Will Cracks on Bottom of Feet Ever Heal?

Cracks on bottom of feet often occur because they are consistently too moist or too dry. Lack of moisturizing and the dryness of the foot leads to the skin cracking and losing flexibility where the skin is twisted and stretched. Painful cracks on bottom of feet are presented as dry, cracked feet with cuts.

Painful cracks on bottom of feet can be very uncomfortable to live with. If you are experiencing issues with your foot or ankle, contact the podiatrist at DeNiel Foot & Ankle Center. Our doctor will provide the care to keep you pain-free and on your feet.

Causes of cracked feet

• Severe corns and calluses cause the skin to split.
• Poor mechanics lead to increased friction that can lead to excessive callus formation. The podiatrist can use custom orthotics to mechanically stabilize the foot, reduce callus formation, and reduce friction.
• Skin problems such as dry skin. The cracks form between the toes to the point of a fungal infection.

Cracked symptoms

The symptoms include redness, peeling, scaling, itching, flaking, and peeling.

Rough, tight, cracked, and gray or ashy skin.

Calluses and patches of hardened, rough, and thick texture skin.

Risk factors for cracked heels

• Diabetes and age: as we age, our skin dries out leaving us vulnerable to foot infections and cracking. Diabetes increases the risk of foot problems occurring in the patient.
• Physical activity: increased physical activity such as sports increase the risk due to environmental factors.
• Water: if you are constantly in wet conditions where you constantly wet and dry the feet the skin is subjected to different changing conditions that will cause the feet to crack.
• Climate: Climate contributes to the cracking of the feet. Climates that are cool, dry, and have low humidity contribute to this. Additionally, humid, warm environments are predisposed to fungal and bacterial infections.
• Foot injuries: the foot can be injured and crack.
• Chlorine: swimming pools are chlorinated that increases the risk of dry skin and presents fertile conditions for fungal infections. Take hygiene seriously after swimming.

How to prevent cracked heels?

• Moisturize your feet after cleaning.
• Limit exposure to water that causes dry skin. Wear waterproof boots when working in wet conditions.
• Ensure you always wear clean and dry socks to keep the feet dry, avoid cracking due to excessive moisture.
• Wear the right shoes and limit the time you wear crocks or open-heeled shoes. Open-heeled shoes and sandals cause the foot to lie flat and the fat can cause the heels to crack.
• Ensure you maintain good hygiene by avoiding the use of skin soaps that dry the skin excessively.

Treatment for fissures

Cracked heels treatment depends on the severity of the cracks and the cause. Treating the cracks might not be a solution because the root cause needs to be addressed to avoid recurrence. Your podiatrist might recommend special moisturizing ointments and antifungal or antibiotics ointments. So, if the cracked heels or showing raw skin treat it as an emergency so that the doctor treats it safely so that it does not get bad infections.

Home-based care

Ensure you soak the feet in water for 10 minutes, pat dry avoid harsh rubbing when drying. Apply petroleum jelly and wear socks that will help the moisturizer to work.