When dead, hard skin (or callus) builds up around the heels, or the ball of our feet, it increases the amount of pressure on the soft tissue surrounding these areas. This can cause discomfort when you’re standing, and over time it may cause the skin to breakdown, leaving painful cracks and fissures – especially common around the heels. Smoothing rough, callused skin can be done at home by using a pumice stone or foot file before your shower. It is better to see your podiatrist id you have large amount of hard skin, cracks or fissures present on the heels. Your podiatrist will be able to use sterile equipment and remove that build up!
Hydration is key!
The foot will be able to soak up moisture a lot more easily once the hard skin has been reduced on your feet.
Allowing your feet to hydrate is necessary to prevent dryness, cracking and flaky skin. It will also prevent any serious skin breakage which may cause fissures or id diabetic patients ulcers.
The type of moisturizer used is essential, because the skin on the feet is thick, lipid or oil based moisturizer will soak faster. Urea, salicylic acid or lactic acid are additional ingredients which are usually found in specialized heel or foot balms help to soften the hard dead skin and aid in its removal.
Shoes must be chosen carefully!
We women love our high-heels, however, in order to reduce our high-heel hangover we must choose our shoes more carefully! A shoe with a smaller and thicker heel is usually a better choice. Your shoes should be attached to your foot in oppose to slip on; this will help to minimize muscle strain. Some feet tend to swell in the warmer months, thus, adjustable straps both around the ankles and over the toes will aid to keep the feet comfortable. To reduce pressure and any chances of hard dead skin build up, cushioned insoles under the ball of the foot is very important. Finally treating you at the end of the day with a foot massage using a ball or frozen bottle will help reduce any muscle tightness and make a huge difference!
