ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How To Avoid Painful Cracked Heels In Winter - 5 Top Tips To Keep You Off Your Toes

Updated on June 29, 2014
Foot care is vital year round, not just when your feet are on show in summer. "Foot Massage" by marin http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/agree-terms.php?id=100114072
Foot care is vital year round, not just when your feet are on show in summer. "Foot Massage" by marin http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/agree-terms.php?id=100114072

Foot Care Is Important Year Round And Not Just In Summer When Our Feet Are On Display

Many of us, me included, tend to take our feet for granted and only pamper them in the warmer months of the year when they are on display to the world as we trip around in flip flops and sandals.

Failing to care adequately for our feet in winter can be the cause of fissures or cracks appearing, particularly on our heels, and this can lead to pain, problems walking and standing, and infection.

There are many causes of Skin / foot problems and these include eczema, diabetes,thyroid problems,psoriasis and athletes foot. Age can also wreak havoc with our skin as Sebum ( natural oil released by the skin) production lessens, and the skin also becomes less elastic and stretchy.

But I am going to deal solely with Xerosis or dry skin problems experienced in the winter, and how to avoid the pain of cracked heels and infection.

Causes Of Painful Cracked Heels In Winter

Common causes of dry skin on the feet and heels during cold weather, excluding disease or conditions such as diabetes , eczema , thyroid and circulatory problems can include,

Pressure exerted on our feet whilst standing and walking, cold dry weather, lack of moisturisation, hot baths and showers, central heating, dehydration, and insufficient intake of Zinc , vitamin E and essential omega 3 fatty acids.

Following a good foot care plan and eating a well balanced diet along with keeping well hydrated can all help prevent the pain and unsightliness of cracked heels.

5 Top Tips To Help You Avoid Painful Cracked Heels In Winter

1. Moisturise Moisturise and Moisturise Some More.

Whenever you get the chance throughout the day, rub moisturiser into your heels and the soles of your feet. If this is not possible then make sure to apply it at night just before going to bed and slip a pair of cotton socks on to trap the lotion or cream in and give it a chance to penetrate deeply whilst you sleep. If your feet are excessively dry it may be better to apply your product and then wrap your feet in cling film before putting on socks and tucking up in bed.

There are many specific products on the market for dry feet and cracked heels and these include Vitamin E cream, Shea butter, petroleum jelly and lanolin. Beware of lanolin though as it´s made from the oil from sheep wool and some people have a reaction to it.

2. Keep Hard Skin At Bay.

Gently exfoliate hard skin especially on the heels and moisturise always after doing this. You can do this using a pumice stone or exfoliating creams or specially designed foot files. Never attempt to cut or shave off hard skin, leave it to the professionals.

3. Avoid long hot baths and showers.

These will only suck out further moisture from your skin. Also try to stick with mild soaps or moisturising bath and shower oils and gels. Moisturise your feet well whilst still warm from your bath or shower as the pores will have opened and your moisturiser will soak right in.

4. Eat a diet rich in Omega 3 - Zinc - and Vitamin E .

Foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids include oily fish such as sardines and salmon, many every day food products like margarine and eggs now contain elevated levels of Omega 3.

Zinc is found in foods such as Garlic, chickpeas, dark chocolate, wheat germ and seeds.

Vitamin E rich foods include Green leafy vegetables, almonds, pine kernels and hazel nuts, avocado, papaya, and raw seeds like sunflower and pumpkin.

Of course if you find it a problem including all these healthy choices in your diet, you could simply take a daily supplement.

5. Keep Hydrated.

Cold weather, high winds and hot central heating all suck moisture from our skin so it´s important to replace that by making sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day .

Prevention Is Better Than Cure.

Following these five easy suggestions should help to keep you on your toes during the cold winter months. Prevention is better than cure , but if your dry skin and cracked heel problem fails to correct itself using these methods, or an infection sets in, there may be more going on than just plain old dryness, and a visit to your doctor or medic may be needed.

Disclaimer

Please note that the author is not a doctor or medic and is in no way associated with those professions. This hub is meant as a guideline only and should you be worried about your health in any way, a doctor or medics advice should always be sought.

Your votes and comments are always appreciated so please do feel free to leave them if you so wish. Thank you :)

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)