“What can I do for dry and cracked feet?”
I walk a lot on my campus, and I noticed that my feet have become dry and appear to be cracked. Could walking so much have caused this? What should I do?
17 Answers
You can apply a good quality foot cream such as EUCERIN or bag balm. If this does not work, even when you use it twice a day, you need to have your feet check to be sure you do not have a fungus since this can also cause dry cracked skin and will not
Topical.
Necessarily walking this much may not have caused all of this. I would moisturize with a good lotion such as Eucerin is a great lotion for calluses. The more cracks you get the more painful it will become. Can also use a pumice stone on the calluses in the shower to remove some of the dead overyling skin.
Use lac Gudrun 12%. It's non-Rx over the counter.
This is a common issue I see in a lot of patients and can be easily treated with prescription topical medication. This will progress if left untreated.
There are multiple conservative options that work very well. Please, make an appointment with me in my Chandler office (480) 269-7130 and I will go over all of your options. Depending on Xrays (if needed) that I can take at my office and the clinical exam, I am able to diagnose and recommend different treatment options. I recommend you have this checked as soon as you can, especially since I can usually treat this without surgery very well in just one visit with me. My office is located on Dobson road, just north of Chandler Regional Hospital. Advanced Foot & Ankle Specialists of Arizona. Feel free to ask to be seen by me specifically and I will get you in the same day or latest the next day. I take all insurances, please do not go off of the insurance list on this website as it is not updated yet. Mention that I have talked to you on the internet. I can also do the entire visit with you over the phone or video call as well, which most insurances cover, even if you are out of state and my staff can verify this for you when you schedule. Thank you and have a good evening.
There are multiple conservative options that work very well. Please, make an appointment with me in my Chandler office (480) 269-7130 and I will go over all of your options. Depending on Xrays (if needed) that I can take at my office and the clinical exam, I am able to diagnose and recommend different treatment options. I recommend you have this checked as soon as you can, especially since I can usually treat this without surgery very well in just one visit with me. My office is located on Dobson road, just north of Chandler Regional Hospital. Advanced Foot & Ankle Specialists of Arizona. Feel free to ask to be seen by me specifically and I will get you in the same day or latest the next day. I take all insurances, please do not go off of the insurance list on this website as it is not updated yet. Mention that I have talked to you on the internet. I can also do the entire visit with you over the phone or video call as well, which most insurances cover, even if you are out of state and my staff can verify this for you when you schedule. Thank you and have a good evening.
Use lotion... Bag Balm works well
Hello and thank you for your question.
Dry, cracked heels is a common condition secondary to a moisture imbalance in the skin. I normally recommend some keratolytic creams such as urea cream or ammonium lactate to apply daily. More recently, I have been suggesting a compound cream called hydrasole for my patients which works quickly and rather well.
Thank you and good luck.
Dry, cracked heels is a common condition secondary to a moisture imbalance in the skin. I normally recommend some keratolytic creams such as urea cream or ammonium lactate to apply daily. More recently, I have been suggesting a compound cream called hydrasole for my patients which works quickly and rather well.
Thank you and good luck.
So, moisturizing is a good start. Eucerine cream is very good. Get the one that's thick like crisco shortening, that's the best. Now, you could also have an athletes foot condition. I suggest you see a podiatrist for that. If you wear sandals, that's a big culprit. Bed, bath and beyond has a rotary callus sanding wheel. The wheel is black and that is the best for removing thick, cracked skin. It sells for 25-30 bucks.
Good luck!
Dr. Siegel
Good luck!
Dr. Siegel
Hello,
Make sure you wear well cushioned shoes at all times. Do not walk bare foot. Try applying Gold Bonds cream twice a day.
Dr. Lui
Make sure you wear well cushioned shoes at all times. Do not walk bare foot. Try applying Gold Bonds cream twice a day.
Dr. Lui
Feet are dry due to lack of moisture. Some people have naturally dry skin. The skin can callus (get hard, thick, and dry) and with additional pressure from standing/walking cause cracks. You need to moisturize at least twice a day. Vaseline works great on the bottoms of the feet. You can even apply Vaseline to the bottoms of the feet at and apply socks overnight. Do not place Vaseline on the tops of the feet because the skin is different and your pores can clog. Soaking the feet in warm water and using a pumice stone on hard areas of skin can be beneficial prior to moisturizing.
Dry, cracking skin can be caused by reduction in moisture with increased friction. Can also be caused by a fungal infection. If it's caused by fungus then topical antifungal creams can be utilized. Otherwise, you can use topical moisturizing creams and keep skin well hydrated.
Jonathan M. Kletz, DPM
Jonathan M. Kletz, DPM
Yes walking, especially in flip flops or open shoes can cause dry cracked skin. I would say if there are open cracks start applying triple antibiotic ointment to them to soften and protect. A pumice stone daily in the shower should help the callused skin and a lotion with any urea will help as well.
Walking in non-supportive shoes will cause your feet to dry out, and the sheer forces with cause stress and cracking of the skin. Make sure your wear supportive shoes. If they cracking continues, apply an OTC anti-fungal cream and if you still have symptoms then see your podiatrist.
Sometimes. Do you wear shoes or sandals? You can try over the counter lotions. Make sure they have a urea base.
Cracking feet may have multiple causes, including dryness or a mechanical. I recommend you be evaluated by a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) for a diagnosis and appropriate treatment
The most common cause of fissures is hyperhidrosis and/or mechanical issues (the way your feet are moving in your shoes). There is an over-the-counter cream called ‘Amlactin’ that has a light acid that softens the skin. If the cracks are bad, I have my patients put the cream on at night and wrap their feet overnight in Saran Wrap for a week or 2. Then when you shower in the morning, g over the areas gently with a callus file or pumice stone. Once the problem calms down, you just put the cream on at night and don’t have to use Saran Wrap unless the problem flares up again. (there’s also a prescription version called ‘Ammonium Lactate’ and another with Urea). Also, you should have your shoes and gait evaluated by a Podiatrist. You may need orthotics to change the mechanics of your feet
Typically dry skin is not caused by walking. To alleviate the dryness tried applying over-the-counter moisturizing cream to the feet twice daily. If this does not alleviate the problem he should be evaluated by a physician.
