Most often, problems with the skin on the feet occur in adulthood, when the legs are no longer strong enough to withstand serious stress, and the body is not strong enough to successfully resist the aging factors.

Cracks in the heel

But young women also suffer from similar troubles. Sometimes this is due to genetics, sometimes working conditions. It happens that the cause of cracks becomes wrong care.

In addition to the unaesthetic appearance and torn nylon tights, cracks cause physical torment. Therefore, growths, cracks, bursting heels require immediate treatment and elimination of the cause. Often such procedures are done at home.

Cracks in the legs are a disease that requires careful treatment. It is called mechanical dermatitis. The causes can be both physiological factors and pathological processes occurring in the body.

The causes of cracked heels lie in improper foot skin care, a weakened state of the body and neglect of the basic rules of hygiene and selection of shoes.

Diseases and conditions that provoke the occurrence of cracks:

• diabetes;
• thyroid dysfunction;
• violation of the activity of the digestive tract;
• endocrine disorders;
• stress and depression;
• anemia;
• obesity;
• plantar fasciitis;
• fungal skin lesions;
• helminthic invasions;
• obesity;
• avitaminosis and hypovitaminosis.

Interesting fact! There is no fat layer under the skin on the heels, but there are a large number of sweat glands. Considering the huge load on this part of the body, cracked heels are a fairly common disease.

If such diseases are excluded, the causes should be sought in external factors, which can be:

• shoes that are tight or made of synthetic materials;
• improper care, for example, frequent peelings or inappropriate hygiene products;
• low humidity in the room or too chlorinated water;
• walking barefoot on too hot sand;
• smoking and alcohol abuse.

Cracks in the heels can also annoy a woman during pregnancy, when the load on the body is high, the weight increases and, accordingly, the load on the feet. An increasing amount of sugar towards the end of the term is also a provoking factor.

More often dry feet and cracks occur in the summer., therefore, during this period, regular foot care procedures are required, preferably 2-3 times a week.

Why cracked heels are dangerous if left untreated

In the event that the heel bursts, the causes and treatment at home become very relevant issues. Cracks can not only cause discomfort and severe pain.

Such a violation of the skin with untimely treatment can lead to suppuration, inflammation and infection of the skin. It is desirable to carry out therapy in a complex manner, using, among other things, means for the prevention of fungal and bacterial skin lesions.

Basic rules of treatment if the heels burst

When the heel bursts, the causes and treatment at home have been clarified, then it is worth using drugs only on cleansed skin. It is recommended to first make a bath to soften the heels. In this case, the medicine will penetrate deeper.

Glue BF-6 is great for heels - this is a folk remedy for the rapid healing of cracks

If the cracks are too deep, it is allowed to seal them with BF-6 special glue. Glue is inexpensive (about 70 rubles) and effective. Before using it, the feet must be washed and dried, then apply a strip along the entire length of the crack.

If everything is done correctly, the depth of the crack will decrease and after a few days it will be possible to proceed to other procedures in the form of baths, compresses and the use of ointments.

It's important to know! If the problem is not resolved when using several methods of treatment, there is probably a pathological process in the body that provokes dryness and cracks in the feet.

Healing creams for cracked heels

If there is no time and desire to use traditional medicine recipes, pharmacy chains offer a large selection of remedies for healing cracked heels.

Anti-inflammatory ointment Radevit

Radevit ointment, which has a wide spectrum of action, works great against dry skin and the healing of cracks.

Radevit - ointment for external use

Its effectiveness is due to its active ingredients - fat-soluble vitamins.A, D, E:

• Vitamin D reduces inflammation, improves immunity and skin hydration.
• Vitamin E prevents the evaporation of moisture from the skin, increasing the hydrophobic properties of the dermis.
• Vitamin A reduces the surface layer of the skin, consisting of dead cells, accelerates regeneration, stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.

The ointment is applied in a thin layer on the damaged surface in the morning and evening. If an infection has become the cause of burst heels, treatment with Radevit ointment at home involves applying the product under the bandage to create an occlusive effect. The skin should first be treated with an antiseptic.

During pregnancy, the use of the drug is contraindicated. The cost of the ointment is 350–400 rubles.

Dr. Biokon - balm for rough and cracked skin of the feet

The action of the balm is to reduce dryness of the skin, heal cracks and fight corns. In addition, the balm has another undoubted advantage. It perfectly copes with an unpleasant smell, being an effective antiseptic.

Doctor Biocon - deodorant, antiperspirant for feet

Natural Ingredients Included:

• shea butter and calendula extract soften and moisturize the epidermis;
• salicylic acid has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects;
• lactic acid has a pronounced moisturizing effect, promotes uniform exfoliation of the stratum corneum and activates the process of skin renewal.

The average price for a balm is 90 rubles.

Foot Cream - Super Heels

Another cream representing the budget segment. In spite of low cost, about 130 rubles., light and non-greasy cream managed to prove itself well.

Natural extracts of eucalyptus, aspen and meadowsweet normalize sweating, soften the skin and provide a wound healing effect. Vinylin, which is part of the composition, promotes cell regeneration and provides an antimicrobial effect.

Super Heel Cream

To enable the cream to show all its healing properties, it should be applied to slightly moistened skin, and after application (twice a day), it is recommended to wear socks.

Healing foot cream against cracked feet (Green Pharmacy)

Foot cream from the Ukrainian manufacturer has a specific medicinal aroma. The composition includes walnut oil, extracts of plantain, tea tree and urea, which provides a moisturizing effect.

Foot cream "Green Pharmacy"

It is recommended to apply the cream before going to bed on dry skin. After application, allow the cream to absorb for 5-10 minutes and put on cotton socks. On sale you can find the cream in two packaging options - 75 ml (55 rubles) and 50 ml (35 rubles).

Foot baths for the treatment of cracked heels

If the cause of burst heels is clarified and home treatment is necessary, it will be correct to use several methods in a complex way, including foot baths.

There are many recipes for foot baths. This allows you to choose not only an effective, but also a comfortable way for yourself. For example, not everyone may like a contrast bath, although this method is very effective. And not only to fight cracks, but also to relieve fatigue and improve blood circulation.

For the procedure, 2 containers are needed - one with hot, the other with cold water. The legs are alternately immersed in hot (for 2 minutes) and cold (for 10 seconds) water.

Start with hot water to warm up your feet. The duration of the procedure is at least 20 minutes, so that the alternation of temperatures occurs at least 10 times.

To enhance the effect, various agents can be added to such baths, for example, soda, salt, milk, herbal decoctions. The same products are used in conventional hot foot baths.

Effective recipes for foot baths to combat cracks:

When the skin on the heel burst due to heavy loads on the legs, then calendula tincture will be the best treatment at home

1. Using a decoction of calendula flowers you can carry out a procedure that has anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. To do this, boil 2 tbsp. l. flowers for 2 minutes in 1 liter of water, then let the broth brew for 30 minutes. Take the bath should be hot, do not rinse. Wipe feet dry and spread with nourishing cream.
2. A bath using potatoes or starch. 2 tbsp. l. dissolve starch in 1 liter of water, take a bath for half an hour. You can boil the potato peel, strain and steam the feet in the resulting liquid, cooling to a suitable temperature. After that, it is necessary to remove that part of the stratum corneum that has softened, smear the legs with cream and put on socks.

Bursting heels - folk recipes

Traditional medicine methods allow you to cure cracks with natural remedies, however, it will take more time than treatment with pharmaceutical preparations. Ideally, both should be used together. In addition to foot baths, lotions, compresses and the use of homemade ointments are relevant in the treatment of burst heels.

Therapeutic compresses

Compresses are made for a long time, at least 2-3 hours, and it is better that the effect is longer - all night. Therefore, compresses are best done before bedtime.

Ready-made therapeutic composition, it is recommended to put it under such a “sock”

Compresses applied at night:

• Oil blend compress- olive, sea buckthorn and linen. Grate the cracks generously with this composition and wrap with cling film. In the morning, wash your feet and remove loose particles with a not too rough file. When the heel burst and external factors became the cause, home treatment with oil-based compresses can cope with the problem in 1-2 weeks.
• Compress of flour and honey. Mix honey and flour 1 tbsp. l., divide the resulting mixture in half. Shape the dough into a patty and wrap it around each foot with cling film. Socks must be worn over the compress. Such compresses make a course lasting at least a week. Honey cakes in the morning can be put in a bag and put in the refrigerator - they are suitable for use 2-3 times.
• Compress of honey and cabbage leaf. Honey is applied in a thick layer on the pre-steamed feet, and a cabbage leaf is wrapped on top. You can use cling film, but it is better to fix the structure on your feet with a bandage. In the morning, rinse your feet with cold water and spread with cream.

Compresses applied for a short time:

• A compress of vegetables or fruits. For such a compress, you can take a choice of apples, onions or potatoes. Each of these products has the ability to heal chapped skin. Grate an onion or an apple, put the puree on cloth bandages and wrap the feet with them for half an hour. Potatoes must first be boiled, mashed from it and placed in a convenient container, lower the feet there.
• Vinegar-glycerin compress. Such a compress is applied for 1-1.5 hours. Get wet gauze bandages with the following composition: 2 tbsp. l. 9% vinegar and 2 tbsp. l. glycerin. Bandages can be wrapped with a film, or you can put on plastic bags and fasten them to your ankles. To get the result, acetic-glycerin compresses must be applied for a week.

Homemade ointments for the skin of the feet

The ointment must be used after steaming the skin, pumice stone treatment and drying. The application of the ointment will be more effective if applied under socks before going to bed.

A few recipes for healing ointments:

1. Wax ointment. Mix in equal proportions melted wax, shea butter, cocoa butter and sea buckthorn oil. Store the ointment at room temperature in a closed container.
2. Ointment based on Vaseline. In 1 st. l. vaseline add 2 drops of lavender and chamomile essential oils. Store the ointment in a tightly closed jar. It is necessary to smear the damaged surface several times a day.
3. Ointment based on pork fat. Mix 5 tbsp. l. fat with the pulp of 1 carrot and heat in a steam bath. Then strain the mixture and set aside. Use the ointment after steaming under cotton socks.

If it is not possible to prepare the ointment on your own, you can buy a ready-made pharmacy calendula ointment. It is inexpensive (about 50 rubles), while it is an effective antiseptic.

If the heel burst and hurts, what should I do?

Dryness and cracks may be minor, but this is no reason not to pay attention to them.

When the heel bursts, the causes and treatment at home - these questions arise sharply, because the bursting skin causes unbearable pain when walking. What can be done to relieve suffering in a short time?

Cold compress - first aid for cracked skin

First aid methods for pain relief:

• wipe the feet with a piece of ice or dip in cold water;
• take an anesthetic;
• smear cracks with any anesthetic ointment that relieves inflammation (Diclofenac);
• at night, apply warm sea buckthorn oil on the feet under an occlusive bandage.

Daily heel care to keep them always smooth (prevention)

In order for the heels to always please, they need constant care. And, of course, correct.

Regular grooming routines should include:

1. Daily washing with not too hot water with a moisturizing or fatty soap.
2. The use of bactericidal agents when washing (with increased sweating).
3. Rinse feet with cool water after washing.
4. Applying a nourishing cream or oil to clean, dry feet.
5. Deep cleansing of the feet with a pumice stone. It is carried out once a week after steaming in a bath with the addition of soda or herbal decoction.
6. Regular use of nourishing foot masks.

Do not forget about the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation and hot sand on the skin of the feet. It is advisable to apply a nourishing cream before going out into the sun and not to walk without shoes on a hot surface.

Heel hygiene is the key to healthy skin

Personal hygiene is a must for healthy feet. When visiting public places (saunas, gyms, solariums), be sure to protect the skin with antifungal drugs and use separate shoes.

If the pedicure procedure does not cause difficulties, you can do it yourself. Or do a pedicure only in a trusted salon, in which high-quality processing of tools is carried out.

In order not to face such a problem as bursting heels, not to look for causes, and not to be treated either at home or in a medical office, special attention should be paid to the choice of shoes.

The most crack-inducing shoes are high-heeled shoes, uncomfortable for the foot, especially if the size of the shoe does not allow the foot to feel comfortable. This also includes shoes made of synthetic materials that create a greenhouse effect and promote the reproduction of pathogenic organisms.

Another element in the prevention of cracks is a sufficient supply of fluid, vitamins and minerals. The diet should include products that promote smoothness, elasticity and restoration of the skin: liver, various nuts, carrots, rose hips.

Prevention is easier than treating the disease. Elementary precautions and proper nutrition can get rid of infection and deformation of the skin of the feet, so that smooth and beautiful heels can be enjoyed all year round.

Video clips about thorns on the heels. How to treat cracked skin at home

An excerpt from the TV show of Elena Malysheva, which will tell you what to do if the heel bursts, the causes of cracks, and home treatment:

Here are some home remedies for cracked heels:

How to determine in 2 seconds whether shoes are comfortable or not:

Are you ready for beach season? Do not forget to take care of the beauty of your legs. After all, beautiful nails and pink feet are, of course, the pride and sexuality of every woman. Sometimes the mood is overshadowed by cracks and corns, so today we will talk about the methods of treating cracked heels and the reasons for their appearance.

The skin of the feet is subjected to daily stress, so it is in great need of proper care. However, not everyone pays attention to inconspicuous areas. Yes, hardened heels are hidden from the eyes of others, but the discomfort that they bring cannot be hidden anywhere.

Many girls are tormented by the question, where do these cracks come from? There are many reasons for this, in fact. Let's talk about everything in order.

1. Wrong nutrition. As a rule, the products used affect everything. From the health of our hair to the condition of the skin on our feet. Dryness of the dermis is usually caused by a lack of vitamins A and E.
2. Uncomfortable shoes. Poor quality material, unstable heel, etc. - all this can cause cracks and more. Rough skin is the smallest consequence of wearing “bad” shoes. And often the result of such savings is a fungus and other problems.
3. Diseases. Diseases can be both dermatological and internal. Cracks can appear due to diabetes, thyroid disorders and gastritis.

Having found out the cause of the onset of the disease, it will be easier to prescribe a course of therapy. Fortunately, there are many treatments.

Treatment with medicines at home

To eliminate a defect in the skin of the feet, it is not necessary to visit expensive salons. Thanks to the variety of drugs, you can carry out procedures at home.

Medicines for cracked heels are available in the following types:

• creams and ointments;
• pedicure socks;
• masks;
• vitaminized complexes (containing A and E).

Creams and ointments

Cracked heel cream is the most common product for softening rough skin. This is an effective and affordable tool that is easy to apply.

There are many drugs available in pharmacies and cosmetics stores.

At the same time, I would like to highlight a number of the most popular funds:

• "Radevit";
• "Zazhivin";
• "BioAstin antifungal";
• "Lamisil";
• "Balzamed";
• Zinc ointment;
• "Gevol";
• ointment "Calendula".

The action of ointments:

1. Tissue regeneration.
2. Moisturizing the skin.
3. Normalization of the process of keratinization of the dermis.
4. Skin softening.
5. Food.

The product must be used according to the instructions. Each drug has contraindications that should be carefully studied.

If the problem is acute, then stronger ointments should be resorted to. This is Bepanthen and regular Vaseline.

If the roughness is not treated on time, the problem may worsen.

We will talk about how to get rid of deep cracks in the heels, but one of the simplest and most effective remedies is Bepanten. This is a deep-acting preparation that should be applied twice a day to steamed, cleansed skin. The tool is expensive, however, it has a cheaper analogue "De panthenol".

Vaseline is a budgetary and at the same time very effective drug. The result of its use will be elastic, delicate skin, and the feeling of itching and irritation will go away.

Sock mask

A modern remedy in the fight against rough skin is the use of special pedicure socks. They are made in the shape of a foot and made of waterproof material. Inside there is an insert, which produces the effect of a mask. It is impregnated with a special composition that eliminates dry skin and heals cracks.

These socks are best worn at night after a bath. Firstly, the dermis of the feet will be steamed. Secondly, the more hours of exposure, the better. At the same time, observe the measure - a maximum of 8 hours. The minimum time for "wearing" socks is 2 hours.

Folk remedies for cracked heels

Not everyone prefers purchased drugs and wonders how to treat cracked heels with folk remedies. There are many methods and recipes for home therapy for this problem. We have selected the most simple and effective.

Foot baths

Baths are designed for steaming the stratum corneum. So the skin will better succumb to procedures to eliminate the coarsened dermis. Such therapy is very pleasant and gives a lot of pleasure.

However, like any other methods, it has contraindications:

• wounds, skin lesions;
• allergy;
• individual intolerance;
• the first day after the pedicure.

Baths are very easy to make. Water at a comfortable temperature is poured into the basin, and funds are added, depending on the type of therapy. Then the legs are lowered into the pelvis and steamed for 10-15 minutes.

For medicinal purposes, baths are taken daily. Then - once a week to maintain the result.

Additives for baths in the ratio of 2 liters of water:

• peat oxide;
• milk + starch 2 tablespoons each;
• hot whey;
• 2 tbsp soda + some liquid soap;
• 30 grams of starch;
• about 1 liter of decoction of chamomile or calendula;
• herbal collection of St. John's wort and nettle.

To soften the skin, ordinary bath salt, which is sold in any cosmetics store, is also suitable.

Natural ointments and creams

Creamy products can be prepared by yourself.

Recipe 1. Ingredients:

• badger fat;
• decoction of celandine and calendula.

Cooking:

1. Fat is heated in a water bath.
2. The finished broth is poured into the heated badger fat.
3. The ingredients are mixed together.

After the mixture has cooled, apply it to the affected areas. The ointment should be heated before each use.

Recipe 2. Ingredients:

• vinegar 9% - 50 ml;
• glycerin - 50 ml.

The components are mixed together and applied to the heels before going to bed. Cotton socks are put on top.

Recipe 3. Ingredients:

• petrolatum;
• a mixture of dried herbs of calendula and plantain.

The ratio of vaseline and grass is 1 to 10. The components are mixed together, and the finished mixture is applied to the skin of the feet.

In ready-made homemade ointments, you can add 1-2 drops of essential oil for the best effect.

Compresses and masks

Compresses and masks are applied after baths or after a shower. As part of the course of therapy, procedures are done daily, and then 1-2 times a week.

There are 10 basic recipes:

1. A mixture of glycerin and apple cider vinegar (2:1).
2. 100 gr. flour mixed with 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil and 30 gr. melted honey. The mask is applied at night, socks are put on top.
3. Curd compress from one ingredient.
4. A mixture of any cosmetic oils. Olive, grape seed, corn and jojoba extracts are best suited.
5. Vitamin E capsules.
6. Butter.
7. A mixture of grated apple, beer and butter. For one fruit is 100 ml of beer and 2 tbsp. l. oils.
8. Mass of ammonia 10% and glycerin (1:1).
9. Medical bile.
10. Chopped celery greens and butter (1:1).

Essential oils

Natural oils help to eliminate cracked heels. They are used in baths, massage and added to homemade creams. It only takes a few drops to achieve the desired result.

To make a foot massage, the following oils are mixed together:

• coconut;
• sesame;
• olive.

Add 2-3 drops of essential oil to the mass.

The following extracts are suitable for massaging:

• lavender;
• lemon;
• eucalyptus.

They have an anti-inflammatory effect, which helps prevent fungus and other infectious diseases.

A couple of drops of any essential oil will fill your bath with aroma and additional beneficial properties. Each extract has its own characteristics. Choose the right product and use it in your procedures.

Mechanical removal of dead cells

The mechanical procedure includes the following steps:

1. Steaming legs. For this, baths with additives are made.
2. Foot treatment with pumice stone and brush.
3. Light massage.
4. Rubbing with an antimicrobial agent.

At the end, the skin of the feet is moisturized with cream, ointment or cosmetic oils.

Which doctor should I contact?

Which specialist to contact depends on the cause of cracked heels. But do not engage in self-diagnosis.

Just visit a therapist who will assess the condition of your feet and most likely write you a referral to a specialist:

• nutritionist;
• gastroenterologist;
• dermatologist;
• beautician;
• endocrinologist;

If you are sure that you do not have internal diseases, then you should contact a cosmetologist or dermatologist.

Preventive actions

With such a problem as cracks in the feet, almost every girl faces. Therefore, it is very appropriate to devote time to measures to prevent the development of the problem.

List of preventive measures:

1. Purchase only comfortable shoes made from quality materials.
2. Eat foods rich in vitamins A and E in sufficient quantities.
3. 1-2 times a week do homemade foot procedures (scrubs, masks, baths).
4. Scrub your feet with a pumice stone several times a week.
5. Try to use foot cream every day.
6. After visiting public places, it is recommended to treat the feet with antifungal agents.
7. Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun or solarium. All this leads to excessive dryness of the skin.
8. If possible, allow yourself a regular visit to the pedicure master.

Do not forget also about proper nutrition. In order to adequately receive the necessary vitamins, it is recommended to buy pharmaceutical preparations.

Cracked heels can be a problem all year round. If in the summer it is usually the consequences of overheating in the sun, then in the spring the problem is more often caused by beriberi. At the same time, it is better to have time to cure the skin of the feet by the hot season, so that you can wear open sandals with pleasure and run barefoot along the beach.

Vladimir Manannikov

The skin on the soles of the feet is the roughest in the whole body. But that doesn't mean she's going to endure everything. Feet, in particular heels, require special care.

Timely prevention of dryness, peeling of the skin and cracks will protect against unpleasant problems. Personal hygiene and elementary procedures will allow you to not experience pain and discomfort when walking for a long time.

What to do if the problem already exists? Will folk medicine help here? And in general, what are the causes of the problem? There are enough questions.

The primary source can be both direct external factors and hidden internal diseases of organs and systems. So the list is long:

1) Uncomfortable tight shoes (also improper care of them: excessive drying or moisture inside).

2) Overdrying or hypothermia of the feet.

3) The influence of bright sunlight, hard water, hygiene products - soaps, gels and the like.

4) Banal infection or fungus.

5) Lack of important elements and vitamins in the body.

6) Violations in the work of the body, various kinds of diseases.

7) Problems with the endocrine system may be accompanied by similar symptoms.

Overweight people always complain of pain when walking and peeling of the skin. The thing is that in fat people the metabolism, blood circulation is disturbed and harmful cholesterol accumulates. All this leads to the indicated problem. Only losing weight will eliminate this.

10) The second good reason for problematic feet and heels is diabetes. This disease is always accompanied by the indicated symptoms.

In medicine, there is even a name “diabetic foot” when painful, sometimes purulent and contagious reactions occur. Normalizing blood sugar levels will help stabilize the situation.

11) Heels can crack due to a disease such as psoriasis. Here the solution will be simpler: meticulous hygiene, healthy eating and special ointments.

The list of causes of cracked heels is long. It is impossible to solve everything on your own. For the correct diagnosis and correct treatment, you should consult a doctor. Treating the true source of the problem will only be part of the solution. External heel care is also important.

Be sure to wash your feet daily with soap. Enough warm water will add efficiency. Baths with hot water and after rubbing the feet with a special pebble - pumice.

At night, smear your feet with a nourishing cream or fatty essential oils. Dry your shoes well so that they are not damp. Change your insoles frequently.

Treatment with folk methods

Connoisseurs of folk treatment have their own secrets of getting rid of this problem. For example, they recommend putting crumpled burdock leaves in socks, in the heel area. There is also a huge number of recipes for compresses, foot baths, ointments, rubbing.

Foot baths

1. Standard evening procedure: wash your feet well, then dip them in hot water and steam. When the skin is steamed and soft, you need to use a brush that will remove the dead skin layer and layers. After the procedure, the feet are wiped dry and smeared with a greasy cream or ointment for the night.

2. Instead of plain water using medicinal herbs- calendula, chamomile, St. John's wort, sage and the like, which have a healing and soothing effect.

A strong decoction is prepared from the herb or a tandem of several, which is filtered and mixed with warm (not hot) water. In such a bath, you can keep your feet for about half an hour.

3. starch baths. Three liters of water will need the same amount of large spoons of potato starch. The temperature of the water must be maintained throughout the procedure.

Arm yourself with a pumice stone to help. After finishing the bath procedures for the feet, smear them with cream or cocoa butter.

4. Soda foot bath. The ratio of water and soda is the same as in the recipe written above. Just don't add hot water. The procedure will be short until the liquid cools down.

Among other things, a soda bath not only exfoliates the dead skin layer, but also kills infections and fungus.

To enhance the effect, a couple of drops of lemon or geranium essential oil are added to dry soda. The procedure should be completed by smearing the heels with petroleum jelly or cream.

5. Salt foot baths heal, perfectly cleanse deep wounds. The proportions are the same as in the recipes above. For this kind of baths, it is better to take high-quality sea salt.

Foot ointments

In addition to baths, you can also make ointments yourself.

1. Propolis: to begin with, onion rings are fried in vegetable oil. Ready-made onion oil is taken as the basis, to which wax and propolis are added. All ingredients are boiled in a saucepan until the wax is completely dissolved.

Then put in a jar and let it thicken. This foot cream is nourishing and has a healing effect.

2.Beneficial essential oil ointment. Wax is taken as the basis, to which shea butter, cocoa, calendula and apricot kernels are added. All this is heated in a water bath until smooth. Then placed in a container for thickening. Mastic can be used for very dry skin areas - heels, elbows.

Foot compresses

1. Effective in the fight against cracked heels and home compresses.

1. Oatmeal compress. Boiled cereals are combined with linseed oil and scattered in two bags. Then these bags are put on the legs and wrapped up for maximum warmth.

2. To heal the wounds on the heels will help the herb mother and stepmother. It is finely cut and poured into boiling milk so that it is well infused.

Then apply this herb to problematic heels. Prunes are used in the same way.

3. One of the most effective and popular is honey and cabbage leaf compress. The heels are smeared with honey at night, then cabbage leaves are applied and the legs are carefully wrapped. In the morning, be sure to take a warm shower.

You can also make cakes from honey. It is mixed with flour until a homogeneous consistency. Then they roll it into cakes and apply it to problem heels, wrapping it with a warm sock.

4. Apple pulp or grated raw onion can be applied to cracked heels. You can also put your feet in the warm pulp of boiled potatoes.

5. Effective homemade cream: yogurt is mixed with butter until smooth.

6. You can smear your feet with a glycerin-acetic solution.

Not all recipes and ways to solve the problem of cracked heels are indicated. For yourself, you should identify a couple of effective ones and actively apply them.

You can also turn to the help of pharmaceutical preparations and do not forget to do foot massages with the obligatory use of nutrients.

Many people face skin problems. Moreover, they can appear on different parts of the body. If the heels crack, what should I do? At home, many effective methods are used to quickly improve the condition of the feet. Timely treatment is important to prevent deterioration. Methods for getting rid of the problem are described in the article.

The reasons

Why do heels crack? What to do at home? These are the questions of primary interest. It is important to eliminate the factors that contributed to the appearance of a skin defect. This is usually related to:

• using low-quality socks or tight shoes;
• violation in the endocrine system;
• lack of mineral components;
• poor hygiene of the feet;
• dry skin of the legs;
• stop fungus;
• lack of vitamins A and E;
• uneven skin tension.

If the cause lies in the presence of a disease, then it should be cured. With a lack of vitamins, it is necessary to ensure their entry into the body. There are also medicinal products for external use.

Symptoms and signs

Usually, when cracks occur, the following symptoms appear:

• unpleasant smell from the feet;
• skin cracking, which can be different in depth;
• discomfort when walking, as well as burning, itching, pain.

Diagnosis of the disease is complicated for various reasons. Often people are given symptomatic treatment. Itching and burning may occur, which periodically subsides, and then intensifies again. With such signs, it is urgent to start treatment.

If cracked heels did not appear due to dysfunctions of the internal organs and the endocrine system, you can perform the treatment yourself. And any effective means will do. Recommendations suitable for each chosen method:

1. Systematic. Procedures must be performed according to the schedule. They should not be put off because of everyday worries.
2. Moderation. Do not use more than what is recommended according to the instructions. The amount of medicine should be moderate.
3. Hygiene. Do not allow the influence of factors that led to the appearance of cracks. For the treatment to be effective, it is important to monitor the condition of the legs.

If the heels crack, what to do and how to treat at home? Various means are suitable for this - masks, compresses, creams. In one course of treatment, it will be possible to restore the condition of the skin.

Pharmacy funds

If heels crack, what should I do? At home, effective treatment is provided by pharmaceutical products. Usually they help to quickly eliminate a skin disease. Effective ones include:

1. The cream, which has the name "Healing against cracks in the legs." The product contains essential oils of ebony and fir, so it has a healing effect. The cream has a mild anti-inflammatory effect. It will kill bacteria and moisturize the skin.
2. Pine Cream Allga San. It includes mountain pine oil, allantoin (for cell renewal), chamomile extract, turpentine (restoration of blood supply). The tool allows you to get rid of cracked heels and restore the skin. It is enough to undergo treatment so that the feet become soft.
3. Ointment "Radevit". It contains vitamins A and E. The ointment has a therapeutic and cosmetic effect. It can be used for any skin damage resulting from a lack of nutrients.
4. Gel "911 Zazhivin". The drug has a disinfectant and wound healing effect. The gel allows you to carefully care for the skin of the heels, restoring cells and healing cracks. The composition contains milk thistle and tea tree oil, as well as sage and vitamin F.
5. Cream "Healing cracks". As part of the remedy, there are extracts of sea buckthorn berries used to care for dry and rough skin. Due to the delicate effect of the cream, it will be possible to prevent the appearance of corns, cracks, and calluses. After application, an analgesic effect is felt.

If heels are constantly cracking, what should I do? At home, you can use any of the above tools. It is enough to lubricate the feet until the cream is completely absorbed. The use of cotton socks will improve the effect.

ethnoscience

If heels crack, what should I do? At home, treating with folk remedies will be much more effective than using expensive drugs. This is due to the content of natural ingredients in home remedies that will not cause allergies and side effects. Plus, they are much more affordable.

All the necessary components are at home. And the missing products can be purchased at the market or in the store. Based on simple components, ointments, compresses, and masks are prepared. If you go through the entire course of treatment, it will give an excellent result.

Ointments

What to do if the heels on the legs crack? At home, you can prepare various ointments. For their preparation, simple ingredients are used, but very effective. The following recipes will work:

1. Tetracycline ointment with apple cider vinegar. This remedy will get rid of calluses and cracks very quickly. Before going to bed, you need to steam the skin of the legs in a hot bath, wipe it with a towel, treat with tetracycline ointment, wrap the shins with cling film. In the morning, the cellophane should be removed and bandages soaked in apple cider vinegar should be applied to the legs. After 12 hours, hardened and cracked skin should be removed with a pumice stone.
2. Yolk ointment. The tool is easy to prepare and use at home. Moreover, with it it will be possible to get rid of not only cracks, but also calluses. For cooking, you need the yolk, sunflower oil (20 g), vinegar (10 g). The components must be mixed, and the finished mixture should be applied to steamed legs. Feet should be wrapped in cellophane. For better absorption of nutrients, you need to perform the procedures before going to bed.
3. Onion ointment. In a pan, heat unrefined sunflower oil (200 g). Then finely chopped onion should be added to it, which should be fried until golden brown. Strain the mixture from the pan through cheesecloth, add beeswax, and then refrigerate. Apply to the skin of the feet after each bath.

If heels are constantly cracking, what to do at home? Healing ointments based on natural ingredients are considered the best remedies. After just a few procedures, the skin condition improves.

Compresses

What to do if the heels on the legs crack? At home, therapeutic compresses are prepared to restore the skin. The following methods are effective:

1. Honey. Before going to bed, a bee product should be applied to the painful area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin, and then wrap the legs with cellophane and put on cotton socks. In the morning, you need to remove the honey with a sponge and wash everything off. The procedure should be performed every evening, and after 5 days the pain will disappear.
2. Vegetable oil. This simple remedy will quickly cure cracked soles. The effect will be even better if you use olive oil. They need to soak woolen socks, and then put them on, wrap their feet with cling film. The duration of the compress is 4 hours. Although during this time there will be inconvenience, but for the treatment of the skin should be endured.
3. Cabbage leaf. Honey is applied to the heels, and then a cabbage leaf is applied. Secure it with a bandage. This method helps with cracks and calluses. Defects will be eliminated in 2-3 weeks.

masks

If the heels are deeply cracked, what should I do? At home, you can use therapeutic masks that are prepared from simple products. For these purposes, the following recipes are suitable:

1. From zucchini. Thanks to natural remedies, gentle heel care is provided. Using this mask, it will be possible to restore the skin in a short time. To prepare it, you need chopped zucchini (15 g) and olive / corn oil (8 g). The components must be mixed, and then spread the mixture into gauze swabs. The mask should be applied to the heels, wrap the legs with cling film, put on socks. After 15 minutes, you can remove it, wash your feet. Then you can treat the skin with a nourishing agent. For this cream "Healer" is suitable.
2. From apricots. With a fork, you need to knead a few berries, add olive oil to the mixture (1/3 dessert spoon). The product must be placed in a water bath. After 5 minutes, it must be removed from the fire, cooled and applied to cracked heels. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes, after which the feet should be washed and a nourishing cream applied.
3. From oranges. A mask based on these fruits can cure cracked heels. It is necessary to finely chop the pulp, add a few drops of olive / corn oil. The agent must be evenly distributed over the affected areas. Place polyethylene on top. After 15 minutes everything can be cleaned.

Masks will allow you to quickly cope with skin imperfections if your heels crack. What to do at home so that problems do not reappear? It is necessary to carry out preventive measures that are based on the observance of hygiene rules.

Essential oils

Women's heels are cracking, what should I do? At home, you can use medicated oils. It is enough to perform the procedures regularly so that the skin recovers. The following oils are more suitable for heels:

1. Tea tree. A few drops are enough to add to the water prepared for the bath. This speeds up the healing of cracks.
2. Marjoram. A few drops can be added to homemade ointments. This will eliminate the hardened skin of the heels.
3. Eucalyptus. It allows you to heal painful cracks. You just need to add a few drops of eucalyptus to the warm water prepared for the bath.

Trays

If heels crack, what should I do? At home, methods of treatment and prevention will be effective if the procedures are performed regularly. Foot baths are used with different components:

1. With starch. This simple but effective tool allows you to cure cracks at home. Water must be heated to 40 degrees, add starch (30 g). Feet should be held in such a bath for 30 minutes. Hot water must be added to keep the temperature at the same level. It is necessary to wipe your feet, treat with a nourishing cream, put on cotton socks. It is better to perform the procedures before going to bed. They should be done for 2 weeks to remove deep cracks.
2. From nettle. The plant must be taken in the amount of 2 tablespoons, which are poured with boiling water (1 liter). The product should be infused for 4 hours. After that, you need to lower your legs into it and wait 15 minutes. Then the skin should be blotted with a towel, apply a moisturizer. Suitable cream "Gevol". Activities must be carried out systematically. After 2 weeks, the heels will become soft and without cracks.
3. With soda. The product must be taken in an amount of 25 g, which are diluted with warm water (1.5 liters). Feet should be held in such a bath for 15 minutes. Then treat with a moisturizer.

Prevention

If heels crack, what should I do? At home, prevention will be the best means of protection against this unpleasant defect. To prevent cracks from appearing, you should listen to the following recommendations:

1. You need to walk in spacious shoes made of genuine leather.
2. After the pool and sauna, the legs should be lubricated with antifungal agents.
3. The skin of the legs should be moisturized with creams or vegetable oils, and this should be done regularly.
4. It is important to use vitamins A and E, but only after a doctor's recommendation.
5. Regular pedicures are required.
6. You should not walk barefoot for a long time on the hot sand of the beach.
7. The keratinized layers of the skin should not be removed with a razor, as there is a risk of infection.

Conclusion

Cracks in the heels will not appear if you regularly perform caring procedures. Pharmaceutical and home remedies are suitable for this. But if skin defects appear, then they should be treated with proven methods.

In the article we will analyze the causes and treatment of cracked heels with folk remedies at home.

• Why do heels crack?
• Treatment of cracked heels at home:
  1. The simplest folk remedies. TOP 13
  2. Healing compresses
  3. Recipe for an effective mixture
  4. Homemade ointment that heals cracks
  5. Foot baths
• Medications: creams and ointments
• REVIEWS

Why do heels crack?

Cracks in the feet appear for the following reasons:

1. Fungal infection (foot fungus)
2. Dry skin which cracks easily.

If everything is clear with a fungal infection, it remains to figure out why the skin dries.
Causes of dry skin and cracking:

• Wrong, slow metabolism. The reasons for this are age (after 40, the metabolism slows down, the skin condition worsens), chronic diseases (gastritis, diabetes, obesity).
• Lack of vitamins in the diet.
• Increased stratum corneum formation on the feet: this may be due to walking barefoot or walking in uncomfortable flip flops and mules that constantly slap on the heels. Constant mechanical impact leads to roughening of the skin.
• Improper foot care. This may be the wrong cream, excessive friction when removing the stratum corneum, wearing synthetic socks.

What to do if your heels are cracked? The simplest folk remedies

What should be done first? First, you need to analyze the causes of cracked heels and choose the appropriate treatment method. If the cause is a fungal infection, then it is advisable to use products with the addition of vinegar. If the disease is caused by dry skin, then remedies with the addition of honey, herbs, potato and linen compresses, and vinegar will help in this case. Below are folk recipes that helped the readers of the newspaper "Bulletin of Healthy Lifestyle" to cure cracked legs.

1. Woodlice treatment
   To get rid of cracked heels, steam your feet in a decoction of chamomile, calendula. Then put fresh wood lice in your socks, put on your socks and walk like this all day. Everything will drag on quickly. (HLS 2011, No. 20, p. 39).
   Plantain leaves can be added to wood lice. Fresh plantain will immediately relieve the pain. (2007, No. 13, p. 34).
2. What to do to make the wounds shrink faster?
   The reader claims that the best remedy for cracked heels is not to lubricate them with anything. You need to steam your legs every evening and go to bed, the cracks will begin to dry and shrink, and only in the morning anoint them with a fat cream. If the wounds are anointed immediately, then the cream or ointment will not allow them to shrink as much as possible. (2008, No. 18, p. 30).
3. How to treat cracked heels with resin.
   Lubricate cracks with liquid resin - the pain disappears immediately, and the wounds will heal in 1-2 days. The woman experienced this method on herself when she lived in the summer in the village, where she was taught to do this. Feet from resin (resin from pine or spruce) turned black, but this is temporary. (2007, No. 17, p. 32).
4. Home treatment with lipstick
   A woman healed cracked heels with a simple lip balm. Before that, she tried to treat them with various means, but this method turned out to be saving. Every evening, after washing, she smeared her feet with colorless lipstick - everything quickly dragged on. (2007, No. 20, p. 32).
5. How to make a paraffin compress
   If the heels are cracking, you need to take a candle and cut it into a tin can. Take the same amount of butter by volume. Put on fire and stir until smooth. When the mixture has cooled slightly to a tolerable state, pour it on the damaged area, tie it with parchment and put on socks. Everything heals in the morning (2004, No. 1, p. 24).
6. Honey treatment
   If the skin on the feet cracks, then you can do a simple procedure: smear them with honey before going to bed, wash them off in the morning. Everything will heal quickly. (2004, No. 4, p. 24).
7. BF medical glue heals wounds
   When my legs become inflamed and sore, I resort to my ambulance: I buy BF glue at the pharmacy and wear it on them. If the crack is deep, then until the glue has dried, I glue a thin layer of fleece on it. The pain subsides instantly, the lining lasts a long time, you can walk barefoot and swim. (HLS 2013, No. 15, p. 33).
8. Foil
   It is necessary to cut off a piece of foil of a suitable size and fix the foil in the problem area with strips of adhesive tape. Put on thin socks on top and walk like this for three days. Even sleep in socks at night. After three days, peel off the foil and steam the heels, then wipe them with a pumice stone and spread with a fat cream with vitamin A. If after the first procedure the victory is not final, do it again. In addition, include more yellow-orange fruits and vegetables in your diet. They contain a lot of vitamin A, which is necessary for skin health. (HLS 2014, No. 1, p. 28).
9. Patch
   The easiest, fastest and cheapest way is a regular patch. Seal them with wounds - and that's it! Wait without looking under the patch and without removing it for about five days (HLS 2014, No. 15, p. 31).
10. herbal flour
    From fungus, sweating, cracks in the legs, a simple folk remedy will help: put a pinch of herbs: mint, sage, chamomile, celandine, nettle in clean socks in the morning. Wear these socks all day. When walking, herbs turn into powder and fall into all wounds. Do this every morning, laying a new portion of the dry mixture of herbs. The wounds will heal quickly, the bad smell from the feet will disappear. (2004, No. 3 p. 25).
11. Solidol
    This tool helped in just 2 applications. The woman's feet were cracking for many years, she could not put on sandals, before they were terrible. On Saturday after the bath, after steaming her legs well and wiping them dry, she smeared the sores with grease. I wrapped my feet in polyethylene, put on socks and went to bed. A week later, the procedure was repeated. The skin became smooth and soft. (HLS 2003, No. 13, p. 23-24)
    Usually 3-4 such nightly procedures are enough. In advanced cases - 10. (2012, No. 2, p. 38)
12. Interior fat and pork skin.
    • Smear the heels at night with overheated interior beef fat, rubbing into cracks with a cotton swab. In the morning there will be no more pain (HLS 2003, No. 17, p. 26)
    • pork skin. It is necessary to cut off the skin from a piece of unsalted lard so that a layer of lard 2-3 mm thick remains above it. And smear the heel with the greasy side before going to bed. Then put on socks so as not to stain the bed. The skin can be used repeatedly, stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag (it’s just more convenient to use it) (HLS 2016, No. 1, p. 20-21).
    • Can also be used interior lard– after a few procedures, significant progress in treatment will be noticeable. Use according to the same scheme (HLS 2014, No. 17, p. 27).
    • Instead of pork fat or lard, you can also use olive oil(HLS 2014, No. 14, p. 29).
13. Lemon. Feedback on lemon treatment
    I have cured cracked heels at home with a simple lemon. Before that, I didn’t try anything: I did various baths, smeared myself with different creams. It worked, but temporarily. And in summer, in open shoes, the skin roughened and cracked especially quickly.
    After I read that the metabolism improves if the soles are rubbed with lemon at night, I began to do this procedure regularly. In addition, I decided to combine it with foot baths - one evening with soap, the other with soda. Then she removed the stratum corneum with a pumice stone and rubbed the soles with lemon.
    What would you think? The feet stopped overgrowing with rough skin and I forgot about the wounds. Now every evening I use a slice of lemon after a shower for prevention purposes. Sometimes, in order to save money, I take a slice from a mug after drinking tea. (HLS 2012, No. 13, p. 27).

Folk remedies for cracks in the complex
The woman's feet were in a terrible state: they were deeply cracked, covered with many warts, all the tights were torn in the first hour of wearing. She tried to treat them with various means, but with the onset of improvement, she abandoned the treatment, and the problem returned. In addition, after a dislocation of the foot, a bump began to grow on the inside of the thumb, the surgeon said that it was the joint fluid that had leaked out and that the lump should be removed through surgery. Then the woman decided to take care of her health more systematically. I applied a number of activities, and the feet became soft and healthy. In addition, there was a lump on the finger. What exactly helped, she cannot say, but here is what she did:
1. At night, I wrapped my feet with a cloth moistened with urine, over a bag and socks. Washed off in the morning.
2. Tied a cake made of flour, garlic, vinegar to wounds
3. I tied a baked onion, they ate resin.
4. For the night or for the whole day I made a compress with tincture of potato flowers.
5. Cases of a bath of potato decoction or a decoction of herbs of burdock, celandine, calendula, nettle, wormwood - in arbitrary proportions.
6. Lubricated the soles of the ointment, which was prepared from honey, vegetable oil and wax. (2005, No. 15, p. 10).

How to quickly get rid of cracked heels - compresses

Feedback from readers of the newspaper "Bulletin of Healthy Lifestyle".

Honey cake - an effective folk remedy
Knead the dough from 1 tbsp. l. honey and 2 tbsp. l. flour. Divide into 2 parts. At night, steam your feet for 10-15 minutes, wipe them off, and put a honey cake on each heel, wrap with polyethylene and secure with a bandage. Put on socks. Remove everything in the morning, roll the cakes into a ball until the next evening. Do this procedure 5-6 days in a row. All the old rough skin will come off, and dry soles will become pink and smooth. (Bulletin of healthy lifestyle 2011, No. 12 p. 32).

Quick treatment with apple cider vinegar
If the skin on the feet has coarsened, started to crack, then the following folk remedy will help: mix apple cider vinegar and water in a 1: 1 ratio. Soak a cloth in this solution and wrap your legs overnight, pull plastic bags on top and put on socks. During the night, rough skin will become limp and easily cleansed. In the morning, the feet should be washed and lubricated with a nourishing cream. (2010, No. 9, p. 30).

Curdled milk treatment
If the heels crack, it is necessary to make compresses from curdled milk or sour cream for 7-8 days. (2006, No. 11, p. 33).

Raw onion compress at night
Take a raw onion, scroll it in a meat grinder or chop it on a grater, put it in a bag. Put a bag of onion porridge on your leg, fix it and put on a warm sock. Do this before bed. In the morning, scrape the sole and grease with a greasy cream. It will help for 1-3 times. (HLS 2012, No. 10, p. 32).

The woman applied such a compress before going to bed, and in a few days everything healed. A few years have passed since then, and there have been no more problems. Prior to this, she used various homemade ointments and creams that dermatologists prescribed for her, but they were not effective. From the onion, the effect came faster and lasts for a very long time. (HLS 2013, No. 18, p. 33).

How to quickly get rid of cracked heels at home with the help of cabbage.
The woman's feet often cracked to the point of blood, she used various folk remedies, but the cabbage leaf helped the best - after these compresses, her legs have been fine for 10 years. It is necessary to steam the feet, let them dry, then grease with honey, wrap with a cabbage leaf and secure with a plastic bag and a bandage for the whole night. Repeat the procedure 5-7 times. This recipe has helped a lot. (2006, No. 27, p. 31).

How to treat dry heels with potatoes
If the heels are cracked, covered with corns, raw potatoes will help - you need to grate 3-4 potatoes, add the same amount of alcohol, divide the mass into two parts and put in two plastic bags. Put your feet on this mixture, after smearing your feet with cream so that there is no burn, fix it. Sit in front of the TV for three hours, then wash everything off and smear with cream. With the same portion of potatoes, you can make compresses 3-4 times. (2004, No. 16, p. 22).

Laundry soap.
Soak a linen cloth in strong brewed tea and lather with laundry soap. Attach the fabric to the cracked foot, polyethylene on top and fix it overnight. It is necessary to do 3-4 such procedures. (2003, No. 23, p. 27).

Tomato bags
Who has a lot of extra tomatoes in the garden, this method is suitable. Tomato juice works just as effectively as vinegar, but it is more beneficial for the skin.
Cut ripe tomatoes into pieces (2-3 pieces each), put them in plastic bags, lower the legs into the bags, fasten them with socks on top and sit like this for 2-3 hours. Then rinse everything and lubricate the skin with a moisturizer. After 5-6 procedures you will see the result. (HLS 2014, No. 10, p. 28-29).

What else can you smear cracked heels with? Effective folk remedies

Vinegar and glycerin.
This is the simplest and most effective remedy, if you smear your heels with it every day, then cracks can be cured in 7-10 days. This is evidenced by the numerous reviews of readers of the newspaper "Bulletin of Healthy Lifestyle". Here are some tips for making a healing mixture

• Buy a vial of glycerin at the pharmacy, top it up (usually in a bottle of 2/3 of its volume) with vinegar. In the morning, lubricate the feet and fingers with this composition. Then put on socks. After two days, rough, cracked skin will become soft and pink. It will take more time to treat cracks - you need to take 5 vials of glycerin for the course. (HLS 2010, No. 11, p. 30, 2010, No. 14, p. 23).
• Another article says that glycerin and vinegar essence should be taken in a 1: 1 ratio - after bathing, lubricate the soles, they will not crack and peel off. (2009, No. 16, p. 10)
• And here is a similar folk recipe, it was given to the reader by an old paramedic. Only here it is necessary to mix glycerin with ammonia in a ratio of 1: 1. Steam your feet in warm water, wipe and smear your heels with this mixture. With the help of this remedy, the woman managed to cure cracks in her fingers, and her niece completely healed the skin on her legs - she was covered with scales, swollen, with diseased layered nails. A week later, the scales and swelling disappeared, and a month later, the nails became beautiful, strong, shiny, as if varnished. (2010, No. 15, p. 30).
• Another variation of the recipe: mix 3 parts glycerin, 3 parts 70% vinegar and 2 parts alcohol - rub into the soles every evening after washing. This product is well absorbed and does not stain the bed. (Healthy lifestyle 2008 No. 5, p. 30)
• Feedback on treatment with this mixture
  In the summer, my heel disease worsens: they crack badly. I found a life-saving remedy: I ​​mix 25 g of glycerin with 1.5-2 tsp. vinegar essence, shaking this mixture in a small bottle. The medicine is ready!
  Before applying the mixture to the problem area, I steam it in water, treat it with pumice. I do procedures every other day. Everything heals very quickly. (HLS 2014, No. 5, p. 34).
• Feedback on treatment with glycerol alone
  I will tell you how I cured cracked heels. I suffered from this disease from the age of 23 to 71. Couldn't wear sandals. Than just not treated, but the relief was only temporary. Last winter, I remembered that when chicks appeared on my hands, glycerin helped get rid of them. I decided to use glycerin for this problem as well. After four procedures, everything went away (HLS 2015, No. 21, p. 29).

How to prepare ointment for cracked heels at home

Vinegar treatment

• The most effective ointment.
  Wash a white chicken egg, put in a glass and pour 70% acetic acid, close the lid and put in a cool place for 7 days. Then carefully remove the egg with a spoon, put on a plate, mix with 200 g of butter, kneading with a fork into a homogeneous mass. Apply like a cream, rubbing lightly. The course of treatment - until it ends.
  For many years, the man's feet were very cracked, at times he could not walk because of the pain. Lotions from onions, potatoes, herbs did not help him, and expensive medicines prescribed by doctors turned out to be powerless. And this folk remedy immediately showed its effectiveness (2009, No. 18, article 32).
• Yolk, oil and vinegar.
  Mix 1 yolk, 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, 1 tsp. vinegar. You will get a mixture that looks like yellowish sour cream. After the foot bath, apply it on the feet, put on plastic bags and socks. In the morning, wash everything off and treat with a pumice stone. After 2-3 procedures, the feet will become smooth. (2010, No. 22, p. 38,).
  Another similar folk recipe: 1 egg, 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, 1 tbsp. l. vinegar essence - mix.
• Boiled egg ointment
  Many suffer from cracked heels, especially those with diabetes. This is how I deal with this scourge. I grind 1 boiled egg with a fork, add 1 tablespoon of unrefined sunflower oil and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vinegar essence. It turns out an ointment with which I treat the wounds, after which they heal very quickly. (HLS 2013, No. 11, p. 37).
• Tetracycline ointment and apple cider vinegar.
  The woman had problems with the soles of her feet for many years - thick, dry skin constantly grew on them, which cracked. I used many folk recipes, but the following method helped:
  Steam your feet in water with soda, clean your heels with pumice, generously lubricate with 3% tetracycline ointment, put on bags, socks and go to bed. Wash your feet in the morning, gradually the wounds will heal. After that, change tactics: take gauze, moisten it with plenty of apple cider vinegar and wrap the foot, secure with a pin, a bag and a sock. In the morning, rough skin is easily removed with a pumice stone. This procedure should be done every 2-3 months as the skin grows, there will be no cracks at all, and the feet will be smooth. (2009, No. 21, p. 39).

How to treat cracked heels with herbal ointment at home.
Take 4 bunches of lilacs with leaves, 10 marigold flowers, 10 plantain leaves, a handful of cinquefoil and 2 leaves of aloe. Mash all this with a crush and pour 200 g of hot (60-70 degrees) chicken fat. When cool, refrigerate for two days, then heat again and strain. Rub the resulting ointment at night into steamed feet, put on socks. The wounds will heal quickly. (2011, No. 11, p. 28,).

Homemade ointment based on oil and wax.
Heat 100 g of sunflower or olive oil to 40 degrees, remove from heat, add beeswax the size of half a matchbox, stir until the wax dissolves, add 1 tsp. glycerin and 1 tsp. sea ​​buckthorn oil. Mix until smooth, store in the refrigerator. Before going to bed, steam your legs, apply ointment, put on socks and sleep until morning. First, the treatment is carried out every day, then as needed. The skin on the feet will become very soft and smooth (2009, No. 14, p. 31).

Gum will help heal any wounds.
Heat a good butter in an enamel mug, remove the foam, drain the clean butter, and discard the residue with impurities. For 1 cup of ghee, take natural wax with a volume of two matchboxes and the same amount of resin (frozen in the refrigerator and grated). Mix all this, heating no higher than 80 degrees. When everything is dissolved, strain through double cheesecloth, when the mass begins to thicken, add 1 tsp. honey and stir again. It will turn out a healing ointment with the aroma of pine needles, slightly bitter. Store in the freezer in a glass jar.
The properties of the ointment are simply extraordinary: it is able to treat cracked heels, wounds, erosion (tampon), hemorrhoids, trophic ulcers, boils. When taken orally, it helps with stomach ulcers, heartburn. (2009, No. 19, p. 26).
You can add 5-10 g of propolis to this mixture along with resin (review from HLS 2007, No. 4, art. 32).

Onion ointment
Heat 1 cup of unrefined oil and throw 2 chopped onions into it. Saute onion in oil until browned. Then quickly strain and add beeswax to the hot oil. Mix, cool, store in the refrigerator. After washing, lubricate the feet with this composition. (2006, No. 5, p. 32, No. 23, p. 8,).

If your heels are cracking, hellebore will help
Dried and ground into flour roots of hellebore are used for treatment. The resulting powder is mixed with an equal amount of butter. Lubricate with a mixture of sore spots at night, insulate with a bandage. Healing occurs within a week. (2005, No. 21, p. 28).

marshmallow root
Since childhood, I had deep cracks that hurt a lot. Once I read a recipe in a book and decided to use it. He turned out to be my salvation.
For treatment, I took 100 g of fresh crushed marshmallow root and 500 g of interior pork fat. Mixed and languished in a water bath for 2 hours. Then you need to strain, cool. Smear the heels several times a day, this ointment is absorbed for about 20 minutes.
(HLS 2013, No. 8, p. 43).

Treatment of cracked heels at home with the help of trays

Treatment with onion peel.
Pour a handful of onion peels with 2 liters of boiling water, wrap and leave for 1 hour. Pour the infusion into a bowl, add 1 tbsp. l. salt and soda. Soar your feet until the water cools down. Then wipe and smear the entire foot with vegetable oil, then with egg yolk, put on cotton socks, then a plastic bag and woolen socks - and go to bed. To be cured, 4-5 procedures are enough (2009, No. 9, p. 32).

plantain roots
Cracked feet are very easy to treat. Wash plantain roots, pour boiling water, when the water cools to warm, lower your legs, hold for 20 minutes, it is better to do this before going to bed. Dry heels will become soft, the wounds will heal. (2007, No. 20, p. 31).

Treatment of heels from cracks at home with nettle baths.
Per liter of boiling water - 2 tbsp. l. nettles. Steam your feet in this solution, then smear with cream or fat, make a light massage. Instead of nettle, you can take starch - 2 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water. (2002, No. 16, p. 4).

starch solution
In 1 liter of warm water add 1 tbsp. l. potato starch, stir and take a foot bath for 20 minutes. Then wipe the soles dry, lubricate with castor oil or make a compress: put on cotton socks soaked in warm vegetable oil, then wrap with cling film, and put on already dry socks on top. (HLS 2016, No. 6, p. 30).

Pharmacy preparations

In a pharmacy, you can buy the following creams and ointments for the treatment of cracked heels:

1. "BEFORE AND AFTER"- cream for cracked feet. Contains corn and mineral oil, sage and linden extracts, vitamin F, allantoin. The drug stimulates cell regeneration, promotes healing and prevents the formation of corns. The skin becomes soft and supple.
2. GREEN PHARMACY sea ​​buckthorn healing cream. Helps to remove dry calluses; moisturizes, nourishes, softens even the most roughened areas, relieves pain.
3. EVO(EVO) foot cream with urea. Along with a large number of synthetic components, it contains an extract of oak bark, sage, celandine, pine needles, vitamin E and glycerin. Intensively softens very dry and chapped feet. Safely removes calluses and corns. Contains 10% urea. Urea is produced by the human body. It is urea that makes the skin soft and supple.
4. Cream "DOCTOR WITH UREA" Designed to combat corns, dry calluses. For the care of cracked skin.
5. 911 slut remedy for cracked feet. Ingredients: tea tree oil, milk thistle oil, vitamin F, sage extract. It has a wound healing and disinfecting effect. Softens, nourishes and deodorizes the skin of the feet.
6. PANTHENOL spray, BEPANTEN ointment. Ingredients: dexpanthenol. A drug that improves tissue regeneration. The active substance of the drug - dexpanthenol - passes into pantothenic acid, which plays an important role in the processes of metabolism and cell regeneration. Dexpanthenol penetrates well into the affected tissue.
7. Ointment STELLANIN. Composition 1,3-diethylbenzimidazolium triiodide, povidone, dimexide, glycerol, petrolatum. The drug with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and tissue regeneration-improving action for external use with minor "dry" skin lesions (abrasions, cuts, scratches, cracks, scratches). For "weeping" wounds, Stellanin-PEG should be used.

What to do to prevent cracked heels!
Every woman strives for perfection, and legs are no exception. After all, everyone wants to try on new sandals with an open back and, in addition to a fashionable pedicure, demonstrate their well-groomed pink heel. But what if this part of the foot dries, flakes, and the skin cracks? Let's figure out how to solve this problem.

Why heels crack: the main reasons

One of the main reasons that lead to cracked heels is the lack of skin care on the feet. Initially, small notches appear, which eventually develop into deep grooves of cracks. But not always the integrity of the skin on the heel is a lack of care, in some cases such a problem will appear, maybe due to:
Fungal lesions. The spores of the microorganism germinate deep into the skin, leading to their destruction, this causes the formation of cracks.
Diabetes. With such a pathology, any cuts, wounds, etc. heal with great difficulty, so heel cracks are a frequent "companion" of diabetics.
Lack of vitamin A. In the absence of this vitamin in the required quantities on the skin, not only on the feet, dry skin occurs.
Wrong shoes. Wearing uncomfortable, tight shoes leads to microtrauma of the heel, corns and cracks appear.
Malfunctions in the thyroid gland, which lead to malfunctions in the work of the fat and sweat glands, leading to cracked heels.
Overweight. Since with excess body weight there is a large load on the feet, this leads to cracking of the heels.
The first cracks on the heels are small, and by taking the necessary steps in the treatment, you can quickly get rid of the problem, but if you do not take appropriate measures, the situation will worsen, dust and dirt will get into the wounds, which will lead to deepening of the cracks, discomfort and pain when walking.

Cracked heels with diabetes

As mentioned above, in people with diabetes, cracked heels are almost always present, since it is very difficult to get rid of this unpleasant symptom. The fact is that in the blood of a diabetic patient there is an increased rate of glucose, and because of this, the process of healing and regeneration is much more difficult than in a healthy person.
If there is such a pathology as diabetes mellitus, then the following factors can lead to the appearance of cracks in the legs:
dehydration, when insufficient moisture enters the body;
increased sugar, since this condition is considered favorable for the reproduction of microorganisms;
dysfunction of the nervous system, which provokes constant dryness of the skin and heels.
What to do if the cause of cracked heels is a fungus?

Cracked heels are not a symptom of a fungal infection, so if you "picked up" the fungus, cracks can become a concomitant disease. How to identify the presence of mycosis on the legs? Let's analyze its symptoms:
the skin between the fingers loses its natural appearance;
the lesion can be seen on the nails and accompanied by an unpleasant odor;
there is coarsening of the skin of the foot;
the stratum corneum thickens;
an allergic reaction is possible;
itching and discomfort.
Initially, a person who has become infected with a fungus notices subtle peeling, microcracks in the interdigital zone. After, without appropriate therapy, the fungus "sneaks" further, affecting significant areas of the foot.

Although pregnancy is a special condition, during gestation, all of the above causes can cause cracked heels. Quite often, under the influence of a hormonal surge, women in a position are very worried and worried about cracked heels. And everything is quite simple, the main reason for the appearance of cracks in an interesting position is iron deficiency in the body. After all, it is not for nothing that doctors often prescribe iron preparations and other vitamins to pregnant women.
In order not to face the problem of cracked heels, a pregnant woman needs to reconsider her diet and eat more:
beef liver;
greens of different types;
green apples;
other foods rich in iron.
The reason for the appearance of cracks on the heels of a pregnant woman can be other pathologies, so it is necessary to visit a antenatal clinic and take all the necessary tests on time.
The skin on the fingers and heels cracks to the point of blood

If the skin on the heels cracks to the point of blood, then you need to visit a podiatrist. Initially, he will send for scraping in order to exclude a fungal infection. If it is present, antifungal treatment will be prescribed, and the patient will be referred to a dermatologist.
If mycosis is excluded, then the patient will be sent for testing:
gastrointestinal tract;
blood sugar levels;
thyroid gland.
Perhaps the cause of deep cracking is beriberi or wearing uncomfortable shoes, then it will be much easier to deal with the problem. For local treatment of severe cracks, in the absence of purulent inflammation, it is recommended to use solid oil ointment. The course of its application is 10 days. Also pay attention to the traditional treatment recipes and traditional medicine tips described below.
Heels crack and dry: what to do at home?

To help yourself at home, firstly, you need to properly care for your heels, and secondly, if there is a pathology that provokes the appearance of cracks, treat the root cause.

baths of soap and soda to soften the skin;
apply vaseline-based ointments;
antibiotic ointments (as prescribed by a doctor);
fortified creams;
medicinal oils.
Please note that if there is inflammation in the cracks (redness, suppuration), you need to seek help from a specialist.

Remedies for cracked heels

To combat cracked legs, you can use the following traditional medicine:
for internal use, vitamins for beriberi. Particular attention should be paid to preparations with a high content of iron, vitamin E, carotene;
for external use medical and cosmetic creams and ointments.

Traditional medicine as a remedy for cracked heels suggests using: baths;

lotions;
compresses;
homemade ointments.
An overview of medical (cosmetic) products and folk recipes for treatment can be found below.
The best ointments for cracked heels

We offer to make ointments from cracks with your own hands. Such remedies will help get rid of the problem for a long time.
Glycerin ointment.

To prepare it, prepare:
100 g - olive oil;
1 tbsp - beeswax;
1 tsp - glycerin;
1 tsp - sea buckthorn oil.
Heat olive oil to 40 degrees. Dissolve the wax in it and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until smooth, transfer to a small container and store in the refrigerator. This ointment is used after steaming and removing the stratum corneum, at night.
Badger fat ointment

Preparing ingredients for cooking:
50 ml - badger fat;
1 tsp - calendula (crushed flowers);
1 tsp - chopped celandine grass.
Melt badger fat in a steam bath. Cover the herbs with boiling water and leave for 1 minute to steam. Put the swollen mass into melted fat and cook for 30 minutes. Do not allow the mass to boil. Store the resulting ointment in the refrigerator, use at night.
How to cure cracked heels with cream: product rating

Consider creams that help heal cracked heels:
moisturizing and nourishing products;
healing creams;
emollients;
Treatments and baths at home for cracked heels

To combat cracked heels, traditional medicine has the following recipes:
Bath with lemon juice and salt. For 3 liters of hot water, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and sea salt. Keep your feet in such water for 20 minutes, after which you can lubricate with a nourishing pharmacy or homemade cream.
Herbal decoction. Pour 3 tablespoons of marigold flowers and nettle leaves into a container. Pour all 3 liters of boiling water, let it boil. When the broth has cooled to an acceptable temperature, lower the feet into it and hold for 20 minutes. Finally, apply a fat cream to dry heels. Do these procedures 3 times a week.
The use of oils. If the cause of dry heels is increased dryness of the skin, then coconut or sesame oil will help. It should be used regularly in the evening before bed.
Onion compress. Kill two small onions with a blender, add 1 tbsp each of honey and vegetable oil to them. Bring the mixture to a homogeneous consistency. Make a tampon from gauze or bandage, apply the mixture on it and attach it to the heels, wrap it with cling film on top and put on a sock. Keep such a compress for 40-60 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
How to care for heels if they crack?

With rough heels that crack over time, you need to have an abrasive heel file, pumice stone and a good washcloth in your arsenal.
Initially, process the heel with a heel file “dry” without steaming. From the first time, all the skin may not be removed, so the procedure can be carried out 2-3 days in a row. If the “dry” procedure is too painful, then remove the keratinized layer, after steaming it out, with a pumice stone.
After washing your feet with a shower using a washcloth and hygiene products. Finally, generously lubricate the treated areas with a nourishing cream containing vitamins A or F. After such procedures, it is necessary to abandon petroleum jelly, as it dries the skin, thereby exacerbating the problem.
Heels dry and crack: what is the body lacking?

With a lack of vitamin A in the body, the heels are the first to suffer. After all, it is retinol that ensures the health and beauty of the skin. Vitamin A is called fat-soluble, as it regulates the synthesis of protein compounds in the human body, and also takes an active part in the regeneration of new cells and strengthens their subcellular membranes. In the absence of retinol in the body in sufficient quantities, the epidermis dries out and loses its elasticity.

Vitamin A deficiency can be blamed on: the minimum amount of consumption of products that contain retinol. This group includes: eggs, carrots, liver, etc.;

lack of vitamin E, because of this, retinol is not absorbed in the amount in which it enters the body;
certain pathologies lead to vitamin A deficiency (gastritis, dermatitis, kidney disease, diabetes, beriberi);
malfunctions in the endocrine system, this group should include the natural changes that occur during pregnancy, puberty, menopause.
What to do to prevent cracked heels: preventive measures

Prevention of the appearance of cracked heels is as follows:
Removal of the stratum corneum from the heels twice a week.
Apply moisturizer to your heels at night.
Eat foods rich in vitamin A.
If you visit public places (pool, bath), use an antifungal agent for 2-5 days.
Proper care of your heels will help to avoid problems such as cracks.

Hello readers. Today we will talk about heels. The problem of cracked heels is familiar to many. If you start taking action immediately, then the heels heal quickly. But, I immediately want to note that the answer must be sought within. There are many reasons why heels can crack. Self-medication is not worth it, only a doctor can make the correct diagnosis based on the results of the examination. Today I want to tell you about the possible reasons why heels can crack. Also, I want to tell you what to do with cracks in order to prevent inflammation and infection from getting into cracks.

The heels and skin of the feet should be constantly monitored, washed feet, use a pumice stone, use creams to moisturize the skin of the feet. So that later you don't have to ask yourself questions about what to do. But, if such a problem has already happened, then there is a solution for everything and you can get rid of cracked heels at home.

Cracks can be whitish in winter, and in summer when dust gets into them, they are darker and more noticeable. But, the problem does not go anywhere if you do not take action.

Why do heels crack? The reasons.

There are quite a few reasons why heels crack, often it is a lack of time to take care of the heels and feet, which leads, first to small notches, and then to deeper cracks. Also, it's a health problem.

• The first thing to note is the lack of vitamins in the body, especially vitamin A. A lack of vitamin A can lead to dry skin, not only on the heels, but also on the hands, face and body.
• Injured heels due to uncomfortable shoes. Due to improperly chosen shoes, corns are formed, heels can crack and even the foot is deformed.
• Cracks can be the cause of fungal diseases.
• Diabetes mellitus, as one of the main causes of cracked heels, it is very important to donate blood for sugar in order to know the level of sugar in the blood.
• Heels can crack due to disruption of the thyroid gland, as well as in violation of the internal organs.
• Cracking heels can be due to the fact that there is no proper care for the heels. After all, most people remember leaving, already closer to the summer, when it's time to switch to open shoes.
• The problem of cracked heels can be observed in people who cost a lot, these are sellers, hairdressers, cooks, etc.
• If the skin on the feet and heels is dry, pay attention to the work of the kidneys.
• An unbalanced diet can cause cracks.
• Heels can dry and crack with excess body weight, as the load goes to the legs.

Cracks on the heels can be small, but if not taken care of, dust can get into them, the cracks become larger over time, which can be aggravated by inflammation. Thus creating inconvenience, pain and discomfort when walking. What to do? Of course, take action.

If there are no problems with internal organs, or serious health problems, timely treatment will bring results. But it happens that there are serious health problems and they require treatment, then here you can’t do without the help of a doctor.

What to do if the heels dry and crack?

What can be done at home? Heel care. These are daily routines. Baths, scrubs, masks, creams, homemade ointments. If every evening to pay attention to the heels, then after a week the condition of the heels will improve significantly.

Pay attention to your diet, include fresh vegetables, fruits, vegetable, fruit juices in your diet. You can also drink a complex of vitamins. What vitamins are good for the skin and what products they contain can be found in the article "".

To cure cracks, you need to be patient, the wounds heal faster if they do not get hoop and dirt. Each time, layer by layer, you need to remove dead cells with a pumice stone. Moisturize the skin with creams and healing ointments.

It is very useful to make homemade foot masks from natural ingredients. Steam the legs in the pelvis and apply a homemade mask for 20 minutes. Recipes for masks can be found in the article "". In the article you will find recipes for homemade foot masks.

Foot baths. Before you clean your heels with a pumice stone, you need to steam your feet in a bowl of hot water, you can add a little soda to the water or use a decoction of herbs. From herbs suitable chamomile, calendula, sage. I really like the soda bath, it perfectly softens the skin, which helps to better remove the stratum corneum. For two liters of warm water, you need to take two tablespoons of soda, stir and pour everything into the bath. You can add a few drops of essential oil if you like.

Feet are kept in the bath for 20 minutes, then you need to use a pumice stone, remove the stratum corneum gradually so as not to injure the heels. Iron "graters" are not suitable for removing the stratum corneum, as they injure the heels. After the heels have been cleaned with a pumice stone, the feet should be rinsed with warm water and dried with a towel. You should have a separate towel for your feet.

After that, we apply a nourishing cream with vitamins or homemade ointment to the skin of the feet and heels. You can oil your feet. Perfect: cocoa butter, shea butter, almond oil, peach seed oil, olive oil, etc. After the procedure, it is advisable to wear cotton socks.

With cracks in the heels, I offer you a recipe for homemade ointment based on wax and propolis. Checked repeatedly by my grandmother. This is her recipe, which helped her get rid of cracks. Since grandfather had an apiary, they had no problems with natural honey, wax and propolis. Therefore, instead of creams and oils, you can apply homemade ointment to your heels.

Ointment based on wax. To prepare the ointment, we need: a glass of vegetable oil on which you need to fry one onion, remove the onion, add one hundred grams of wax to the oil (the wax must first be rubbed on a grater), as well as a piece of propolis (the size of a pea). Melt everything and let it boil for a couple of minutes. Drain the ointment into a jar. The ointment is ready. We apply ointment on the heels, after the bath.

The ointment really helps cracks heal very quickly. So beeswax and propolis have anti-inflammatory, wound healing, bactericidal properties.

Ointment based on oils. I improved this ointment a little, I prepare it from oils and wax. Such an ointment heals both cracks in the lips and cracks in the heels, suitable for lubricating elbows and knees. To prepare an ointment from oils, melt a couple of tablespoons of wax in a water bath, add cocoa butter and shea butter, a teaspoon each. When the oils are melted, we set everything aside from the fire and add a couple of teaspoons of sea buckthorn oil, or calendula oil, or wheat germ oil. Pour the ointment into a jar and store in the refrigerator.

Oils and ointment of calendula can be purchased at a pharmacy, and wax, propolis, from beekeepers in the market.

Ointment of calendula. Cracks on the heels are healed with calendula ointment. At night, after you have steamed and cleaned your heels with a pumice stone, apply calendula ointment and put on socks. After 4-5 procedures you will see a positive result.

For deeper cracks, you can use an antibiotic ointment in the composition. But if you have tried many folk remedies for the treatment of cracked heels, and the cracks do not heal, or the bass has very deep cracks on the heels, then this is a reason to see a doctor.

Cracked heels are a very unpleasant and painful phenomenon that belongs to the category dermatitis (skin diseases ). A crack is a partial violation of the integrity of the skin on the heel. They can be either an independent pathology, with the development of further complications, or a manifestation of any disease.

Cracked heels are a very common occurrence. Women are most susceptible to this pathology, but it is also observed among men. It is generally accepted that cracked heels appear only with age. However, this is not the case, they can appear even in young people. The frequency of occurrence of this problem depends on the presence of concomitant pathologies. More than 90 percent of people with diabetes or anemia are prone to this pathology. Banal hypovitaminosis causes cracked heels in every second.

Cracked heels are very uncomfortable, so some people are willing to take drastic measures. One such method is to eliminate cracks with building glue ( super glue). So, some ordinary people recommend gluing cracks with super glue, arguing that this method is safe and effective.

The skin is made up of the epidermis and dermis. The skin of the foot due to its structural features is also called thick skin. The difference between thick skin and thin skin all parts of the body except feet and hands) is the thickness of the epidermis ( top layer of skin). The epidermis of the foot consists of five layers of skin, which equals 70 - 100 layers of cells.

The structure of the epidermis of the foot:

• basal layer;
• layer of spiny cells;
• granular layer;
• shiny or radiant layer;
• stratum corneum.

The main cells of the epidermis are called keratinocytes because they contain the protein keratin. Keratin, being the main protein of the skin, performs a protective function.

Basal layer

It is the innermost layer and performs the function of regeneration ( skin restoration). New epidermal cells are formed in it, as old cells from the surface layer gradually die off. The complete process of renewal of the epidermis occurs in 28 days. However, with age or with certain diseases ( anemia) this process slows down. The epidermis is not updated with new and high-quality cells, and the skin of the feet, taking on the greatest load, is damaged.

layer of spiny cells

This layer consists of 10 layers of cells. In this layer, some stages of growth of keratinocytes migrating from the basal layer occur. These layers are connected using certain structures ( desmosome), which look like spikes ( hence the name).

Granular layer

Consists of 4-5 layers of keratinocytes, in which proteins are synthesized ( keratin, filaggrin). Keratinocytes are interconnected by a kind of cementing substance, thus creating a waterproof barrier in the epidermis. This barrier further prevents the skin from drying out. As this layer thins, the skin dries out and cracks form in it.
In this layer, a substance of complex composition is formed - keratohyalin, which under a microscope looks like granules or grains ( from which it got its name). This substance is a precursor of keratin and performs the protective functions of the skin.

glitter layer

Consists of 3-5 layers of flat keratinocytes. In this layer, keratohyalin granules merge and form a light-refracting mass. This mass, essentially consisting of keratin and hyaline, is found only in the epidermis of the feet and palms.

stratum corneum

It is the most superficial and thickest layer. Its thickness on the foot is more than 600 microns. It consists of keratinocytes that have completed differentiation, which are called horny scales. These scales are interconnected by a cementing substance, which is rich in fats. Thanks to these fats, the scales form a dense, normally waterproof layer.

However, due to certain enzymes, in the superficially located layers, this layer is split. As a result of this, the horny scales begin to be rejected. Thus, there is a constant renewal of the epidermis, which consists in the rejection of superficial horny scales and the formation of new ones.

Changes in skin cells on the heels while walking

While walking, the foot, and with it the skin, takes on the entire load of the body. The skin is subjected to pressure and friction while walking. At the same time, skin cells constantly change their shape - they stretch and shrink. The cells along the edges of the foot are subject to the greatest change. When placing the foot on the ground, they stretch, and when it is raised, they are compressed.


At the same time, in order to increase the area of ​​the foot and evenly distribute the load along its edges, the cells of the superficial stratum corneum begin to grow intensively. This phenomenon is called hyperkeratosis and often underlies the formation of cracks. Since the thicker the stratum corneum, the less elastic it is, which means that when walking, those cells of the foot that are constantly stretched will be injured and destroyed.

Normally, the process of formation of new cells and removal of old ones is in balance and controlled by the body. However, for certain reasons, the cells of the epidermis can be more vulnerable and damaged more quickly.

There are the following reasons for the formation of cracked heels:

• diabetes;
• Iron-deficiency anemia;
• hypovitaminosis, in particular vitamins A and E;
• fungal infection;
• dermatitis.

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is one of the main pathologies accompanied by cracked heels. The difference between cracked feet in diabetes is that they are not accompanied by a feeling of pain or discomfort.

The cause of the development of cracks is diabetic angiopathy ( vascular damage). At the same time, blood circulation in the vessels is disturbed in a person and, first of all, the vessels of the legs suffer. Blood, as you know, is a source of not only oxygen, but also nutrients for tissues. Therefore, in tissues where blood circulation is disturbed, trophic changes occur. Elasticity is lost, and most importantly, the skin of the feet ( and whole body) becomes dehydrated. The lack of moisture in the stratum corneum causes a violation of the integrity of its structure, that is, the formation of cracks.

Diabetic polyneuropathy is a complicating factor in diabetes mellitus ( peripheral nerve damage). It is the cause of the absence of pain. This seemingly facilitating factor provokes the deepening of cracks and their expansion. Since a person does not feel pain, the cracks increase and an infection joins them.

Iron-deficiency anemia

The cause of cracked heels is sideropenic syndrome with iron deficiency anemia. This syndrome is caused by iron deficiency in the tissues and, as a result, dystrophic changes in the skin. Since iron in tissues is used for the synthesis of various proteins and enzymes, its deficiency or absence leads to disruption of the structure and cell division.
Iron deficiency is most acute in epithelial cells and epidermal cells, as these are the most rapidly renewing tissues of the body.

Iron deficiency in the epidermis is manifested by the following symptoms:

• dry skin;
• peeling of the skin;
• crack formation.

Hypovitaminosis

The lack of vitamins A and E in the body leads to various dystrophic and inflammatory changes in the skin. Vitamin E is also called a skin protector because it protects cell membranes from damage. Even a slight decrease in it leads to dehydration of skin cells. Along with water, the elasticity of the skin is also lost. Dry and inelastic skin of the feet does not withstand the load that is placed on it. Under the load of weight, the skin bursts and cracks form in it.

Vitamin A, in turn, takes part in skin renewal processes. It synthesizes enzymes that prevent premature keratinization of the epidermis. However, with hypovitaminosis A, the process of keratinization ceases to be under control, and increased keratinization of the skin, that is, hyperkeratosis, is observed. The skin is dry and rough. The inelastic skin of the feet is injured, and cracks form in it.

fungal infection

Cracks in the heels can become not only the entrance gate for the penetration of the fungus, but also be a consequence of a fungal infection. The most common source of cracks in the legs are fungal infections such as rubrophytosis and epidermophytosis. These are the most common lesions of the skin of the feet. The fungus, developing on the surface of the foot, stimulates an enhanced keratinization process. As a result, the skin becomes thickened due to multiple keratinized layers. As already known, the thicker the stratum corneum, the less elastic it is. Inelastic cells of the epidermis are more likely to be injured during walking.

A fungal infection disrupts the integrity of the layers of the epidermis, as a result of which the surface layer of the skin becomes permeable to moisture and the penetration of a secondary infection. This further complicates the situation with cracks.

Dermatitis

Foot dermatitis can also cause cracked heels. The reason for this is the same loss of elasticity and dryness of the skin. With dermatitis, the skin becomes dry, irritated, more susceptible to injury. Due to the presence of the inflammatory process, the skin becomes very susceptible to the slightest injury. A slight abrasion or scratch on the foot leads to the development of microcracks, which eventually turn into cracks. At the same time, cracks are constantly inflamed, painful and become a gateway for the penetration of numerous infections.

Factors such as long standing, obesity, poor hygiene are risk factors for developing cracked heels. Overweight people are most at risk, as the entire load is taken by the feet, and with them the skin. If we add to this a long stay on our feet, then cracks in the heels will not keep you waiting.
Neglect of hygiene rules, tight and uncomfortable shoes are factors that, together with the main causes, contribute to the formation of cracks in the legs.

How to get rid of cracked heels?

Elimination of the causes of violations of the properties of the skin

Cracked heels are rarely an independent pathology. Basically, they indicate the presence of immune, metabolic or endocrine disorders in the body. Therefore, the treatment of cracked heels begins with the elimination of the causes that led to their appearance. To find out the cause, you need to contact your family doctor and go through some research.


Laboratory and instrumental studies to identify the causes of cracked heels:

• glucose tolerance test;
• dopplerography of the vessels of the lower limb;
• microscopy of tissue from the lesion.

General blood analysis
A complete blood count can reveal one of the most common causes of cracked heels - anemia.

Iron deficiency anemia is characterized by:

• decrease in hemoglobin concentration less than 120 grams per liter;
• decrease in the number of erythrocytes less than 3.5 x 9 12
• color index less than 0.9;
• erythrocytes of various sizes are observed ( anisocytosis), erythrocytes of smaller diameter ( microcytosis).

A hematologist can confirm or rule out anemia. For a more detailed picture, he may ask some questions, the positive answer to which will testify in favor of anemia.

For example:

• “Did the patient develop any unusual food cravings? For example, an irresistible desire to eat chalk, soil, clay?
• "Do you have a preference for salty, spicy foods?"
• "Does he have a marked weakness?"
• “Does the patient have palpitations, shortness of breath when walking?”

Iron deficiency anemia is also characterized by weakness, palpitations, and sometimes perverted taste preferences ( to chalk, earth).

Iron deficiency anemia is treated with iron supplements. The duration of taking these medications depends on the degree of anemia and the individual characteristics of each organism. The dose also depends on the degree of decrease in hemoglobin and is selected individually.

List of the most common iron preparations:

• totem;
• sorbifer;
• ferrum lek;
• haemopher.

Biochemical blood test and glucose tolerance test
A biochemical blood test can reveal different stages of diabetes. As a rule, the analysis is given on an empty stomach.

Indicators of a biochemical blood test for diabetes mellitus:

• fasting glucose more than 5.5 mmol per liter;
• after a meal, the glucose level is more than 8.0 mmol per liter.

After a biochemical analysis, an endocrinologist may recommend a sugar load test or a glucose tolerance test. The essence of the test is that after taking a biochemical blood test on an empty stomach, the patient is given a glass of water with 75 grams of dissolved sugar to drink. After that, the patient's glucose level is determined every half an hour.

Blood glucose levels two hours after glucose load:

• less than 7 mmol / liter - is regarded as the norm;
• from 7 to 11 mmol / liter - is regarded as prediabetes;
• more than 11 mmol / liter - diabetes mellitus.

To clarify the diagnosis, the endocrinologist may ask some questions.

For example:

• Does the patient feel constant thirst?
• "Is there dry skin?"
• "Does he urinate frequently?"

If a person often feels thirsty, and the skin is dry and irritated, then he may have diabetes.

In diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemic agents are prescribed that inhibit the formation of glucose in the liver, thereby reducing its level in tissues and in the blood. As a rule, drugs are prescribed before meals or during the meal itself. The dose of drugs is selected based on the level of glucose and the presence of complications of diabetes ( damage to the kidneys, eye vessels).

Hypoglycemic agents for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

• metformin;
• glibenclamide ( synonym - Maninil);
• glipizide.

Also an obligatory element in the treatment of diabetes is diet, which consists in the limited use of carbohydrates ( white bread, muffin, sugar).

Dopplerography of the vessels of the lower limb
If the doctor suspects that the cause of the cracks is poor blood supply to the lower extremities, then he may refer the patient to undergo Doppler ultrasound of the vessels of the legs. This diagnostic method evaluates the condition of the vessels of the lower extremities, and also determines the rate of blood flow in these vessels.
With angiopathy, there is a decrease in blood flow, while the walls of the vessels can be thickened, narrowed, or the blood supply can be completely disrupted in them. Treatment for circulatory disorders depends on the cause of the disease.

Drugs that improve blood circulation in the vessels:

• venoruton;
• bilobil.

Microscopy method
The method of microscopy is a publicly available study of fungal infections. Scales from the lesion are treated with a special solution and then examined under a microscope. If a fungus was found in the test material, the dermatologist recommends antifungal treatment.

Antifungals used in the treatment of a fungal infection of the feet:

• cream terbizil;
• mycoterbin cream;
• nizoral cream.

How to take care of your feet to avoid complications?

Ointments for the treatment of cracks

A drug	Mechanism of action	Usage Method
ointment Balzamed (contains provitamin B5, vitamin E, vitamin A, glycerin and lactic acid)	The ointment has a moisturizing and nourishing effect on the skin of the feet, prevents the formation of cracks, redness, irritation. Vitamins A and E increase the skin's resistance to infection and damage	The ointment is applied effortlessly to the area of ​​cracks with massaging movements. The drug should be used daily, after water procedures
ointment Radevit (containsvitamin E, vitamin A, vitaminD2, wax emulsion and glycerin)	The cream stimulates the regeneration of the skin, has an anti-inflammatory and disinfectant effect. Vitamins E, A and D2 contribute to the rapid restoration of damaged tissues	Radevit is applied in a thin layer twice a day. Before applying the ointment, the skin should be treated with an antiseptic.
cream Lamisil	The cream fights infection, prevents and destroys the fungus. Promotes rapid healing of cracks and restoration of affected tissues	Apply a small amount of cream to problem areas once a day. Before applying the cream, the feet must be washed with warm water and dried with a towel.
cream BioAstin antifungal (contains flax oil, sage extract, mint extract, clove essential oil, tea tree essential oil, urea and allantoin)	The cream has an antifungal effect, fights infections, protects the skin from pathogenic microflora. The oils included in the cream have a softening effect. Extracts and extracts from plants contribute to the rapid healing of cracks	Apply the ointment to the cleansed skin of the heels with massaging movements.
gel Zazhivin (includestea tree essential oil, milk thistle oil; vitaminFand sage extract)	The gel promotes the rapid healing of cracks in the heels, has a wound healing and bactericidal effect.	The cream should be applied before going to bed with massaging movements on pre-washed feet.
foot cream for cracked heels Ambulance (contains vaseline, wax, glycerin, allantoin, olive oil, vitaminsFandE)	The cream has a healing and bactericidal effect. The herbal extracts included in the composition accelerate the healing of cracks. Oils and wax soften and nourish the skin of the feet. Vitamins activate the restoration of damaged skin	The cream is applied to the affected areas. Before applying the cream, steam the skin of the feet and treat with a pumice stone. From above, fix the crack with a plaster, pulling together its edges. Put on cotton socks
Dardia Lipo Balm (contains urea, microcrystalline wax, paraffin, petroleum jelly and corn starch)	The urea in the cream fights dryness, effectively softening rough skin. Wax and paraffin normalize the water balance of the skin. The cream has a restorative effect, promotes the speedy healing of cracks	Apply with circular massaging movements. Use as a nourishing cream twice a day

Folk remedies for cracked heels

For the treatment of cracked heels, traditional medicine offers:

• compresses;
• baths;
• ointments.

Compresses
Compresses for the treatment of cracked heels moisturize and nourish the skin of the feet. The composition prepared in accordance with the recipe is applied to the affected areas, after which the feet are wrapped with plastic wrap. To enhance the effect, you should wear warm socks, and after removing the product, lubricate the heels with a fat cream.

In the treatment of cracked heels, the following compresses are used:

• onion compress;
• a compress of apples and milk;
• potato compress;
• aloe compress;
• oil compresses.

Onion compress
Onion-based compress has excellent bactericidal properties. The procedure should be repeated at least three times.

To prepare a compress you will need:

• two medium-sized bulbs;
• one teaspoon of soda;
• two liters of warm water;
• food film;
• clean cloth;
• bandage.

Before applying the compress, the legs should be steamed out by holding them in warm water with soda. Next, the onion gruel wrapped in fabric should be applied to the heels, wrapped in foil and bandaged. Leave the composition overnight, and in the morning wash off with warm soapy water. After removing the onion, the feet should be treated with a pumice stone and greased with a fat cream.

Apple and milk compress
Vitamins and microelements contained in milk and apple nourish the skin of the feet and promote the speedy healing of cracks.

In order to prepare an apple-milk compress, you should prepare:

• apples - two pieces of medium size;
• milk - 200 grams of low fat content;
• baking soda - one teaspoon;
• Wheat flour ( of necessity).

Cut the apples into small cubes along with the peel, add milk and soda and put on a slow fire in an enamel bowl. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes, until gruel. If the mass is too liquid, one or two teaspoons of wheat flour should be added. After cooling the composition slightly, apply it in a thick layer ( 0.6 - 1 cm) on the heels, putting a gauze bandage on top. Keep it as long as the compress is warm. You can extend the procedure by wrapping gauze on top with cling film or parchment. An apple-milk compress should be done at least once a week, until a positive result occurs.

Potato compress
Potato compresses have a wound-healing antibacterial effect on cracked heels. The procedure should be carried out daily for ten days.
To prepare the composition, take three raw potatoes. The vegetable should be grated on a fine grater and gruel applied to the affected areas. You need to keep the compress for one and a half to two hours, then wash off the composition, treat the heels with pumice and grease with a nourishing cream.

Aloe compress
Aloe vera compresses have a softening effect and contribute to the fastest recovery of cracked heels. Take a few stems of this plant, finely chop and then soften to a pulp. With the help of a plastic film and a bandage, the mass should be fixed on the heels, put on socks on top and leave the compress overnight.

Oil compresses
Oils have a moisturizing and nourishing effect, so they are widely used in the fight against cracked heels. You should take cotton socks, soak them in warm oil. Put on socks on pre-steamed feet, wrap with cling film on top.

The following types of oils can be used as a base for a compress:

• olive;
• castor;
• almond;
• corn;
• sunflower.

Added to any of the above oils, glycerin will help soften the skin and have an antimicrobial effect. When preparing an oil-glycerin mixture, a 2:1 ratio should be observed. Increases the effectiveness of oil compresses with a few drops of fir or eucalyptus essential oil. They have a wound healing effect, and also improve blood circulation in tissues.

Trays
Daily baths are an effective remedy for treating cracked heels. The key to the success of this popular method is the systematic implementation of procedures.

As the main ingredient for baths can be used:

• herbal infusions;
• starch;
• sea ​​salt;
• White wine.

Herbal infusions for foot baths
Baths based on medicinal herbs have a positive effect on cracked heels due to their anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. For the procedure, you need to prepare a decoction. One tablespoon of dry plants should be poured with a liter of water, brought to a boil and kept on low heat for half an hour. Dilute the decoction with water to an acceptable temperature and keep your feet in it for thirty to forty minutes. After the bath, blot your feet with a towel, do a light massage and lubricate with a nourishing cream.

In the treatment of cracked heels, the following plants are used:

• sage;
• St. John's wort;
• elecampane;
• succession;
• chamomile;
• calendula;
• Oak bark.

You need to use herbs in dry form, bought at a pharmacy.

Starch bath
In order to prepare a bath with starch for the feet, you need a liter of warm water and one tablespoon of potato starch. After combining the starch with water, lower the legs into the resulting mass for half an hour. As the composition cools, gradually add hot water. Next, wash your feet with warm water without soap, lubricate with a nourishing cream and put on socks.
Starch baths soften the rough skin of the heels well and accelerate the healing of cracks. You can enhance the effect of the procedure by adding a few drops of rosemary essential oil, which has an antibacterial effect. Baths should be taken daily for eight to ten days. For deep non-healing cracks, replace the water with a decoction of herbs such as calendula, chamomile, St. John's wort ( 5 grams of each plant in dry form per liter of water).

You can supplement the starch bath by applying a special mixture to the affected areas. Take equal parts of aloe and onion juice. Combine with fish oil and enough flour to make a slurry similar in consistency to yeast dough. Form the mixture into cakes and apply to the cracks, securing the top with wax paper or cling film. Wrap your feet with a bandage and put warm socks on top. The compress should be left overnight. In the morning, wash off with warm water, and treat the cracks with a strong decoction of calendula or oak bark.

Baths with sea salt
The trace elements contained in sea salt help to improve blood circulation and restore the affected areas on the feet. Also baths with sea salt have a softening and exfoliating effect. Add one hundred grams of sea salt and one tablespoon of soda to warm water. Soak your feet in the solution for fifteen minutes. Pat dry with a towel and rub with a slice of lemon. Then lubricate the heels with olive or any other oil and put on warm socks.

Baths with wine
Baths of wine with the addition of linden have a softening effect on the rough skin of the heels and contribute to the rapid healing of cracks. To carry out this procedure, you should take two hundred milliliters of dry white wine and one tablespoon of dried linden flowers. Put the composition on fire and bring to a boil. Combine a liter of warm water and the resulting broth and dip your feet into it in the resulting solution. After ten minutes, rub your feet with a washcloth and return them back to the water. Repeat these steps several times. After the water with wine has cooled, blot your feet and spread with a nourishing cream, or vegetable oil.

Ointments
Ointments prepared according to folk recipes to combat cracked heels should be applied before going to bed, leaving them overnight. To enhance the effect, the feet should be wrapped with plastic wrap and put on warm socks. Washing off the composition, you need to treat the problem areas with pumice, and then apply vegetable oil, petroleum jelly or softening cream.

The following products can serve as the basis for ointments:

• pork fat;
• badger fat;
• petrolatum.

Ointment from carrots and pork fat
Take fresh carrots of medium size, and grate on a fine grater. Melt one hundred grams of pork fat in a water bath. After adding the carrots to the melted fat, leave the mixture on the fire for fifteen minutes. Next, strain the mixture through cheesecloth into a glass jar and cool to room temperature. The prepared ointment can be used both independently and as an additional element of care after baths and compresses. Fat softens the skin of the heels well, and the beneficial elements found in carrots nourish the skin. Store the ointment in the refrigerator.

Herbal ointment based on badger fat
The badger fat included in this ointment will make the skin of the heels more elastic and elastic, thanks to vitamins A and E, which are part of it. Herbs have a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect, prevent the development of infection in cracked heels.

To prepare the ointment, the following ingredients are needed:

• badger fat - fifty milliliters;
• dried calendula flowers - one teaspoon;
• dried celandine flowers - one teaspoon.

Badger fat and plants should be purchased at the pharmacy.
Pour boiling water over dry herbs and soak them in water for one minute. Put the fat in a water bath and ten minutes later add the calendula flowers and celandine herbs. Soak the composition in a water bath for thirty minutes, stirring thoroughly and avoiding boiling. Next, the hot fat must be filtered through a sieve and poured into a glass dish. Store the ointment in the refrigerator, warming up in a water bath before use.

Vaseline based ointment
Plantain ointment, prepared on the basis of petroleum jelly, has excellent bactericidal and wound-healing properties. Dry leaves of the plant should be ground into fine dust and mixed with a few drops of vegetable, olive or almond oil. Next, combine the composition with petroleum jelly in a ratio of 1: 9.
Also, on the basis of petroleum jelly, you can prepare an ointment from calendula. One tablespoon of crushed dried flowers of this plant should be mixed with four tablespoons of petroleum jelly. Calendula ointment stimulates tissue repair, prevents inflammation and has antibacterial properties.

Mechanical treatments for cracked heels

Mechanical treatment of heel cracks consists in the removal of rough skin on the affected areas and in the further treatment of wounds with special means.

Cleaning includes the following steps:

• steaming the skin;
• peeling;
• crack treatment;
• nutrition and hydration.

Steaming the skin

In order to steam the skin on the feet, you should prepare a soda-soap solution. You can prepare various baths with herbs, glycerin.

To prepare a soda-soap solution you will need:

• one litre ( four glasses) water - temperature 40 - 50 degrees Celsius;
• soda - 30 grams ( one tablespoon);
• liquid soap.

Combine all the components in a container designed for foot baths and lower your legs there. Add boiling water as the water cools. The duration of the procedure should be at least thirty minutes.

bath with glycerine
To prepare a glycerin foot bath, combine five grams ( one teaspoon) glycerin and two liters of warm water ( 45 - 50 degrees Celsius). Soak your feet in water and soak them for half an hour. You can enhance the effect by adding two tablespoons of table 9 percent vinegar to the solution.

Bath with chamomile
Take six tablespoons of dry pharmaceutical chamomile and pour half a liter ( two glasses) boiling water. Leave for ten minutes for the solution to infuse. Next, mix the steamed chamomile with three liters of room temperature water. Dip your feet in the water and hold them for ten to fifteen minutes.

Bath with tar soap
One hundred grams of tar soap ( half a bar) grind with a grater and mix with two to three liters of warm water. To neutralize the pungent odor, you can add a few drops of citrus essential oil to the solution ( lemon, orange, grapefruit). The duration of the procedure is twenty minutes. After the bath, rinse your feet with warm water and wipe dry.

Peeling

Peeling is the process of removing the superficial layers of the skin. You should know that measures to clean the heels from dead skin should be carried out no more than once a week.

The following products can be used for heel cleansing procedures:

• pumice;
• pedicure grater;
• scrub.

Pumice
Pumice for the treatment of cracked heels should have medium-sized pores. Preference should be given to products of natural origin. Take a pumice stone and go over the roughened areas in a circular motion without touching the areas with healthy skin. If pain occurs, the procedure should be stopped.

pedicure grater
Start processing the heels with a pedicure grinding grater from the center of the foot to the heel. Throughout the procedure, the heels should be moistened with a damp towel.

Scrub
You can remove rough skin from the heels using a special tool with abrasive particles. You can buy a scrub at a pharmacy, a specialized store or cook it yourself.

The following products can be used as the main ingredient for a scrub:

• ground natural coffee;
• fine sea salt;
• corn flour.

Mix two tablespoons of any of the above products with liquid soap until a paste forms. Apply the composition on the feet and rub into problem areas in a circular motion. The duration of the procedure is five minutes. Rinse your feet with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.

Crack treatment

After the dead skin on the heels has been removed, the cracks should be treated with a disinfectant. Pour 3% hydrogen peroxide into wounds. Blot the surface of the crack with a cotton pad. Next, treat the problem area with a cream that contains salicylic, glycolic or lactic acid. These funds should be purchased at a pharmacy. After treatment, it is worth bandaging the feet and putting on cotton socks.

Nutrition and hydration

To nourish and moisturize dry skin of the feet, creams should be used, which include the following ingredients:

• lanolin - softens the skin ( GEHWOLmed, crack ointment);
• vitamin A - fights infections ( foot cream homemade recipes);
• vitamin E - prevents skin damage ( cream healer with urea);
• vitamin B5 - promotes wound healing ( cream balmed);

vitamin F - makes the skin supple ( first aid cream for cracks).

Prevention of cracked heels

What should be done to prevent cracked heels?

To prevent cracked heels, :

• observe the rules of personal hygiene;
• wear the right shoes;
• take proper care of your feet.
• follow a balanced diet and drinking regimen.

Personal hygiene
In order to prevent the occurrence of cracked heels, you should follow the rules of personal hygiene.

Personal hygiene rules to prevent cracked heels:

• When visiting the pool, sauna, gym, beach, you must wear closed rubber shoes. Also, during regular visits to these institutions, it is recommended to use antifungal drugs.
• Socks, stockings and tights should be changed every day, giving preference to products made from natural fabrics. Synthetics contribute to increased sweating and the accumulation of sebaceous products.
• Avoid wearing someone else's shoes and don't even let family members wear your shoes. Pedicure should be done only with your own tools, and when visiting specialized salons, make sure that they are sterile.
• It is worth abandoning porous rugs in the bathroom, as they are a beneficial environment for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria.

Proper footwear
To prevent cracked heels, special attention should be paid to the choice of shoes. Shoes should be comfortable, well ventilated, with medium heels. It is important to choose shoes according to the size of the foot. Tight, uncomfortable high-heeled shoes are an increased load on the skin of the legs, resulting in cracks.

In the warm season, avoid flip-flops and slates. Due to the impact of the foot on the sole, microcracks appear on the skin of the heels. Under the influence of dry air and dust, the resulting small injuries grow into deep cracks. To protect the skin of the feet from the effects of negative environmental factors, when wearing open shoes, you need to use footprints or thin socks. Shoes made of low-quality synthetic materials cause increased sweating and impaired heat transfer. Artificial non-breathable materials cause damage and skin diseases, including cracked heels.

Feet care
Proper care begins with daily cleansing of the feet. Do not neglect the care of your heels, but at the same time, you should not abuse detergents, abrasives.

Rules for daily foot toilet:

• the water should not be too hot, as it can dry out the skin.
• for washing you need to use fatty soap.
• with increased sweating of the feet, they need to be washed with bactericidal agents.
• Finish washing your feet by rinsing with cold water.
• after water procedures, the feet should be wiped dry with a separate towel.
• after washing, a nourishing cream or any vegetable oil should be applied to the feet.
• several times a week, using a special washcloth or products with abrasive particles, it is necessary to clean the skin of the feet from dying skin cells.

A deeper cleaning of the feet should be carried out weekly. Soak your feet by soaking them in warm, soapy water for thirty minutes. To enhance the effect, baking soda can be added to the solution at the rate of one tablespoon per liter of water. After that, the softened layer must be removed with a pumice stone or a special pedicure tool.

You should refrain from using the blade, as it can injure the skin. Steaming water can be replaced with a decoction of herbs such as calendula, chamomile, St. John's wort. Steam two tablespoons of dry plants with a glass of boiling water and leave the decoction for half an hour to infuse. Such baths, in addition to the steaming effect, have a bactericidal effect and prevent the occurrence of infections.

With excessively dry feet, it is useful to make nourishing masks in order to prevent cracked heels. The product must be applied to problem areas and provide a thermal effect by wrapping the feet with a film of polyethylene. Warm socks should be worn over the film. You can buy these masks in specialized stores, pharmacies or cook them yourself. When choosing cosmetics, preference should be given to those brands that include natural oils.

Ultraviolet rays have a negative effect on the skin of the feet. Therefore, before sun exposure, special protective equipment should be applied to the feet, and after sunbathing, moisturize the skin. Sea water and hot sand also negatively affect the condition of the legs, after which the skin becomes dry and cracks. Special beach shoes and nourishing foot care products will help prevent the appearance of cracks.

Diet and water regime
In order to prevent cracked heels, a person needs to get enough vitamin A and other elements that are responsible for skin restoration with food.

Diet to prevent the development of cracked heels:

• beef and chicken liver, fish oil, cod liver - a source of retinol.
• wheat germ oil, sea buckthorn and soybean oil, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts - contain a large amount of tocopherol.
• carrots, sea buckthorn, sorrel, wild rose, spinach, celery, wild garlic - suppliers of carotene.

Dry skin and, as a result, the occurrence of cracks can cause the predominance of fat-free foods in the diet.
The correct water regime will help prevent the occurrence of cracked heels. For good health of the skin, a person needs to drink at least two liters of water per day. It is worth giving preference to non-carbonated or mineralized water, reducing the consumption of coffee and tea. A sufficient amount of moisture also improves metabolism and contributes to the normalization of weight. Extra pounds create an additional load on the skin of the feet, provoking the formation of cracks.

What should be avoided to prevent cracked heels?

In order to prevent cracked heels, you need to exclude some negative factors from your lifestyle.

In order to prevent cracked heels, you should not:

• ignore the rules of personal hygiene;
• do not follow foot care procedures;
• ignore the use of protective and nourishing products for the legs;
• use a blade and other people's pedicure tools;
• wear tight shoes;
• give preference to synthetic socks;
• wear high-heeled shoes for a long time;
• wear shoes made of artificial materials;
• abuse low-calorie diets;
• do not provide the body with a sufficient amount of vitamins A and E;
• consume less than two liters of fluid per day.