Cracked heels are a common foot problem. Although we spend a lot of time caring for our face, it’s our feet that are mostly ignored. This lack of care and hygiene is the main cause of your cracked heels.This can occur in both adults and children, but seems to affect women more often than men.

When the sensitive skin on the bottom of the feet and heels becomes too dry, it can split open, leading to painful cracks on your heels. For most people, having cracked heels isn’t serious.Those cracks may not only make it painful to walk, but can also lead to serious infections and pain.

Cracks in the heels are usually the result of insufficient moisture. These cracks can become deep and may even bleed be very painful. Dry feet can occur for a number of reasons, including:

• Cold winter weather
• Dehydration, or not drinking enough water
• Not moisturizing your feet
• Taking very hot baths or showers
• Soaking in a hot bath for too long or too frequently
• Using harsh, drying soaps on your feet
• Scrubbing feet dry
• Having diabetes

The first and foremost thing in treatment of cracked heels is applying a heel balm. These balms contain ingredients to moisturize, soften, and exfoliate dead skin.

The skin around cracked heels is usually thicker and drier as compared to the rest of your skin. This skin tends to split when you apply pressure. Soaking and moisturizing your feet can help with this. Here are some tips.

• Keep your feet in lukewarm, soapy water for around 20 minutes.
• Use a loofah, foot scrubber, or pumice stone to remove any hard, thick skin.
• Pat your feet dry.
• Apply a generous amount of heel balm or thick moisturizer to the affected area.
• Apply petroleum jelly over your feet to lock in moisture. Put on socks to avoid spreading any grease around.
• Avoid scrubbing your feet when they’re dry. This will damage your skin.

Honey has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties and may work as a natural remedy for cracked heels. Honey can help heal and cleanse wounds, and moisturize the skin. You can use honey as a foot scrub after a soak, or apply it as a foot mask overnight.

Owing to coconut oil’s anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, it is often recommended for dry skin, eczema, and psoriasis. It can help your skin retain moisture. Using coconut oil after a foot soak could be a good option too.