What causes Cracked Heels?
Cracked Heels are most commonly caused by the skin on the heels drying out and becoming callus (thick and rough) and then eventually splitting.
And as we age we produce less oil and moisture ourselves and so our skin all over needs more help to stay lubricated.
Cracked heels are made worse by:
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Wearing Flip Flops or open backed shoes as this makes the back of the heel spread out more with no support. This means additional pressure on any dry skin on the heel that is then forced to cracked in time if left dry.
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Being overweight means that you put more pressure on your feet and the fat pads under the heel and so they are more prone to spreading out and adding to pressure on heels that are dry and callus
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Standing up too much or being on your feet for long periods of time. Golfers for instance suffer due to the long walk round the course in hard golf shoes.
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Poorly fitting shoes can also lead to Cracked Heels
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There is also a thought that Cracked Heels are made worse if your diet is lacking in zinc and Omega 3 Fatty Acids
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There are also medical conditions that manifest themselves in the feet and dry skin such as diabetes (due to a decrease in sweating), anything that lowers metabolic rates and thus again a reduction in sweating, Psoriasis, Eczema. If this is the case you should of course see your GP for help.