I did a search and found that Alice_in_Wonderland used to have this problem.
Ever find a solution?
Has anyone tried Zims or Flexitol with any success?
This is a new thing. Nasty. Trying to nip it in the bud somehow.
It’s been bad this year for me. I did the petroleum-jelly-‘n’-socks thing every night for a while, and got a skin buffer thing that I’ve been using in the shower, it’s definitely better. I’m now just doing petroleum jelly about once a week.
Bag Balm with socks.
Also - Keracel, which you can get at the drug store (non-prescription). A bit pricey, but it works wonders.
Regular pedicures are helpful, too.
VCNJ~
Are y’all referring to just dry heels with the little white cracks?
I have that problem too, but in the past month I’ve gotten the deep cracks too.
Disgusting.
Will these methods help with that?
(Thanks)
Eucerin has a dry-skin medicated ointment called “Aquaphor” which should be available at your local drugstore. Vaseline keeps moisture in, but doesn’t moisturize or heal. You need all three.
Also, if you haven’t invested in a humidifier, try it. Heating systems are very drying, and may be contributing to the problem.
Flexitol is good. Bag Balm with socks overnight is good.
Find a product with Urea as an ingredient. Creams or balms are better than lotion. Check this site out. If you can’t stand socks on your feet in bed, they have toeless booties and heel wraps that allow your foot to breathe.
My Grandpa’s podiatrist recommends and uses DPM Cream. You may have to call your local podiatrist’s office to buy it, but it’s worth it.
It’s a good idea to go to work with a pumice stone in the shower to remove the hard skin that is prone to cracking. But my best advice (I’ve sufferered from cracked and calloused heels for years) is DILLIGENCE. Commit a few minutes in the shower, and a few more minutes when getting ready in the morning to caring for your feet. Goo them up extra well again at night before bed. Make it a daily ritual, and your feet will be so much happier. And when you have happy feet, you are happier all over.
-Seeker, whose heels haven’t been cracked for over a year due to good products and devoting time to her feet.
Kerasal didn’t help mine much, but Avon makes a product called Footworks Cracked Heel Relief Cream that worked well for me. The tube has a child-proof cap on it, so there must be some serious chemicals in there. You can get a set that includes the cream, a buffing lotion you use with water, and a pumice scrubber - when I take the time to use all three, my feet feel great! But the cream alone is good enough, if I don’t have the time to do the whole treatment.
Glysomed is pretty damn good. Green on green container.
Not that I know personally, since I’ve got the smoothest feet in the world, which I attribute to constant wearing of wool socks.
The little surface cracks and the deep cracks will be remedied. I had both, and boy the deep ones are painful. The thing to remember is it takes time for these to be healed properly. But it can be done.
Thank you!
Keep the advice coming!
Seeker-Funny you should mention that. Lately I’ve been spending more time with my feet. Pumice and cream every night. The weird thing is that if I miss even one day (sounds slack, I know, but with a toddler who just turned 2 yesterday and one more on the way, sometimes I forget!) they’re 10 times worse.
Sort of the same concept of getting addicted to chapstick or your lips are horrible.
But they’re clearly getting worse even as I spend more time.
Sigh.
Oh, and one more question.
Flexitol is a cream and contains urea, so I’m trying that. Only problem is that there’s never a time when my feet aren’t touching something, ya know?
Does that sort of stuff work on contact, if you keep at it, or should I put them in the air and let them dry?
Seriously, these are the questions that keep me up at night…
By the way, sidle: What kind of shoes do you wear?
My heels always get worse in the summer when I wear my Birkenstocks without socks. That’s when I go into overdrive on foot care. See, I just cannot wear socks in the summer.
Oh! When you’re in the house, wear socks or slippers. Man it sucks to have one of those cracks/flaps of hard skin snag on the carpet.
And while I’m here, I suggest shelling out a few bucks for a podiatrist’s office to clean up your feet. They’ll trim down the edges of the cracks, etc. That way, it’s easier for you to do upkeep. And don’t worry- no matter how awful your feet look, they’ve seen way worse.
::my G-pa’s toenails are enough to make you gag, and the nurses assure me that they’ve seen feet 100 times worse:: :eek:
Well, any kind of cream needs time to penetrate. So if you’re running about the house after your wee one, wear some socks or slippers. If you have carpet, you’re just smearing it off. Hardwood floors, you’re bound to slip and break your neck.
I’m a stay at home Mom so I’m usually barefoot in the house or running around the back yard barefoot like Huck Finn.
I think I might try the Podiatrist option. I’ve always been so vain about my feet and I cannot allow this problem to fester.
Stupid question #432: Does it hurt when they work on you?
Ah.
Thanks.
I personally have never had a podiatrist work on my feet. But I’m in the room with G-pa every time they trim his (half-inch thick, no kidding) toe nails. ::hurl:: If I ever get bad cracks again, I intend to make an appointment for myself. The girls at the nail shop hate seeing me come in for a pedicure- I know a doctor’s office won’t bat an eyelash.
It may indeed be unpleasant to get them cleaned up. But any good doctor will respect your wishes if you tell them you have a low tolerance to pain. Tell them your goal: You want your feet cleaned up so you can do upkeep. They’ll give you tips on maintaining your foot health, and they’ll have some kick ass goo to sell you. By the way, DPM smells like peppermint ice cream.
And honey, your questions are NOT stupid! Having your feet hurt can be truly distressing. Believe me. I know.
I know it’s great to feel the cool grass on your feet, a la Huck Finn. But until you get your feet healed, keep some socks and shoes on.
Thanks so much for your expert advice Seeker!
You’re most welcome!
wish i weren’t such an expert 
I go to a podiatrist about four times a year, and the only time I got hurt was when a doctor needed to remove part of an ingrown infected toenail. Even then, only the painkilling shot actually hurt. My feet are very ticklish, though, and it’s hard for me to sit still while the doctor is working on them.
Most all podiatrists have Dremels or similar tools to remove dead skin and to smooth the toenails after they’ve been clipped. I have quite a few areas of callus on my feet, and having them removed is actually sort of soothing.
I’ve never had cracked heels while I was under a podiatrist’s care, so I don’t know how they’d be treated, but I have had cracked heels, with the deep cracks. I used Eucerin, which helped a lot.
I make it a point to take real good care of my feet for two reasons.
One, I’m a nurse, work 12 hour shifts and couldn’t do it if my feet hurt.
Two, while doing my job I’ve seen feet that make you want to run screaming from the room.
I don’t have much problem with ingrown toenails since I switched to vinyl plogs for works. I do tend to get dry heels and like everyone else has said, you just need to keep up with them. Heels tend to crack where there is a thick buildup of callous so I work on keeping that down. A pumice stone works OK but nothing works better than a heavy duty nail file, the kind women use for acrylic nails. They work much better than callous files that cost four times as much.
It’s true vaseline doesn’t provide moisture but it will help keep it in so I slather it on my feet and wear white cotton socks to bed. There are other products that are scented but I really haven’t found anything (non prescription) that works better than vaseline. Shea butter is very nice but a bit expensive.