Footnotes / Blog

Dry skin on the heels and fissures on the heels often presents in podiatry offices. This condition can be painful and unsightly for patients.

Causes include dry weather, lack of moisture in the skin, and sandals that don’t give enough support to the heel region of the foot. Age and skin oil production play a role to getting cracked heels as well.

Treatments

• Daily Care
  • Over the counter medicines can help, especially for those that need instant relief or who suffer from chronic dry feet.
  • Wear Socks – Wearing socks with medicated creams helps lock in moisture
  • Moisturizers – Applying both day and night will help alleviate dryness which causes cracking
  • Pumice Stones – These exfoliate and remove dead skin, which allows for smoother moisturizer application and better absorption into the skin.
• Diet
  • Foods rich in certain vitamins and minerals can promote moisturized skin from the inside out. Vitamin E, Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin A, Zinc, and unsaturated fats are all beneficial to preventing dry cracked heels.
    • Avocados
    • Salmon
    • Nuts
    • Olive Oil
    • Oysters
    • Sweet Potatoes
• If this skin condition fails to resolve with homeopathic remedies, medical treatment by a podiatrist may be necessary.
  • Manual and mechanical shaving of dead skin
  • Prescription strength exfoliating moisturizers such an urea cream
  • Biopsy of skin to rule out presence of infections which may cause the skin to change in appearance.

If you suffer from this condition, visit one of the four offices of Innovative Foot and Ankle. We are located in the Northern New Jersey areas of Kenilworth, Bayonne, Montclair and Little Ferry.