Summer vacation season is a time to let your hair down and relax. Relaxation is good for the mind as well as the body. It helps protect your heart, improves your immune system, lowers stress, improves memory, and boosts your decision-making skills. Your feet deserve to relax and recuperate, too. This means taking care of them—including the cracks in your calluses you might be avoiding. Cracked heels are unsightly and can be uncomfortable, but a little pampering can help you get smoother skin.

You develop heel fissures for many different reasons. Typically, they affect people with calluses on the backs of their feet. Calluses make the skin inflexible, so it cracks under pressure instead of stretching. To smooth out your heels, you need to restore moisture to your skin and thin down callus build-up. Here are a few easy home remedies for cracked heels you can do at any time, even when you’re on vacation:

  • Wash feet with moisturizing soaps – Some soaps draw moisture out of the skin. Make sure you use types that specifically moisturize so they aren’t exacerbating the problem.
  • Moisturize after bathing – Bathing eliminates the oils and protective moisture on the outside of your skin, so replenish it after you’ve dried off. Use thick ointments or creams, like petroleum jelly, and put on clean socks right away to lock in the effects.
  • Stay hydrated – Water on the inside helps keep your skin cells healthy. Drink plenty of water every day.
  • Use natural moisturizers – Olive oil, honey mixtures, mashed bananas, and a few other natural substances make great alternatives for moisturizing your feet.
  • Try foot soaks – Soak your feet in warm water mixtures, like Epsom salt baths or lemon baths. These loosen the dead skin and calluses on your heels.

Carefully using a pumice stone can help you grind down built-up calluses as well. Don’t wait for your cracked heels to get out of hand before deciding to take care of them. They may not seem serious now, but splits in your skin are opportunities for infections to develop. If you’re struggling with dry, cracking feet, let our team at Martin Foot and Ankle in Hanover, Lancaster, Lititz and York, help you out. Make an appointment with us online or you can call us at (717) 757-3537.