I used to have really awful problems with deeply cracked heels. For a while, Band-Aid had these things that you could put over your entire heel and they’d mold to it. There was lotion on the inside. Smack one on, change it once or twice, and after a week or so the problem was gone.
I can’t seem to locate them on either the Band-Aid website or by googling…it’s a shame that such a useful product has gone the way of the Dodo.
Since I’m a dancer I know cracked heels. Blech. I use a buffer in the shower once a week, more then that when they get bad. After that I use Bath and Bodywork’s product Shea It Isn’t So shea butter. Sorta pricey, but really worth it. Those two combined work wonders for my dry, cracked feet.
A little warning about the shea butter, don’t put it on your feet then walk on wood flooring. Trust me.
:smack:
I like the smell of Zim’s.
I use Avon’s Cracked Heel Relief Cream and it’s been wonderful. Slap some on, put on cotton socks over night, and my feet are pretty in the morning.
I also use it for sunburn and such as it has lidocaine. Mmmm, lidocaine.
Can’t those cracks sometimes be athlete’s foot? It may be worth finding out if thats making it worse. I know when I get cracks it usualy is and i do a round of Mycelex.
Also Burt’s Bees footcare stuff is pretty good too but not for athlete’s foot.
I had a cast on for 6 weeks, and after it was removed I had -a lot- of dried (and dead) skin on that foot. I just happened to have some Burt’s Bees Hand Balm and it worked wonderfully on that foot. I just slathered it on (gently of course!) and wore a sock. In just a few days, my foot had gotten nice and smooth again.
Slight off-topic, but still relevant, we discovered that the Hand Balm was very helpful with my daughter’s eczema. We’re looking to see if there are any other Burt’s Bees products that she can use since we know definitely that the Hand Balm works. Thing with eczema is that while some lotions/creams may work for one person they may not help someone else.
Fortunately, my dry heel problem isn’t too severe. I use a 10% alpha hydroxy foot creme from Alpha Hydrox which you can get in Walmart. When the dead skin is off, I apply a thick cream such as Eucerin, put on thick socks and go to bed. In the morning, my feet are nice and soft. If I don’t slack off, I only have to do this ritual 2-3 times a week in winter. If I’ve slacked off, I have to go through this process every night for 7-10 days to get my feet in shape.
I’ve said this before in similar threads, but I’ve heard that some people apply Krazy Glue to particularly deep cracks that they can’t handle any other way. HTH
Pumice stones don’t help my heels much: when I saw the OP’s title (“Cracked heels anyone?”), my first thought was “Got mine already, thanks!”
I’ve also found the made-for-acrylic-nail files work well. But the thing that’s helped my heels the most – and I get deep, bleeding, can’t-walk cracks – is a terra cotta scrub stone. I bought the first one at Bath&Body Works a long while back. They stopped carrying them, but I found them again after a quick google for “terra cotta foot scrubber” and bought more.
The trick, for me, is to use it every day. No exceptions because my heels feel okay; I use it every day. My feet aren’t entirely crack/callous free, but they’re certainly better than they used to be!
Yeah mon, bad cracked heels here. Especially bad in the summer time when I wear sandals all the time. The podiatrist recommended a variable speed disk sander, which works (don’t sand em down too deep). What a feminine thing this is to do, too. Then thick heel cream and socks at night. Absolutely you should go to a podiatrist. If you get the deep heel cracks that hurt, s/he will put some goop in the crack to relieve the pressure and pain and help healing. I run a lot and have problems with painful callouses on my big toe/ball of foot, too. My husband also runs a lot and has soft baby feet, so I think it’s hereditary (unless it’s the surfing I did as a teenager that’s to blame).
another vote for the podiatrist. i know a fantastic woman podiatrist. soon you will have some trouble getting to your feet, having someone else help you get then into shape will really help.
when i would go to the pod. the first thing was the whirlpool. most wonderous! then time for doctor. they do have nifty dremel sander thing. pods are very good about dealing with tickle prone feet. my pod would end with a very nice foot reflex massage.
<deep sympathy here>
I’ve go to dedicated pedicuriss who uses the foot soaks and spend a goodly amount of time repairing my feet. A Dremel sanding first, then soaking. She also rubbed some lotion into my feet that helped her take off the thick calluses. And mine were THICK. Sometimes I’d take a safety razor blade to them (Note: Do not attempt this at home.)
I also second the super glue to help keep the cracks together. It’s actually a good idea, unlike safety razors.
It’s not fair. Women who like to wear strappy shoes in the spring and summer (or anytime) seem to be prone to dry heels. I can torture my husband by scraping his legs with 'em in bed, but I don’t recommend this as an endearing thing to do to one’s spouse. Men, who don’t show off their feet (as much) seem to have nice pink soft heels.
My husband says it’s probably because men wear cotton socks all day whereas I wear a lot of pantyhose or knee-high stockings.
I do the pumice after shower and petroleum jelly at night with socks, and it’s time to be attending to the feetsies again.