Calluses and Cracked Heels: What I Tell My Patients
Updated: 6 hours ago
Cracked heels and calluses are some of the most common things I see in clinic, and they almost always start the same way: dry skin that keeps building until it splits. The good news is that a few minutes a day makes a real difference.
Why heels crack
The skin on the bottom of your feet has no oil glands, so it depends on you for moisture. Add pressure from standing all day, open-back shoes or sandals, walking barefoot, and dry winter air, and the skin thickens to protect itself. Thick, dry skin can't stretch, so it cracks.
My routine for rough heels
1. Soften first. Shower or soak before you work on your heels. A RELAX soak two or three times a week is a nice way to do it: 1 tablespoon per quart of warm water for 30 minutes.
2. Exfoliate gently. Use SCRUB or a pumice stone on damp skin. A few light passes is enough. You're smoothing, not sanding.
3. HEAL morning and night. Glide HEAL onto heels and calluses twice a day. Its 42% urea softens thick, rough skin, and the stick keeps your hands clean so you'll actually use it.
4. Seal it in with NOURISH. Massage it over your whole foot, including between your toes. If your skin is dry and peeling, that can be athlete's foot, and NOURISH has clotrimazole 1% for exactly that.
5. Socks at bedtime. Cotton socks overnight help everything soak in.
What to skip
Please don't cut or shave calluses at home with razors or callus shavers. I see the cuts and infections that follow. Skip harsh medicated corn pads too, especially if you have diabetes.
When to see a podiatrist
Come in if a crack bleeds, hurts, or looks red or swollen, or if a callus keeps coming back in the same spot. That usually means pressure from your shoes or the way you walk, and padding or an insert can fix the cause. If you have diabetes, poor circulation or numbness in your feet, let a podiatrist care for your calluses instead of treating them yourself.
SCRUB, HEAL and NOURISH come together in The Heel Routine. It's 10% off buying them separately, and it ships free.
Comments