Do You Have Dry, Painful, Cracked Heels?

[azmom3]

Anybody else out there have this problem? My heels get calloused really quickly and really bad. I have other callouses on my feet, too, but the whole edge of my heel on both feet are really thick within 2-3 days of having them pumiced off. If I'm not diligent (twice per day) about pumicing and lotion, they crack and get very painful. I have tried numerous OTC and prescription medications with very little help. I also have extremely dry skin on my hands that cracks and bleeds when exposed to water for too long or chemicals when cleaning. I had extremely bad exzema as a child on the backs of my knees and inside of my elbows that was almost always itching, red, tender, etc. This went away, but as an adult I developed allergies and asthma. I know all this stuff is in the same family. Could my hands and feet be a form of exzema or can anyone shed some light on this? I have not been diagnosed celiac...just found out my son has it, so I will be getting tested soon.

[burdee]

I also have the dry, calloused heels and feet, but also elbows. I also had eczema on my arms and inside elbows as a child. Abstaining from gluten and dairy helped the dry skin symptoms. However I still get dry heels during the summer, when I often wear sandles. What helps relieve heel dryness is coating my heels with vaseline before putting on socks during the day (on cooler days) or during nights I can tolerate wearing socks to bed. My hands and arms get dryer during the summer when I don't use sunscreen or lotion, but that dryness is much less since abstaining from gluten and dairy. Get tested ASAP!

BURDEE

[CarlaB]

You know, I've always wondered if the cracked heels aren't due to some kind of yeast infection, or something like athelete's foot. If I use the blow dryer on my feet when I get out of the shower, I don't have that problem. Sounds strange, I know, but it works for me. It's a matter of drying my hands and feet really well, then I don't have the cracking.

Some of my kids get bad rashes on their hands from anti-bacterial soap, that's what led me to believe it was yeast related.

I've had good luck with that stuff made for cows, hmm, what's it called??? Bag balm, I think?

[jerseyangel]

I have this on my heels, too--but only in the summer when I wear sandals every day. In the colder months, when I wear closed shoes or sneakers with socks or hose, they clear up and smooth out. It's the same with me--if I stay on it, and use the pumice stone and moisturizer almost daily, it helps a lot. (But i'm lazy and don't do this as often as I should)

[CarlaB]

Mine's only in the summer, too.

[azmom3]

only in the summer, huh? I live in Phoenix....summer's practically year round here. I used to put vaseline, covered in saran wrap adn then socks on my feet every night before I went to bed. This and wearing tennis shoes and socks during the day work, but it's so hot here sometimes, those are the last things I feel like doing. Anybody know why going barefoot or wearing sandals would make them so dry so fast? I'll have to try the blow dryer trick too and see how that works. Thanks everyone!

[CarlaB]

only in the summer, huh? I live in Phoenix....summer's practically year round here. I used to put vaseline, covered in saran wrap adn then socks on my feet every night before I went to bed. This and wearing tennis shoes and socks during the day work, but it's so hot here sometimes, those are the last things I feel like doing. Anybody know why going barefoot or wearing sandals would make them so dry so fast? I'll have to try the blow dryer trick too and see how that works. Thanks everyone!

Past two summers I've had no problem and have been blow drying them. Strange, huh?

[chrissy]

my skin has been just like yours-------i have atopic dermatitis. i used to have rashes from my wrists all the way to a few inches above my elbows as a child. my hands almost always have a rash somewhere on them. mine is always worse in the winter when the air is dry. my knuckles used to split all the way across. i have had this for so long that i usually ignore it until my hands start to really hurt---then i will put medication on them. my heels will get dry and cracked, but as long as i put lotion on them first thing when i get out of the shower and immediately put my socks on, they don't crack. right now i have a rash on my eyelid and one in the crease of my right elbow, and a couple on my backside.

[DingoGirl]

Past two summers I've had no problem and have been blow drying them. Strange, huh?

HOly cow, one more thing we have to add to the list, as women...you know, shaving, waxing, hair and makeup, dyeing, moisturizing, exfoliating, plucking, bleaching, self-tanning......

and now, BLOW-DRYING OUR FEET

[eKatherine]

I used to have the problem of cracked heels, though it was never so bad that they bled. Really ugly though, and for me it was worse in the winter, as I would ignore my feet more.

What I found was that soaking the feet every other day, as in a bath or a long shower, then rasping off the softened skin with one of those little stainless steel grater-looking foot files did the trick. After all the dead skin is gone, I dry off my feet and put on an oil, like coconut oil or a blend of jojoba and cocoa butter, rubbed in thoroughly and then wiped off with a paper towel. My feet are nice and soft year round now.

[CarlaB]

HOly cow, one more thing we have to add to the list, as women...you know, shaving, waxing, hair and makeup, dyeing, moisturizing, exfoliating, plucking, bleaching, self-tanning......

and now, BLOW-DRYING OUR FEET

ROFL!!

I spend some time in the gym ... many of the guys there seem to have quite the beauty routine, too. Or else weightlifters just naturally have no body hair!

[covsooze]

Yep, I have that problem too, and it's definitely worse when wearing sandals. I file my feet and use a cream that's high in urea - it really does work wonders, but I do have to remember to put it on. Also, if there's a patch that's actually sore as opposed to just cracked, any cream will make it worse.

[TERESE]

I have really dry skin everywhere. My heels crack too and my boss has this problem also. Her thyroid dr. told her it was because of her thyroid being out of wack. This sounds strange to me. I just try to file my heels acouple of times a week and put on a good heavy cream for feet, socks at night if it's not to hot. My hands are another story. I have also had thick weird skin on my hands that would crack easy in the winter. I have tried everything (sleeping with cotton gloves and cream most my life). Dr's all just said it was dry skin. When my boys were younger they said I had "monkey paws" Well my new dr. that I sarted seeing last year (who also tested me for gluten sensitivity) diagonosed it as ichthyosis vulgaris and I now use a percription cream that REALLY helps. (after 49 years!)

[Lisa]

A strange suggestion that I have read about. Try rubbing Vick VaporRub on you feel and sleeping with sox on for about three weeks and some say it does help. See it in the newspaper alot with the "ask the doctor".

Of course, you will have to wash you sheets every other day.........but many say it helps.

[jennyj]

Mary Kay has a kit called Satin Hands, but you can use it on your feet and it feels wonderful. In fact I'm doing it tonight.

[oceangirl]

Mary Kay has a kit called Satin Hands, but you can use it on your feet and it feels wonderful. In fact I'm doing it tonight.

I have this. The Vicks Vaporub works. Soaking in Epsom salts as well. I would trust soaking in olive oil, too, or adding more to your diet. P.S. Women don't need to buy into all the perfection ---- that's infused in our culture. We can think and decide for ourselves. If our partners don't promote this; move on. We are a sad race.

lisa

[azmom3]

I've tried the Mary Kay stuff and love it for both my hands and feet. It just doesn't seem to last long enough and I'm too lazy sometimes to do this every single morning and night. I'll have to try the Vicks Vaporrub...hadn't heard that one before. Instead of lotions when the cracks are deep adn painful, I use triple antibiotic ointment and cover with banaids and socks. Usually they go away in a few days of doing this. Hopefully all these answers were as helpful to some of you as they were to me. Thanks!

[tarnalberry]

Yep, it'll happen if you don't wear shoes, unless you really really *never* wear shoes. You'll just lose too much water out of the skin in the area. Finding a sock/shoe or sandal that is a compromise can help though. (Good wicking socks and running shoes should avoid the overheating feet problem - running shoes are well ventilated.0

[angel-jd1]

I have this disfunction too!! I have tried about a million products trying to "fix" it.

The best product that I have found is Kerasal. You have to USE it regulary, but it does help. Open Original Shared Link

Another thing that worked, but was messy was equal parts of green tincture soap and glycerin. Mix them in a bottle rub on your feet and then put on socks. I did this process overnight and it worked. Just very sticky and messy (in my opinion).

Zimm's Crack Cream...........didn't work well, but the name is funny

I have also heard that the cracks in heals can be a form of atheletes foot.

-Jessica

[azmom3]

I have this disfunction too!! I have tried about a million products trying to "fix" it.

The best product that I have found is Kerasal. You have to USE it regulary, but it does help. Open Original Shared Link

Another thing that worked, but was messy was equal parts of green tincture soap and glycerin. Mix them in a bottle rub on your feet and then put on socks. I did this process overnight and it worked. Just very sticky and messy (in my opinion).

Zimm's Crack Cream...........didn't work well, but the name is funny

I have also heard that the cracks in heals can be a form of atheletes foot.

-Jessica

Thanks Jessica!. You sound like me...tried a million products! Maybe I'll try Kerasal as I havent' tried this one yet. I haven't tried Zimm's Crack Cream (He-he-he ) either yet so maybe that'll be next. I'm pretty sure what I have isn't athletes foot. I've been to the foot dr. many times and they always told me it was just from wearing sandals/going barefoot...what I don't understand though is why do my feet do this but there are a lot of people also wearing sandals/going barefoot that aren't nearly this bad.

I get pedicures occasionally as they cost me about $25 and my heels are free from cracks for at least 2 weeks. The foot doctor prescribed a tiny, tiny tube of medicine that cost me $90 and did nothing for me. During one of my pedicures to a new place, the lady called a couple other people over to look at my feet..they were all ooohing and aaahing over them and then she told me that I had the second worst feet she had ever seen. I was so embarrassed...I was with 3 of my friends having a girl's day out! They were laughing hysterically! The best part of this story though is the fact that I'm so embarrassed about how bad my feet are that I pumice them like crazy prior to even getting a pedicure....imagine what she would have said if she saw what they were REALLY like! Anyways, thanks for the product ideas!

[snapple]

I too have trouble keeping the moisture in my feet, especially in the summer (I can't stand wearing closed shoes in the summer). I would recommend Sergeon's Skin Cream. It is very heavy and a little goes a long way, but it is extremely effective. If you put it on before you go to bed you should wake up with smooth and pretty heals. I know you can buy it from QVC, I am not sure where else it is available though.

Hope this helps!

[azmom3]

I too have trouble keeping the moisture in my feet, especially in the summer (I can't stand wearing closed shoes in the summer). I would recommend Sergeon's Skin Cream. It is very heavy and a little goes a long way, but it is extremely effective. If you put it on before you go to bed you should wake up with smooth and pretty heals. I know you can buy it from QVC, I am not sure where else it is available though.

Hope this helps!

thank you, I thought I had tried them all, but hadn't heard of this one yet. Thanks!

[CarlaB]

I took my daughter to the ortho yesterday and read a magazine while I was sitting there. There was an ad for Lotrimin for women. The ad said that if you have cracked heels that aren't helped by all the stuff we've talked about here, it could be a form of athlete's foot (which explains why the blow-drying might help -- keeps the area really dry). Worth a try!

[Susan123]

I get it in the summer time. I like Dr. Scholls lotion for cracked heals. I put it on in the morning and at night when I go to bed and then put on socks. It works wonders if you continue it.

[Sierra]

My hubby has badly cracked heels and generally bad skin on his feet. What works for him is to soak his feet every night in a 50% solution of bleach, then put on Lotrimin for athlete's foot. He also blow dries his feet every morning after his shower and puts foot powder in his shoes.

And yes, it takes all of that to keep his feet reasonably healthy.