According to our Arlington VA podiatrist, cracked heels, or heel fissures, are a common problem for people of all ages, mostly caused by lack of moisture. Anyone can have cracked, dry heels, but seniors and diabetics are especially prone. The skin on our feet is naturally dry, unlike skin on the rest of the body.
The skin on our feet doesn’t have any oil glands, but relies instead on hundreds of thousands of sweat glands to keep our feet moisturized. Besides lack of moisture, there are other common factors that can lead to dry feet.
You probably know when you are experiencing cracked, dry skin, but how can you tell if it is a chronic issue? Read further to see what our podiatrist in Arlington has to say. If you have any of these symptoms, make an appointment with your Arlington VA podiatry office for relief.
Not only do cracked heels look unattractive, but they may also lead to infection or extreme pain. Your podiatrist in Arlington can help you with treatment, but there are some simple home remedies that may help.
Our Arlington VA podiatrist says that scrubbing hard, dead skin away helps a great deal in getting rid of cracked feet. Before scrubbing, soak your feet in warm soapy water to soften the skin.
In addition to healing some toenail fungus, mentholated rubs (such as Vicks), are a popular home remedy for cracked heels because of the many essential oils that they contain.
Lemon juice has a very mild natural acidic property that can help get rid of dead and dry skin cells from your feet.
Another method using lemon juice: add fresh lemon juice to petroleum jelly, and then apply to clean, dry feet once a day.
Talk with your Arlington podiatrist about home remedies like lemon juice or mentholated rub. Treatment for your dry heels may be as simple as treating an underlying medical condition such as thyroid disease or diabetes, but getting a diagnosis is the best path to treatment. Some questions you may want to ask your doctor:
You don’t have to suffer from dry, cracked heels! Our Arlington VA podiatrist can recommend many different treatments from the home remedies suggested above to prescription lotions.
The information provided in this article is not meant to be medical advice and is for educational purposes only. If you would like to learn more about this and other topics related to foot and ankle care, feel free to contact The Podiatry Center, with a convenient podiatry office location near Arlington VA, by clicking here or by calling 301.656.6055.