Do you care about the health of your feet all year round? Or only in the summer when you have to put them on display with the use of flip flops and sandals?
The feet are responsible for our support, but we don’t always give them the attention they deserve.
Wearing very closed shoes, walking barefoot, wearing high heels frequently and even certain diseases can affect their health, causing dryness and, as a consequence, cracks.
Skin changes can affect the sole, the heel or between the toes, becoming concentrated or spread throughout the foot.
Read more: Skin Hydration: importance, how to moisturize, products and tips
Hydrating this part of the body helps to avoid these problems, in addition to influencing other cares in our own health. Like? Continue reading the text to find out:
Contents
Cracked and peeling feet: what can it be?
Our feet can become cracked (with the appearance of wounds) or peeling (a thin part of the skin loosens) due to several factors, among them, poor hydration.
In addition to the lack of cream, excess weight can overload the feet, the use of closed shoes or the habit of walking barefoot can favor the injury of the extremities.
But many people are mistaken in thinking that the cracks are only aesthetic.
This is because skin changes in the feet can indicate some diseases, and can also cause pain and change the way the person steps, making it difficult to walk.
In addition, some diseases have fissures in the skin as complications or manifestations, such as diabetes and hypothyroidism . Therefore, taking care of the health as a whole can be fundamental to improve the health and beauty of the feet.
So be aware of your body and the signals it gives.
Read more: The most common skin diseases
Why do feet crack?
Our skin is formed by 3 layers, called epidermis, dermis and hypodermis.
The act of the feet cracking occurs due to the epidermis being hurt in daily life, with the use of tight or very open shoes, walking barefoot, lack of hydration etc.
This wear ends up resulting in a thickening process of the skin, usually on the heel.
This thickening forms calluses and fissures, resulting in the loss of the skin’s natural elasticity. Thus, it ends up opening, or hurting itself, depending on movements and friction.
The deeper the crack, the more pain it presents, when it reaches the nerves in the dermis the pain is unbearable.
Could it be a sign of a disease?
Sometimes, yes . Although most of the time the cracking and peeling of the feet are only signs of poor hydration or harmful habits to the skin, in some cases they may indicate diseases.
There are pathologies that, among the symptoms, present the crack in the feet, some examples are psoriasis , obesity and diabetes.
They differ from normal cracks when they have a lot of pain and also bleeding. In some cases, wounds take time to heal and can develop into infections.
Read more: Fungus present on the skin can trigger atopic dermatitis
Cracked feet and uric acid
When there is a large consumption of protein, a substance is formed after digestion, called purine.
The excess piruna is able to create small crystals of uric acid, which over time accumulate in the joints of the body, causing pain.
In addition to pain, the accumulation of uric acid has other symptoms such as redness in the inflamed or infiltrated area, becoming warmer than normal.
There may be deformation of the joint, difficulty in movement, swelling in the ankle, knee, fingers and toes.
Therefore, the accumulation of uric acid in the body can even result in damage to the feet, but it is the joints that are affected. There is no direct relationship between dryness of the skin.
How to care for cracked or dry feet?
To take care of cracked feet, a lot of hydration is needed. Those who have naturally dry skin must scald their feet twice a week and use creams to ensure hydration. Know how:
Scald feet
Foot scalding is a homemade solution for tired feet, but it is also designed to make them look healthier and more hydrated. For this, it is necessary to use a basin, warm water and salt.
Take the bowl, fill it with warm water and add 2 tablespoons of salt (30g). Soak your feet for about 15 to 20 minutes.
After that time, dry them well and apply almond oil or any moisturizing cream of your choice, to enhance the hydration on your feet.
Creams and moisturizers
Hydration with the use of cosmetic and dermocosmetic creams can resolve or ameliorate poor hydration.
The ideal is to apply the specific products for feet daily, preferably before going to sleep.
If there are cracks or injuries, it is important to seek medical advice, as it may be necessary to use specific products.
Read more: Benefits of coconut oil for hair, skin and how to do it at home
Other care
Some basic care helps to prevent cracking or other complications from occurring in the feet, such as drying well after bathing, as the accumulation of water can lead to fungi and cracks.
If you notice that the skin on your foot is starting to thicken, use a foot file or pumice stone to exfoliate the area lightly, removing the dead skin and then moisturizing it.
After bathing, create a routine to apply cream on your feet, try to avoid walking barefoot or wearing shoes that are too open, as they can favor contact or the proliferation of bacteria.
Always wear shoes that are comfortable and allow your skin to breathe properly.
Shoes that are too closed can drown out your foot and end up irritating your skin.
Those that are very open, on the other hand, can expose the skin and nails to external factors, which can cause dryness or some contamination by bacteria.
So try to balance the use of shoes that make your feet comfortable and protected.
Creams and ointments for cracks in the feet
There are several creams and ointments to treat cracked feet. In simpler cases, cosmetic creams can help quickly.
Moisturizing products nourish the layers of the skin, offering a significant improvement in a short time.
But if the crack is more complicated, medicated creams and ointments speed healing. They are ideal for treatment as recommended by the dermatologist.
Some of the options of moisturizers and creams with medications are:
Moisturizers
The market offers several brands and moisturizing options that can help in hydrating the skin, developing health and recovering the tissue that is slightly damaged:
- Ureadin Pods Moisturizing Gel-Oil Podos ;
- Goicoechea DiabetTX Hand and Foot Cream ;
- Neutrogena Norwegian Dry Feet Moisturizer ;
- Eucerin Foot Cream 10% Urea ;
- Nexcare Foot Cream ;
- Dermovance Foot Moisturizer ;
- Moisturizing Foot Cream Mavala Confort ;
- Minancora Deodorant Cream Foot Relief .
Medicines
In addition to moisturizing creams, there are ointments and medicines for systemic use (tablets) on the market that can help in the treatment. They should always be prescribed by the doctor:
- Novacort;
- Ureadin;
- Funtyl;
- Clotrimix;
- Loceryl;
- Canesten Creme ;
- Advantan Creme ;
- Oxipelle Cream ;
- Nutraplus 20;
- Oceral;
- Dermobene.
Are cracked feet curable?
Yes , cracked feet are curable. It all depends on each case, the simplest ones can be solved with the use of specific creams and ointments.
Sometimes, cracked feet can occur due to the influence of a disease.
In such cases, it is necessary to make an appointment with the dermatologist to find out the cause and indicate the best treatment. Only in this way is it possible to obtain a complete improvement in dryness.
How to moisturize your feet with bepantol?
Bepantol is a moisturizing cream that can be used for various purposes, such as moisturizing for chapped lips, tattoo healing and also for feet!
To moisturize your feet, do a light exfoliation, take the cream bepantol, rub your feet and soak them in a bowl of warm water for 20 minutes. Then rinse and dry.
The result is a smooth and hydrated skin, due to the fact that bepantol contains the following substances in its composition:
- Pro-vitamin B5 (improves healing);
- Lanolin (increases skin elasticity);
- Almond oil (has anti-inflammatory action);
- Beeswax (moisturizes the skin).
The product can be found in different versions, such as:
- Bepantol Derma ;
- Bepantol Baby .
Home remedy: recipe for cracking feet
There are some homemade recipes that help to improve the appearance of the feet in relation to the cracks.
They can help to improve the condition, but it is important to remember that only homemade recipes are indicated only for light dryness and without exposed wounds.
When there are injuries or severe damage to the skin, there may be risks of infections or irritation, and it is necessary to seek medical advice.
Read more: Homemade moisturizing recipes for different skin types
The ideal is always to talk to the dermatologist.
Some examples of recipes are:
Rose Water + Glycerin
A homemade recipe that can help treat cracked feet is a mixture of rose water and glycerin (a liquid made from vegetables or animal fat).
Both ingredients can be found in pharmacies and health food stores.
Rose water is known for its benefits to the skin, along with glycerin its action becomes more potent.
In a container mix 1 scoop (5g) of each product, which are both liquid.
Take a piece of cotton, moisten it in the mixture and apply it to the cracks in your feet. Apply more than once on the spot so that the skin absorbs the mixture well, wait for it to dry.
You can put on a specific sock for hydration or wrap your feet in plastic and use a normal sock. This will warm up the region and make hydration happen faster.
This hydration can be done once a week.
Avocado
Avocado is a fruit rich in vitamins , such as A, C, E and K, in addition to mineral salts such as iron, potassium and calcium.
In addition to consuming the fruit, it is possible to use it to moisturize your feet. Take a ripe avocado, cut it in half and mash it until it becomes a kind of paste.
Take this paste, apply it on your feet and let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes, then wash your feet and dry.
What not to use for cracks in the feet
With the internet it is not difficult to find different tips to end the cracking of the feet, but some products instead of helping can make the situation worse, so avoid:
Listerine
Listerine is a mouthwash, in its composition there are caustic properties that can cause corrosion of the skin, further damaging the region.
Cracks can start to increase with the use of listerine.
White or apple cider vinegar
Both white or apple cider vinegar should be avoided, due to the acid in its composition. When it comes in contact with the injured skin, it tends to worsen the injury, also causing allergy and itching.
Sodium bicarbonate
Baking soda is one of the kitchen items that is present in different tutorials, from skin care to hair.
In relation to the feet, it promotes cleansing, but it leaves the skin’s pH too low, which facilitates infections to occur, in addition to that it does not promote hydration or prevent injuries.
Hydrogen peroxide
The hydrogen peroxide does not have a moisturizing action for the skin. In fact, it can hinder tissue recovery. Passing hydrogen peroxide on the cracked foot can further dry out the area, causing healing to be slower.
Creme dental
Toothpaste is effective for teeth, but for the skin it can cause irritation resulting in allergy, itching and cracking.
Aspirin and lemon juice
There is no efficacy of aspirin or lemon as moisturizers or substances capable of relieving dryness. Because it is an acidic substance, lemon can cause irritation and burning, aggravating fragile skin.
Taking care of the health of the feet is as important as taking care of the health of our hands, so don’t forget the daily and simple care that can prevent major problems.
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