rather painful. Even more concerning, they can increase the risk of a potential infection. Fortunately, treatment options—including home remedies for cracked heels—can help the condition.

There are several different reasons heels become fissured. Age, weight, diabetes, and psoriasis or other skin-related conditions can all be at fault. No matter the root cause, the end result is skin that has become tight, dry, hardened, and cracked. Symptoms often include discomfort or pain and even discoloration of the dry skin.

The good news for heel fissures, even severe ones, is that you can often correct the issue effectively with home care. Try the following remedies on your dry heels:

• Topical creams – This is generally the best practice, one that can be easily performed at home. Pick up a cream that uses keratolytic and humectant agents, like petroleum jelly. (For other examples of products, simply give us a call and we will be glad to help.) Once you have your preferred cream, apply it two or three times daily until the condition improves.
• Oil massages – In addition to creams, oils are great natural moisturizers that will help. These include almond, grape-seed, olive, sesame, and coconut oils. Before going to bed, wash your feet and then massage any of those oils—either by itself or in combination with other oil(s)—into your heels. Put on a pair of socks (to help trap the moisture) and go to sleep. Continue this process until your fissured heels are healed.

When home remedies for cracked heels do not provide adequate pain relief, you may benefit from professional care at Foot & Ankle Center of Oklahoma. Contact us to schedule a visit. Feel free to give us a call at (405) 418-2676 and request additional information, or take advantage of our online form and request your appointment today.

Cracked heels are one source of heel pain, but there are others. You can learn more about the common conditions that affect your heels in our complimentary book Freedom for Your Feet: Heel Pain Relief, A Guide to Understanding its Causes and Treatments. Simply fill out the online form and we will send you a free copy with no further obligation.