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Cracked Heels (Heel Fissures)
What are Heel Fissures?
Causes of Cracked Heels
Advice
What are Heel Fissures?
Heel Fissures, or Cracked Heels, are splits or cracks in the skin which appears around the heel. They can be extremely painful.
Causes of Cracked Heels
Heel Fissures are more common if you have dry and hard skin around your heels, wear open backed shoes or walk barefoot.
Being overweight increases your chances of having cracked heels because there is more weight on the pad of your heel.
Advice
- Avoid slip-on and open backed shoes (this should include your slippers if you wear them)
- Use a moisturising cream every day. Creams which contain Urea are often the best ones to use. These can be bought in supermarkets or pharmacies.
- Gently rub the area with a pumice stone or foot file 1-2 times a week
- NEVER use razors or sharp instruments to remove the skin
Photo credit: Marco Verch Professional Photographer, CC 2.0 Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 via Flickr
Also in this section
If you have a problem which does not improve as you would expect with self-care, you should contact a healthcare professional for advice. This may be your GP, Pharmacist, NHS Podiatry Service or a Private Podiatrist.
Please make sure your podiatrist is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and look out for the letters HCPC after their name.
