Everything about preventing and treating heel gaps

Your skin is like a human shield: it protects you against dirt and infections, but if the skin is damaged this protection diminishes. Heel gaps are such a condition. It is painful and can even affect your self-image.

Heel gaps are small cracks in the skin around the heel. Discover here how foot care and other simple tricks can help you with this. Read more here about what heel gaps are and how you can do your heel care .

Why does the skin tear around your heels?

Heel chaps are small cracks in the skin around the heel. While walking and standing, our body weight exerts pressure on the heel, which causes the skin to stretch a bit. A mix of dry skin and pressure can lead to cracked skin or heel gaps because the skin is unable to maintain the level of moisture and therefore becomes fragile. Your skin bursts apart, resulting in heel gaps.

What are the symptoms of heel gaps?

In the first phase of this condition, the skin starts to feel tight when it becomes stressed. Intense dryness, itching, and sensitivity are often the first signs that indicate the problem. The affected area of ​​skin can eventually turn yellow or brown and tends to become considerably harder.

In a further formed stage, it can happen that the heel becomes so dry that it turns white or yellow, or even red with flaking. The gorges can be so deep that it is very painful to walk barefoot.

What causes heel gaps?

Dehydrated skin is one of the biggest causes of the formation of heel gaps. If the moisture balance of the skin has decreased to such an extent, the heel will develop thick and hard skin as a form of protection. This makes the skin insufficiently able to heal properly.

In the beginning, you will have little trouble with torn skin, but if it is not treated in time you may end up with pain when walking . Over time, heel gaps can itch, feel painful and even bleed due to pressure. There are several factors that can cause heel gaps. Check-in your own routine and see below which factors apply to you. Try to adjust your current habits to this. These are the most common factors that cause heel gaps:

• Lack of moisture - The most common cause of heel gaps. The skin under your foot is often very dry, rough and rough. This is because the skin around your heels contains few sweat glands. In addition, fat ensures that the skin becomes soft and prevents it from drying out. If you generally suffer from dry skin, it can occur faster that you will suffer from torn skin, because the skin is less elastic and the following factors can be aggravated.
• Shortcomings - A lack of vitamins, minerals and zinc in your diet can affect the skin of your heel.
• Pressure - Standing tall during work, but also at home can cause you to have cracked skin.
• Aging of the skin ¬– A thick, dry skin loses its elasticity as we age, which increases the chance that the skin will crack.
• Overweight - Your weight can cause pressure on the fat pad of the heel. This can lead to expansion on the side of the fat pad, which reduces the flexibility of the skin and increases the pressure on the foot. This leads to heel gaps.
• Open shoes - Sandals or open shoes can cause the fat under the heel to move to the side, causing cracks to form around your heel. Taking care of your feet regularly when wearing open shoes is therefore very important.
• Hygiene- Unhygienic circumstances can make certain things worse on your foot. Therefore, wash your feet thoroughly and then dry them well.
• Water-Water can cause the natural oils to be removed from the skin resulting in chapped and dry skin. In addition, it can stand for a long time in damp rooms, such as the bathroom, creating heel gaps.
• Tight shoes - Standing and walking in tight or too small shoes can also lead to cracks in the heels.
• Genetic - A naturally dry or hard skin around the heel can be a genetic factor, causing heel fissures.

Treat heel gaps

There are various treatments that help against dry feet and heel gaps. For the cracks in your heel, try a hydrating treatment that contains the ingredients Urealanal and Landline (wool grease). Regular use of a foot file can also help to soften and soften the skin of your feet. If a gap is so deep or painful, it is wise to visit a specialist.

How can you prevent heel gaps?

Of course, you prefer to prevent heel gaps or cracked skin than to cure it. It is important that you give your feet the same attention and care as the rest of your body. So it is good to also hydrate your feet.

• Soothe your skin quickly by dipping your feet in warm water.
• Make sure you wear shoes that support the footwell and offer adequate protection. Avoid tight or wide shoes.
• Limit wearing open shoes as much as possible. Dense shoes help your foot to stay moist.
• Use Scholl:
1. Scholl Repairing Heel Gaps Cream Active Repair K +
Give your foot hygiene a boost with moisturizing creams and cleansing products that help your skin stay supple. An effective way to prevent the formation of heel gaps is by using a moisturizing cream. Scholl Repairing Heel Gaps Cream Active Repair K + is a clinically proven foot cream that visibly improves cracked skin.

Try it yourself and see how cracked skin improves. Apply the foot cream 2 times a day to clean, dry feet, and massage in so that it is completely absorbed into the skin.

After full recovery of the skin, continue to use the cream to keep the heels smooth and smooth.
2. Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi Electric foot file
Another essential tool for the fight against hard skin is the Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi Electric foot file, which can remove dead and hard skin layer by layer, making your feet visibly and tangibly soft and smooth. to be.

If the symptoms persist even after treatment, then it is good to talk to a doctor or dermatologist. It is always possible that there is another cause of your skin problems. Always read the instructions for use of the product and only use the product as indicated.