It hurts! Do your heels always crack? The truth may not be that your skin is dehydrated. Be careful of these diseases.

When autumn and winter arrive, the skin on many people's feet becomes dry, and cracks appear on the heels.

Cracked heels not only affect the appearance, but the most unbearable thing is that if they are not treated in time, they may cause infection. In severe cases, you will feel pain at the crack every time you take a step. Some netizens joked, "It's really like walking with tears" and "Every step is startling"...

Cracked heels (Source reference)

So, what causes cracked heels? How to prevent and relieve them? Next, we will share with you many effective methods to help you solve the problem of cracked heels at home.

Cracked heels are not only caused by dryness

These diseases may also be hidden dangers

Cracked heels, as the name implies, are dry, fissured or cracked skin on the heels. These cracks can be mild or severe and are sometimes accompanied by hyperkeratosis, which is thickening of the skin with a callous-like texture. When these cracks penetrate deep into the dermis, they can cause pain.

Under normal circumstances, our skin is soft and maintains proper moisture and elasticity, including the skin on the soles of the feet, which can cope with the friction, compression and shear stress imposed on it during weight bearing. However, when the skin lacks moisture and is subjected to frequent and high-intensity friction and pressure, it is easy to become dry, rough and cracked.

To expand on this, here are some common causes of cracked heels:

· Dry skin or xeroderma: The skin lacks moisture or natural oils, causing it to dry out and crack.

Cold, dry weather: Low temperatures and low humidity in fall and winter often exacerbate dryness on the skin of the feet.

· Standing or walking for long periods of time: Standing or walking for long periods of time may increase the pressure on the soles of the feet and cause the skin on the heels to crack.

Wearing open-heel shoes: Shoes with open heels, such as sandals, cannot effectively support the feet and can easily lead to dry and cracked heels.

· Being overweight or obese: This can cause excessive pressure on the heels.

In addition to the common reasons mentioned above, we should be aware that some diseases can also cause dry and cracked heels, such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, etc. Literature shows that the proportion of diabetic patients with dry and cracked heels can reach 31%.

It should also be noted that tinea pedis (commonly known as athlete's foot) caused by fungal infection may occasionally cause dry and cracked heels, but at the same time, there are usually changes such as itching, abnormal redness, blisters, and rotten toes. It is rarely just dry and cracked heels. If tinea pedis is suspected, antifungal treatment should be carried out, and it is not appropriate to treat it as ordinary dry and cracked heels.

There are some symptoms of cracked heels

The symptoms of cracked heels vary from person to person, and can range from mild to severe.
Generally, it will be mild at the beginning, and the skin on the edge of the heel will become dry and rough , and feel thickened. When the thickening is obvious, the color will change from skin color to yellow or brown, similar to the appearance of calluses.

Some people will have further aggravation in the later stages, with linear cracks and fissures appearing , and the cracks may even gradually deepen. At this time, the patient may feel pain and discomfort, especially when walking or standing.

In more serious cases, the cracks may bleed, form blood scabs , or even become infected.
In extreme cases, if the crack is not treated for a long time and local hygiene is not paid attention to, it may cause more serious infections such as cellulitis. In diabetic patients with poor blood sugar control, heel cracks may cause diabetic foot ulcers, which are difficult to heal.

Severe cracked heels (from references)

4 ways to relieve cracked heels at home

There are three main countermeasures for heel pain:

1. Try to avoid the causes and factors that may aggravate the disease, which will also help reduce future recurrences.

Second: Pay attention to protecting local skin and reducing mechanical damage to prevent the condition from getting worse.

3. Strengthen local moisturizing and repair of the skin, and actively improve the local microenvironment of the skin.

Based on this, we have sorted out 4 measures to deal with cracked heels:

· Moderate foot soaking: You can soak your feet in warm water for about 10 minutes every day (no more than 20 minutes) to help soften abnormally thickened cuticles.

· Proper removal of hard and dead skin: Depending on the condition of thickened keratin, use tools such as pumice stone to gently remove the hard and dead skin on the heels from time to time.

· Functional products: Apply products with medicinal effects, such as those containing urea, alpha-hydroxy acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, etc. These products often help replenish skin moisture or reduce water loss and soften hard skin.

· Post-moisturizing care: Before going to bed, you can apply ointment such as Vaseline or moisturizing cream to further increase the moisturizing and moisture-sealing effects.

The above solutions are only some of the relatively mainstream treatment options, not all, so they are for reference only. In addition, if the effect of self-treatment at home is not obvious, or there are serious cracks or suspected infections, it is recommended to seek professional help in time. The doctor may take other additional treatment measures, such as:

Bandaging: Bandaging to prevent skin movement.

Prescription medications: Your doctor may prescribe other prescription medications (topical medications) that are stronger than commercial products and contain higher concentrations of active ingredients, such as high-concentration salicylic acid preparations.

Skin glue: If necessary, your doctor may use a glue specifically for skin application (usually cyanoacrylate) to hold the two sides of the tear in place and help it heal.

Pay attention to 4 points to effectively prevent heel cracking

We all know that prevention is better than cure. If we don’t take good daily precautions, cracked heels may return in the autumn and winter of next year.

Therefore, in order to keep your feet healthy, you can learn some measures to prevent cracked heels in advance, mainly including:

1. Focus on local moisturizing: Strengthen local moisturizing, especially in cold and dry seasons. Generally, ointments, creams and lotions are all fine, among which ointments and creams are more moisturizing.

2. Wear suitable shoes: Avoid wearing shoes that expose the heels. It is recommended to choose shoes that are suitable, comfortable and can support the soles of the feet.

3. Choose the right insoles: Some insoles can help alleviate the problem by redistributing pressure on the heel. Try to avoid using insoles that are of poor quality, too hard or have no support.

4. Avoid standing or walking for long periods of time: If circumstances permit, you can reduce long periods of standing or walking, mainly to reduce the burden on your feet (including your heels).

The above are some ways to deal with the problem of cracked heels. I wish everyone in front of the screen that every step in the future will be easy and free, and stay away from the trouble of cracked heels.

References

[1] Nipanikar SU, Mundhe NB, Gajare KV, et al. Evaluation of efficacy and safety of Amarantha footcare cream in subjects suffering from cracked heels (xerosis of the feet): A randomized, open labeled, multi-centric, comparative, interventional, prospective, clinical study[J]. Journal of Indian System of Medicine, 2023, 11(1): 14-20.

[2] Wadekar PH, Potnis V. A Review on Heel Fissures and its Management. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management. 2021, 4(2): 96-98.

[3] Weerasekera KR, Kanthi DGS, Kanthilatha HG. Indigenous medicine intervention in management of padadari (Cracked Heel): A case study. International Journal of AYUSH Case Reports. 2023, 7(3): 257-261.

[4] Mayoclinic. How to heal cracked heels. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-skin/expert-answers/cracked-heels-treatment/faq-20455140

[5] WebMD. What to know about cracked heels. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/what-to-know-cracked-heels

[6] AAD. How to care for dry, cracked heels. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/dry-heels

[7] DermNet. Cracked heel. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/cracked-heel

Planning and production

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, attending physician of dermatology department

Review | Feng Jun, Deputy Chief Physician, Dermatology Department, General Hospital of Datong Coal Mine Group Co., Ltd.

Planning丨Zhong Yanping

Editor: Zhong Yanping

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin