22 Jun Crusty Summer Heels

Crusty Summer Heels

The scourge of summer: crusty, rough, dry, cracking heels. Not something that a lot of people want to talk about, but a condition that is fairly prevalent during the summer (no one is immune to this problem, as I have experienced this condition myself).

Why does this problem happen?

There is a combination of factors:
-Hot, dry weather causes drying of the heel skin.

-We tend to wear less shoes, thus exposing the heel skin to the elements.

-We miss the benefit of humidity within shoes, which tends to condition the skin.

-Shearing and pressure forces upon our heels while wearing sandals/flip flops wreaks havoc on the skin of the heels, causing roughness and dryness.

What are we to do?
-Use a moisturizer on the skin of the heels: try applying @ night with socks (may be tough in the summer).

-Use a pumice stone frequently.

-Try a keratolytic cream. At our clinic, we carry two very beneficial creams that help to heal crusty heels: Gormel crème or Calicylic crème.

-Another product we carry at the clinic that helps a lot is the Heel So Soft kit.

If all else fails, sometimes an appointment in the clinic will allow us to debride the skin safely (***diabetic patients should avoid self-treatment and certainly any products which may ‘cut away’ the skin***) and recommend the appropriate product to eliminate the problem.

Have a great summer, but let us know if we can help you. Contact Alpine Foot & Ankle Clinic in Missoula to see how we can help you!