Cracked heels... fissures.. what ever you call them

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ryanfeltz
ryanfeltz Posts: 126
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone else have them..... I thought i was cool a few weeks ago and started to do cartwheels. Landed on my heel and felt it bust open.... babied it for a few days and it got better but

The more I walk ( pretty fast walking too) it keeps getting worse

Any advice ? ever had them before?

they arent bleeding but they are sore.

Replies

  • moushtie
    moushtie Posts: 371 Member
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    Moisturise overnight - this means slathering on large amounts of thick moisturiser, then putting a sock over it to keep the moisturiser next to your skin.

    Then use surgical/micropore tape over it during the day to keep it together.

    Probably salt water soak to get the tape off ready for the next night's moisturising.

    This is what I did for mine, I had a real problem with it a few years ago.

    If there's a better way to do it, I'd be interested to know too.
  • Tiffanydepiano
    Tiffanydepiano Posts: 169 Member
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    I fill them with triple antibiotic cream and put a sock on overnight. They are usually not sore by morning.
  • Redness82
    Redness82 Posts: 134 Member
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    While this is probably not the most medically sound way.. superglue them together!! It works wonders! I used to be a swimmer and we did that all the time... My bf cut himself awhile back pretty badly, and it was a clean cut.. he superglued it together. NO SCAR! I'm sure I'll get some flack for this but oh well! :)
  • drog2323
    drog2323 Posts: 1,386 Member
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    I get them bad in the summer when im wearing flip flops. They go away once i wear socks and shoes.

    I feel your pain, mine get bad and really hurt in the summer.
  • ryanfeltz
    ryanfeltz Posts: 126
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    Thanks.... I just hoped i didnt need to see a dr.... I dont want them to stop my workout.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    I haven't had that problem but I'm pretty fanatical about keeping my feet looking pretty. I use a pumice stone to scrub my heels, the balls of my feet and around the front and under my toes every time I shower. I spend most of the summer in sandals and I live where it's super dry so if I didn't, I KNOW I'd have problems.

    Moushtie's advice is great. If you can find Burt's Bees products, I use their coconut foot creme when I feel like my feet are still getting too dry, especially in the winter when I might not be so diligent about using the pumice stone since I'm wearing closed shoes most of the time. The creme works wonders. Before bed, soak your feet for a few minutes, use the pumice stone to scrub the dry spots, slather on a good coat of the creme all over your heels and dry areas and then put on a pair of old socks. When you get up the next morning, you feet will be nice and soft. You can then take a shower and pumice again, use the tape on the cracked spot, put a good lotion on the rest of your feet and get dressed. I'd recommend closed shoes while it's healing since they'll keep your feet from drying out during the day and protect it from injury and possibly worsening the problem. Do this every night until your feet are healed. Then continue to pumice when you shower and it shouldn't happen again.

    One other bit of advice, if you're the kind to walk around the house barefoot all day, wear shoes instead. Your feet will be less dry and less prone to cracking.
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
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    Soak your feet in the evening and use a pumice stone to start removing the dead skin. From your local drug store, get a foot cream for dry, cracked heels, apply it at night, and sleep wearing socks to keep in the moisture and speed healing. Wear socks and shoes as much as you can to retain moisture in your heels. That is hard to do in summer. Where I live, it still feels like summer, and I'm still wearing sandals when I'm not exercising. Baby your feet!
  • lakersfan4life
    lakersfan4life Posts: 322 Member
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    While this is probably not the most medically sound way.. superglue them together!! It works wonders! I used to be a swimmer and we did that all the time... My bf cut himself awhile back pretty badly, and it was a clean cut.. he superglued it together. NO SCAR! I'm sure I'll get some flack for this but oh well! :)

    actually thats what superglue was originaly intended for. To put soldiers back together on the battlefield.
  • ryanfeltz
    ryanfeltz Posts: 126
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    Sue.... how did you know.... I NEVER wear shoes unless i have to. I get a pedicure once a week and he scrubs them good.... i just noticed this week i had one on the other heel too.

    SUPERGLUE... might not be medically sound with actual super glue but they glued my last csection together so there must be something to it... and gosh knows you can never get your fingers unstuck :)
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    While this is probably not the most medically sound way.. superglue them together!! It works wonders! I used to be a swimmer and we did that all the time... My bf cut himself awhile back pretty badly, and it was a clean cut.. he superglued it together. NO SCAR! I'm sure I'll get some flack for this but oh well! :)
    Actually superglue is great for cuts. LOL It can sting like a mofo, though. :laugh: I've actually had a doctor recommend it for superficial cuts, but not deep ones. If the OP's cracked heel isn't bleeding, it should work just fine. Deeper cuts can be treated with medical-grade glue like Dermabond instead of generic super glue. There's also a product called New Skin which has been available OTC for decades which is very similar.
  • RobynC79
    RobynC79 Posts: 331 Member
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    While this is probably not the most medically sound way.. superglue them together!! It works wonders! I used to be a swimmer and we did that all the time... My bf cut himself awhile back pretty badly, and it was a clean cut.. he superglued it together. NO SCAR! I'm sure I'll get some flack for this but oh well! :)

    I'll second this - I've used this before too. Just make sure the wound is clean, clean, clean before you do! Superglue is pretty much the same thing as many surgical glues (different manufacturing sanitiation standards, though, among other differences). But be careful with it, closing a dirty or infected wound can cause serious problems.

    Alternatively, (as several others have mentioned) soak your feet in hot soapy water, clean the crack well, then dry, apply very thick moisturising cream, then a plastic bag over your foot, then a thick sock. Leave it overnight and then tape the crack tightly before you start walking on it the next day.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Sue.... how did you know.... I NEVER wear shoes unless i have to. I get a pedicure once a week and he scrubs them good.... i just noticed this week i had one on the other heel too.

    SUPERGLUE... might not be medically sound with actual super glue but they glued my last csection together so there must be something to it... and gosh knows you can never get your fingers unstuck :)
    It was a good guess. :) Most people I know who have your problem don't regularly wear shoes.

    I get pedicures but only once every 3-4 weeks. I always get comments on how they don't need to do much work on me. LOL Get yourself a pumice stone and use it regularly. I promise you'll see a difference and you will probably save yourself some money by not needing to have pedicures so often.
  • lildoggielover
    lildoggielover Posts: 72 Member
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    If your feet get too hot at night with the socks on, cut the toes out of an old pair and you'll be happy! :smile: I do the pumice stone in the shower too and it keeps mine soft. Also, no more flip flops for awhile.
  • wiglet23
    wiglet23 Posts: 887 Member
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    all the time. vaseline is a great moisturizer for this sort of thing., slather it on/rub it in after using your pumic stone - works even better when you cover with COTTON socks overnight (I usually kick mine off when my feet get too hot.) but since you are already bleeding, you probly want to start with something like Neosporin til that heals, then try the pumice/moisturizing routine...
  • Hiribe
    Hiribe Posts: 11
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    I use to have the same problem but I use products from avon Foot Works and it really helped out alot. Not sure if there is something simlar in the store you can get but this stuff is better then just using regular lotion. There's a cream for cracked heel and then there;s another one called Corn & Callus Softening Balm and it works. You just have to stay on top of it and your feet will be good as new in no time.
  • MountainMamaof2
    MountainMamaof2 Posts: 31
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    Pediegg -- really helps. Also, put on lotion and sleep in socks.

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