Remedies for cracked heels

How to treat cracked heels at home

1. 1Wash your feet daily with lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser without fragrance. Do not scrub. If you soak your feet, keep the soak to a few minutes.
2. 2Keep baths and showers to 5 to 10 minutes. Gently blot your skin with a towel rather than rubbing.
3. 3Apply moisturizer within 5 minutes of bathing, while your heels are still damp. Choose a heel cream containing 10% to 25% urea, alpha hydroxy acid or salicylic acid. Reapply whenever your heels feel dry.
4. 4Before bed, apply plain petroleum jelly. When layering it over moisturizer, let the moisturizer sink in for a couple of minutes first.
5. 5Put on thin cotton socks overnight to help retain moisture and keep the petroleum jelly off your bedding.

Socks help keep petroleum jelly off the sheets, which is a more useful bedtime assignment than most skincare accessories get.1

Which cream should you choose?

A thick moisturizing hand or foot cream is a practical daily option. Ceramides help hold water in the skin and restore its protective barrier. Petroleum jelly serves a different purpose: it forms a seal that helps keep moisture in. An exfoliating moisturizer helps remove dead skin; it is not a reason to add aggressive filing.34

Protect the cracks during the day

A liquid bandage over heel cracks creates a protective barrier that can reduce pain, help healing and keep germs out. Avoid shoes with open heels, including flip flops and slingbacks, while your heels are dry and cracked. Replace worn shoes and choose a proper fit. Closed shoes and socks are especially useful if sandals make the dryness worse.1

Open backed shoes can make heel dryness worse, so the sandal is not an innocent bystander in every cracked heel story.4

Should you file hard skin or use a foot peel?

For hard skin, use a foot file on dry skin once or twice a week, in moderation and as directed. Sit on a chair and bring your foot back toward the file rather than struggling to reach it. Do not file inflamed, itchy or sensitive skin. If you have diabetes, get professional care for calluses instead of treating them yourself.456

Foot peels remove outer skin layers and can leave rough heels softer. Avoid them on broken skin, rashes, sores or wounds, and if you have or are prone to athlete's foot, eczema, contact dermatitis or psoriasis.5

How long does it take, and how do you prevent another crack?

Exfoliating moisturizers such as urea cream take about two weeks of regular use to show a response. That is a timeline for softening rough skin, not a deadline for every crack to close. Once your heels improve, continue applying cream daily after bathing to prevent the dryness returning.34

Daily cream remains useful after the skin improves, so a successful heel routine does not get to retire immediately.4

Why do heels crack even when you moisturize?

Heel fissures are cracks in hard, dry heel skin, sometimes alongside thick calluses. Most come from dryness, with pressure, shoe friction and a dry environment contributing. But persistent cracking is not always a moisturizer problem. Athlete's foot can spread to the heels and cause painful cracks, even though its more familiar signs are itchy, scaly skin on the soles and between the toes.23

If those symptoms accompany your heel cracks, ask a pharmacist or doctor about athlete's foot treatment rather than adding more heel cream. Follow the treatment packet carefully. Dry between your toes after bathing and avoid putting cream there, because extra moisture encourages fungal problems.4

What changes if you have diabetes?

Diabetes can cause very dry skin, slower healing and deep cracks that increase infection risk. For dry heels, apply a cream containing 10% to 25% urea before bed, layer thick petroleum jelly over it and wear white cotton socks. Repeat daily until the skin heals. For other dry areas, choose a cream or ointment without fragrance that contains ceramides; these moisturize better than lotions.6

Check your feet every day, including the soles and between the toes, for cuts, blisters, sores, swelling and discoloration. Have a dermatologist or podiatrist treat corns and calluses. Seek immediate care for signs of infection, including swollen or discolored skin, tenderness, pain, leaking fluid or honey colored crusts. A wound that worsens or fails to heal also needs immediate care.6

When should you see a doctor?

Arrange medical assessment if your heels are severely cracked, bleed or remain cracked despite regular care. Persistent fissures can reflect a fungal infection or, less commonly, conditions such as diabetes or an underactive thyroid. If you already have an underlying condition affecting your skin, get help treating the cause rather than repeatedly removing the dry surface.125