A survey showed that even 20 percent of people have problems with the most common foot problem, the cracked skin on the heels and that it more often affects women. Even though it mostly causes no bigger problem than discomfort, it can also result in more serious and painful consequences. In case of soreness, swelling, infection, redness or severe pain it is recommended to get a doctor's consult. We are more likely to develop cracky skin if we spend a lot of time standing or wear the wrong, uncomfortable shoes.
"If you have too much friction or sliding on skin that is thick, eventually the layers will split. The problem gets worse as we get older because there's loss of the fat pad on the bottom of the foot, and the body replaces it with callouses.", explains Jacqueline Sutera, a New York City podiatrist.
In this article, we offer you a few bits of advice on how to take care of painful, dry or cracked heels using home remedies.
Emollients
Another way to help your skin to maintain the water is to apply an emollient on it. They will make the skin feel smooth and soft by filling the gaps between the skin flakes. They attract the water from the air and retain the moisture.
Moisturizers
Creams, lotions, ointments and similar products will aid your skin with retaining the moisture, which will prevent it from drying and eventually cracking. If your heel is already dried with cracked skin, moisturizing on a daily basis will help. After applying the emollient, it would be a good idea to also apply a thick layer of occlusive moisturizer over. Some occlusive moisturizers are petroleum jelly, lanolin, mineral oil, and silicones and they are considered to be very helpful with preventing water loss.
We also recommend these two products to help you obtain beautiful, healthy feet.
Scholl Velvet Smooth Pedi Electric Hard Skin Remover
Gentle on your feet and easy to use, Velvet Smooth Express Pedi can give you soft, silky feet in no time at all. The Velvet Smooth Express Pedi is an electronic foot file designed to remove the hard skin for beautifully smooth skin after just 1 use. The Velvet Smooth Express Pedi buffs away hard skin in minutes leaving you with fabulous feet that you'll want to show off. It has an ergonomically shaped head for comfortable use.
Physiogel AI Foot Cream for sensitive, allergic skin
Physiogel AI Foot Cream works naturally on your skin and restores its protective layer. Advanced formula BioMimic has a soothing lipid complex to reduce skin drying and discomfort. The cream also contains urea, which helps to soften and smooth the skin. Other than softening and smooth the dry skin, this product will repair dry, cracked skin and reduce calluses, which will result in reducing the discomfort caused by the cracked skin.
Since the skin on your feet is 20 times thicker than on the rest of your body, it sure needs a special treatment to stay healthy and soft, so keep these tips in mind!
Nessie L.B.