Cracked heels, the most embarrassing foot problem.
This post is for you if you have it and don’t know well how to heal cracked heel fast.
Here you can know the effective way to treat cracked heels – from start to end. This will give you long term relief from heel cracks.
Heel crack is such a problem that needs special care. Only ointment, cream, and medication are not the complete solution to this problem. They can recover your cracks quickly. But, it may reappear again.
Read Also: Heel Cracks – Initial Signs and Causes
But, if you want a long-term solution, you must follow a complete list of tips to heal cracked heels fast.
Those are below. And you can do it easily at your home.
1. Understand the Severity of Cracks
Before taking any action, you should measure the condition of your cracks. If the cracks get infected and create blooding or release pus, you should go to the podiatrist or a nearby health center.
If the condition of the cracks is less severe or the cracks just appear over the skin, you can heal it by yourself.
2. Soak the Feet
The primary step of healing cracks is soaking feet in warm water. You can do this through a normal soaking method.
Take a bowl and fill two third with bearable warm water. You can put an antiseptic liquid in it for disinfection. Or you can mix apple cider vinegar (1cup/gallon) in it.
Buy apple cider vinegar from amazon.com
Keep your feet into the water for 15-20 minutes to soak. It hydrates the heel’s dry skin and makes it soft. And the disinfectant kills the germs from your feet.
2. Do an Exfoliation
Now your feet are ready for exfoliation. Start rubbing the affected area with a clean washcloth. It gently removes dead skin cells from your heels. Be careful, don’t let any stain or thread stuck into the cracks.
Some dermatologists suggest using sugar as a natural exfoliator. It effectively exfoliates dead cells and the thick skin of the heels.
Don’t try to exfoliate your entire skin on the first day. You should do this once a week for a few weeks to remove the dry dead skin completely.
Be gentle in this job. You can do the exfoliation a little harder after your cracks get healed. Then you can use a pumice stone to get a baby-like heels.
4. Apply Moisturizer
Exfoliation will bring out the inner skin of your heels. And the new skin has the affinity to lose moisture. You should block this. The moisturizer provides essential moisture to the skin. It also creates a barrier between your skin and the environment to prevent moisture loss.
Create a thin coat over your skin after bathing or scrubbing. Do this several times for the rest of the day. If possible, create a thick coat at night before going to bed. It gives your heels enough time to absorb necessary ingredients and protects them from the dry weather for the entire night.
Moisturizer not only restores the moisture level of your skin but also protects you from germs and dust. For the best result use the best moisturizer in the market.
[You can buy and use Waxelene Petroleum Jelly Alternative to lubricate and protect your cracked skin. It is natural, eco-friendly, and biodegradable]
5. Cover Your Feet
You can do it in two ways. The first one is wet dressing. It is an easy way to apply and provides great comfort to your feet. It is not an instant healing remedy and you should give it time (at least a couple of hours) to work. For this, you should apply at night before going to bed or at the weekend.
Take a couple of pairs of socks. Wet one pair and wring it enough to avoid unnecessary drops. Put it on before going to bed and cover it with the dry one. Now it works the entire night to moisten dry skin and gives comfort to your cracked feet.
Don’t do this if you have an infection in your cracks. It may worsen the situation.
For the second one, you need an antibiotic foot cream or ointment and a piece of a bandage. You should take a suggestion from the physician to know which ointment you should use.
Now clean your feet with lukewarm water and pat to dry. Apply ointment on your cracks. Make sure the ointment fills your cracks. Cover the cracks with a surgical cotton pad and wrap your feet with gauze. This will reduce the pain and infection, and protect cracked skin from dirt and impurities.
6. Choose the Right Moisturizer
It is much important to keep your skin moisturized, either it is cracked or not. It this stage, your skin starts to heal. To support the healing process and stop the future crack formation, you should maintain a long-term moisturizing routine. Moisturizer helps to keep your skin hydrated and soft. Thus, you can prevent the cracks to come again.
Read Also: Best Home Remedies for Cracked Heels
Which moisturizer brand do you use is not important. Put importance on regularity and long-term application. You should have to conscious about the ingredients of the moisturizer. Because, all moisturizers in the market claim that they are natural, healthy, and best.
The real truth is, only a few have the capability to work best to support your skin and cracks. You should choose the moisturizer that contains humectant and emollient. Humectant draws moisture into the skin, such as glycerin and lactic acid. And emollient protects your skin, such as lanolin and petroleum jelly.
7. Maintain a Long-term Moisturizing Routine
Always prevention is better than cure. You should do something so that your cracks won’t come back again. Previously, you use a moisturizer to cure your heel cracks. Now, prevent the future formation of the cracks with a long-term moisturizing routine. After choosing the right moisturizer, you should decide when and how to apply it.
Remember, you should apply moisturizer after every wash, soak, bath, or shower. All these wash away the natural oils that protect your skin. So, apply a light moisturizer after finishing each above-mentioned activity.
You need to apply a thick layer of moisturizer at night. It works better to stop crack formation in the future. And in the winter, you should not keep skin without moisturizer for a minute.
8. Change Footwear
Footwear plays an important role on the heel cracks. Shoes with open back and hard padding lead heel’s skin to cracks. If you have cracks on your feet, choose the soft cushioned and close backed shoes. It gives you both comfort and protection. It also alleviates heel pain.
9. Make a Change in Your Diet Plan
Choosing the right diet plan is very important for health. It gives you proper strength to fight health problems including heel cracks. Drink plenty of water. It is the main ingredient that keeps you hydrated and protects your skin from dryness.
Make sure you take proper vitamins and nutrients through your meal. Consume the foods and vegetables that contain lots of vitamin A, E, omega-3 fatty acid, etc. It keeps your skin nourished and healthy. The rich sources of these nutrients are carrot, pumpkin, kale, sardines, salmon, almond, olive oil, etc.
10. Talk to an Expert
With the help of previous tips, you can get relief from cracked heels. But, if you own a severe crack then, talk to your podiatrist ASAP. Your doctor or podiatrist knows better your health than me. He can give the best suggestions for your cracks. Many health conditions, such as diabetes and thyroid are liable for skin dryness that may lead your heels to crack. Obesity is also responsible for your heel cracks in various aspects. So, talk to your doctor, check your health condition, and follow his suggestions.
These are the 10 simple, but best step by step tips to heal cracked heels fast. Just follow them, you will walk better with your soft and crack-less heels next time.