When the delicate skin on the sole of your feet and heels becomes too dry, it can split apart and create painful cracks on your heels known as fissures. These fissures may not only make walking unpleasant, but they may also lead to dangerous infections.
Causes
In most cases, the causes of cracked heels is due to a lack of moisture. These fissures can become inflamed and even bleed. Dry feet can develop for a variety of causes, including:
- Extremely cold weather.
- Dehydration, or a lack of water consumption
- Lack of hydration in the feet.
- Bathing or showering with extremely hot water
- Too lengthy or too frequent soaks in a hot bath
- Using drying, harsh soaps on your feet
- Being diabetic
When the skin loses its moisture content, it dries out and splits, resulting in heel fissures and cracks. When the feet get very dry, heel fissures can form quickly. It’s similar to how if you place plaster on a balloon and let it cure before blowing it up, the balloon would expand and split the plaster. The heel pad wants to stretch outward, but the skin is too stiff to keep up, so it breaks.
The skin may begin to bleed when it fractures. In addition, deep heel cracks can enable germs and viruses into the body, resulting in infection and disease.
Risk Factors
Diabetes and obesity are the two leading risk factors for cracked heels. Diabetic individuals are more prone to have cracked heels because uncontrolled blood sugars can cause nerve damage in the foot, resulting in dry skin. Diabetes patients are more prone than non-diabetics to develop an infection from broken heels. If you have diabetes, you should inspect your feet periodically for cracks or infections.
Obesity increases the likelihood of cracked heels because there is more weight on the heel pad, causing it to spread out farther. Dry skin cannot withstand the additional strain and cracks.
However, during the winter, anyone might have dry, cracked heels. Taking long, very hot baths and showers regularly might further aggravate this issue. Furthermore, those who do not frequently moisturise their feet with an oil-based lotion or moisturiser are more prone to develop heel fissures. Finally, inadequate hydration and nutrition are additional risk factors for cracked heels.
Diagnosis
See a podiatrist if your heels are cracked and sore, and the situation does not improve with over-the-counter foot lotion. If your heel fissures are “serious enough,” Mauser adds, “we’ll provide ideas and guide you through it.” A podiatrist can cure any connected illness as well as provide treatments to assist your skin in healing correctly.
To avoid painful, cracked heels, reduce risk factors by drinking lots of water and avoiding hot showers. You’ll be kicking up your well-moisturised heels in no time with a nice lotion and some foot massage.