Cracked Heels

Common Causes of Cracked Heels

• Lacking moisture – This is the most common cause of cracked heels. The skin underneath your feet is often dry, rough and chapped. This is because the skin around your heels has a relatively small number of sweat glands.
• Pressure – Spending a long time standing at work or home can stress the skin on your heels. We often see Tradies with cracked heels who need to re-assess their socks and boots.
• Aging skin – Thick, dry, scaly skin loses its elasticity with age.
• Skin conditions such as Tinea, Psoriasis, Eczema, Thyroid Disease and Diabetes.
• Obesity – Being overweight can increase the pressure on the fat pad under the heel. This can cause it to expand sideways and, if the skin lacks flexibility, put pressure on the feet. This leads to cracked heels.
• Open-back sandals/shoes- The fat pad under your heel expands sideways and increase the possibility of cracks on your heels.
• Poor fitting shoes – Wearing shoes that do not fit properly can contribute to cracked heels.
• Genetics – Naturally dry or thick skin around the heels.

Why Cracked Heels Occur

Cracked heels are caused when the skin around your heels splits apart. A mixture of dryness and pressure lead to cracked heels, as the skin becomes unable to keep up moisture levels and ultimately becomes fragile, leading to breaks.

What Can I Do About Cracked Heels?

Your Podiatrist will work out WHY you are getting cracked heels and then implement strategies to reduce the dry skin and cracks. This may include a footwear/sock/occupation assessment, advice on different types of moisturises, debriding back the thick dead skin and reducing breaks/cuts in the skin and potential infections.

Call or book online today for an initial general treatment and we will fix those cracked heels for you!