Healthy, Good-looking Heels

We want your feet to not only feel great, but to look good too! Many of our patients complain of calluses on their heels and the balls of their feet which grow large and unsightly. Many also experience cracking of the calluses. This can be a bad thing for your feet. Not only can dry, cracked skin be painful, it also opens the skin to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. Here are two tips to keep the skin on your feet, especially your heels, in great shape.

1. Keep your calluses under control. It is when calluses grow that they are most likely to dry out and crack. Calluses on the bottom of your feet develop naturally and help to protect your feet. Having a callused area on your feet is not a bad thing, but you should pay attention to them and treat them as follows. Soak your feet for 10-20 minutes. This will help relax you and your feet as well as softening and moisturizing the skin on your feet. Make sure the water isn't too hot as this can actually dry out your skin worse. Dry your feet with a towel and use an emery board, pumice stone or callus file to shave down your callus. This helps remove the dead skin of the callus. Do not trim down to the fresh skin under the callus. And you do not have to completely remove the callus, only keep it manageable.

2. Moisturize the skin on your feet. Your skin is prone to drying, especially in the winter. You should moisturize the skin on your feet, especially if it is dry and cracking. The best times to moisturize are right after a shower (dry thoroughly first) and before going to bed. You may consider leaving your socks on so that the moisturizer stays on your feet longer. Do not moisturize between your toes. This will keep your skin in great shape and looking good as well.