How to Heal Cracked Heels Naturally
Healing cracked heels involves a combination of proper foot care, hydration, and sometimes medical treatments. By following a consistent foot care routine and making some lifestyle adjustments, you can restore your heels to a soft and supple state. Keep reading to discover how to heal cracked heels naturally.
Cracked heels, also known as heel fissures, can be extremely frustrating to deal with. Not only can they make someone self-conscious about wearing sandals or going barefoot, but they can also be quite painful.
Another frustrating aspect of cracked heels is that they can be very, very difficult to eradicate. The main reason for that is that there are many possible causes of cracked heels, and trying to figure out the actual cause can be pretty tricky.
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What Causes Dry, Cracked Heels?
Cracked heels can be caused by neglecting your feet, going barefoot, or wearing flip-flops or sandals too often. However, they can also be caused by underlying health conditions.
A few underlying health conditions that can cause cracked heels are listed below.
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- Fungal infections
- Insulin resistance
If you have any of the above health conditions or suspect you may have any of the above health conditions and are experiencing cracked heels, that is something you should discuss with your doctor.
The best way to heal cracked heels if you have any of these conditions is to get treatment for the health condition, and that is something that only you and your doctor can address.
That said, cracked heels can sometimes be caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
What Deficiency Causes Cracked Heels?
Several vitamin deficiencies are linked to cracked heels. Below are the most common ones.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is so important. Its primary role is to act as an antioxidant and decrease free radicals in the body that can damage cells.
It is also essential for skin health. Vitamin E helps to protect the collagen in the skin and helps to keep the skin moisturized.
Vitamin E is extremely beneficial for people who consume a high PUFA diet.
If you don’t know what PUFAs are I recommend reading this post – What Are PUFAs & Why You Should Avoid Them.
High PUFA diets take quite a bit of vitamin E out of the body.
Vitamin E deficiency can lead to cracked heels and many, many more problems.
This is the vitamin E supplement I use and recommend. You can use the code HAPPYHEART to get 15% off.
Vitamin B3 (Niacinimide)
Vitamin B3, also known as niacin or niacinamide, is essential for skin health. I personally prefer niacinamide because it is a more stable form of niacin and is less likely to cause flushing.
Niacinamide can help your skin grow a ceramide (lipid) barrier whch helps the skin retain moisture.
Niacinamide has many more skin benefits, which you can read about here.
This is the Niacinamide supplement I use and recommend. You can use the code HAPPYHEART to get 15% off.
Vitamin A (Retinol)
Retinol (true vitamin A) is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to skin health.
Vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps protect skin cells from oxidative stress. If your heels are fine during the winter but begin to crack in the summer, you may be vitamin A deficient.
The more time you spend in the sun, the more vitamin A your body requires.
Vitamin A can also help to improve thyroid function. So, if an underactive thyroid is the cause of your cracked heels, vitamin A may be able to help in this way as well.
But it is really important to know that although vitamin A can improve thyroid function, too much vitamin A can be thyroid suppressive if you currently have low thyroid function (which many women do).
So, if you have a sluggish thyroid, it’s important to introduce vitamin A into your diet very slowly.
Also, it is important to know the difference between beta-carotene and retinol. Both are referred to as vitamin A, but retinol is the true vitamin A.
Beta-carotene is a precursor to retinol. The body converts beta-carotene into retinol. Beta-carotene does not convert to retinol at a 1:1 ratio though.
It can range anywhere from 3:1 to 28:1, depending on a multitude of factors. There are certain conditions that can decrease beta-carotene conversion or block beta-carotene conversion completely.
100 grams of cooked carrots contain around 17,000IU of vitamin A, which converts to around 852 micrograms of retinol activity equivalents (RAE). 100 grams of beef liver contains around 26,000IU of vitamin A or 7,700 micrograms of RAE.
I’m a huge fan of carrots and sweet potatoes, but they are not the best sources of vitamin A.
Foods high in vitamin A are beef liver, lamb liver, cod liver, mackerel, goat cheese, raw milk (from grass-fed cows), grass-fed butter, eggs from pasture-raised chickens, and Limburger cheese.
My go-to sources for vitamin A are fresh grass-fed beef liver, beef liver supplements, and cod liver oil.
How to Heal Cracked Heels Naturally
How to heal cracked heels naturally will vary from person to person. That is why I wanted to first address possible root causes. If you have any of the root causes listed above, just taking better care of your feet will not be enough to heal cracked heels naturally.
That said, I realize it can be very difficult to find the root cause of cracked heels and dry feet. So, below are short-term and long-term solutions for healing cracked heels naturally.
Short Term Solutions for Healing Cracked Heels
Below are several things that you can do on a daily or weekly basis to heal cracked heels.
Stop Going Barefoot or Wearing Sandals
I am a huge fan of going barefoot and wearing sandals. I live in Southern California, and you will rarely catch me in boots or sneakers.
Unfortunately, going barefoot or wearing sandals too often can lead to dry, cracked heels.
Going barefoot or wearing sandals can overexpose the skin to the elements, which can dry out the skin on the feet.
One of the easiest ways to heal cracked heels is to wear shoes and socks more often.
Use a Foot File
A foot file is essentially sandpaper for your heels. It can really help remove dead, dry, flaky skin from your heels.
I personally do not like the ones that look like a cheese grater. In my opinion, they can cause more damage to the heels. Instead, I prefer these ones.
To use, simply rub the foot file back and forth across the heel using a little bit of pressure. Only use on dry skin.
Do a Foot Soak
Foot soaks are simply warm water mixed with various ingredients such as salts, essential oils, or herbs that you soak your feet in.
You can experience a range of benefits by regularly soaking your feet in a foot soak.
One of the best benefits is soft, moisturized feet. I love to soak my feet immediately after using a foot file.
You can check out this post – 5 DIY Foot Soak Recipes for Beautiful Feet – to discover my go-to foot soak recipe for dry, cracked heels.
Use a Pumice Stone
A pumice stone is similar to a foot file but is best used on wet feet rather than dry. I love to use a pumice stone on my heels after my feet have been soaking in a foot soak.
To use simply rub the pumice stone back and forth across the heel using a little bit of pressure. Only use on wet skin.
Use a Foot Scrub
A foot scrub is another great way to exfoliate the skin on the feet. Exfoliating your feet regularly is one of the best ways to remove dead skin and keep your feet soft and smooth.
The salt or sugar used in the foot scrub helps remove dead skin cells from your feet.
The natural oils used in the foot scrub help to moisturize your feet and prevent dead skin from forming.
I highly recommend checking out my homemade foot scrub recipe, or you can check out these ones on Amazon.
The best time to use a foot scrub is at the end of your shower or bath or immediately after a foot soak. I personally like to use a pumice stone first and then follow up with the foot scrub.
To use a foot scrub, gently massage a small amount into wet feet using circular motions. Pay special attention to the extremely dry areas of your feet. When you have finished exfoliating, rinse with warm water and lightly pat the skin dry.
Use a Foot Balm/Cream
A heel balm is essential for moisturizing the feet and preventing and healing cracked heels. It is best applied immediately after showering, bathing, or using a foot soak.
You can check out my homemade foot cream for cracked heels, or you can check out these ones on Amazon.
To use foot balm, roll it onto the bottoms of your feet, ensuring you saturate the heel area thoroughly.
Also, putting on socks right after applying the foot balm will help lock in the moisture.
Wear Moisturizing Heel Socks
Speaking of socks, one of the best ways to keep your heels moisturized is by wearing moisturizing heel socks. Moisturizing heel socks have a gel lining in the heel area that is infused with nourishing essential oils, vitamin E, jojoba, and olive oil.
I’ve used these ones before and really like them!
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is an amazing healing modality. It is an alternative healing approach that stimulates the body’s natural healing mechanisms.
You can click here to learn more about homeopathy.
Homeopathy remedies that can possibly heal cracked heels are petroleum and lycopodium clavatum.
The best thing about homeopathic remedies is that they have no side effects. So, they are a completely risk-free healing modality and very affordable.
So, those are all the short-term solutions for healing cracked heels. I recommend following a regular foot care routine 2-3 times per week or possibly nightly to see results.
My personal foot care routine is below.
- Use a foot file
- Soak feet in a foot soak for 15-20 minutes
- Use a pumice stone
- Use a foot scrub
- Gently pat feet dry
- Use a foot balm
- Put on moisturizing heel socks
If you regularly follow a similar foot care routine and still have extremely dry, cracked heels, you may have a vitamin deficiency or an underlying health condition.
In that case, I recommend checking out the long-term solutions below.
Long Term Solutions for Healing Cracked Heels
Below are suggestions for addressing vitamin deficiencies or underlying health conditions related to cracked heels.
Addressing Vitamin Deficiencies
One of the safest ways to address vitamin deficiencies is by eating a whole foods diet. I am a big fan of pro-metabolic eating.
Pro-metabolic foods are foods that contain bioavailable nutrients and minerals, are easy to digest, and increase metabolic function rather than inhibit it.
If you do not want to do a complete diet overhaul, read through the common vitamin deficiencies that cause cracked heels that I listed above and try to figure out which one you might have.
I would look up additional symptoms related to vitamin deficiency and see if you have any of them.
If you believe you may have a vitamin E deficiency, for example, you can look up foods that are rich in vitamin E and start including more of those foods in your diet.
Getting vitamins and minerals from food is always best.
That said, sometimes supplementation is the best way to address deficiencies quickly.
When it comes to supplementation, I always recommend going low and slow.
Start with a very small dosage/amount and increase gradually over a long period. This approach helps the body adapt and minimizes possible adverse side effects.
Also, it’s best to start with one supplement for several weeks before introducing a new supplement to your regimen.
That way, if you have an adverse reaction, you know which supplement is causing it.
If you feel awful taking a supplement, even when you start with just a tiny amount, that may be an indication that your body does not need it.
One of the most important things to remember about healing cracked heals with vitamins is that it takes time. Supplementation is not an overnight fix; even if you are supplementing with a vitamin, you are indeed deficient in it.
Healing cracked heels by addressing deficiencies can take many, many months.
Addressing Underlying Health Conditions
To address underlying health conditions, I recommend the same method as addressing vitamin deficiencies.
Look through the possible health conditions above and look into other symptoms related to them. If you have several symptoms associated with these conditions, I recommend discussing them with your doctor immediately.
Can Cracked Heels Be Cured Permanently?
I 100% believe that cracked heels can be permanently cured. However, underlying health conditions and vitamin deficiencies must be addressed, and a consistent foot-care routine must be implemented.
It will also take lots of time to be cured permanently.
Well, I hope this information helps you heal your cracked heels for good! Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
