Cracked Heels
October 4, 2008 at 10:14 am (Self Care)
It is that time of year again in Minnesota when the air becomes crisp and the humidity drops. That means it is the beginning of the season of cracked skin on our heels, thumbs, and fingers.
As a massage therapist I am vigilant about keeping my hands moisturized and soft. Which can be difficult since I have to wash my hands frequently.
Here is what I have learned about preventing cracked skin around the fingernails and heels:
Find a good hand lotion and keep using it. It will keep the skin from getting dried out and hard. I like 
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula creams. A little goes a long way.
But, once the skin is already dry and starting to harden, the best thing to do is file the skin down. For example, on the heel you will start to see dry flakes forming in lines on the edge of the sole. But it is not the dryness of the skin that will actually make it crack open into those painful, bleeding cracks. That is the result of the hardness of the skin. Use a file to file down the flakes and any hard skin. Once you get down to soft skin you can moisturize again. Use a fingernail file for the skin around the fingernails. For the feet you will need a special foot file.
DO NOT file wet or damp skin. Make sure you skin is free from lotion, water, or oil before you file. Otherwise you will end up filing away good, healthy skin. The filing should not hurt. If it does hurt, then you have filed too deeply.
If your heel is already cracked open and bleeding or red, do your best to file down the hard edges on either side. Then apply an antibiotic ointment, if it is safe for you to do so. Ask your doctor if necessary.
I have tried MANY over-the-counter creams and lotions that promise soft feet or say that they will prevent or even heal cracked heels. NONE of them have worked.
This type of cracking around the nails and heels is different from the cracking that occurs in the soft skin in creases between the fingers or between the toes. I have never had that kind of cracking, so I don’t have any wisdom or experience to pass on in regards to it. I would guess that is more likely caused by bacteria and excess moisture and would suggest a routine of washing hands thoroughly and then drying hands thoroughly. I have heard good reports about a cream called “Look No X E Ma” from Four Elements.
Hans Albert Quistorff, LMP said,
October 5, 2008 at 11:05 pm
A lot of the problem with heels may be excessive callus growth because of excessive pressure on the heel due to posture imbalance. you may want to see a bodyworker that specializes in posture correction.
Hans Albert Quistorff, LMP
Antalgic Posture Pain Specialist
Massage Geek said,
October 7, 2008 at 9:20 am
Hello, Hans. It is nice to hear from you. Thank you for visiting my website.
Indeed, the pattern of calluses on the soles of the feet can be an important clue to structural imbalances and the resulting pain or discomfort.
Amy said,
October 7, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I coat my hands and feet PREVENTATIVELY in Bag Balm (in the green tin canister) every night during the winter. It’s amazing at stopping cracks before they start, and if I do get cracked fingers, they heal so much faster. Formulated for cows; great for humans.
Heather said,
October 19, 2008 at 12:06 am
The Norweigan Formula is my favorite as well!
Mike said,
November 4, 2008 at 5:20 pm
I personally am a hot stone massage kind of guy. I found a list of massages at http://themassageco.net and researched them individually. I wanted to experience them all but i thought this would be the most cost effective way of getting what I needed
J. Vaughn, LMT said,
November 18, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Try Peppermint Pedango from PurePro. It’s great for the feet. Clients really love it too. As an aspiring yogi I always try to put my best foot forward and it really helps
Jess "Chair Massage" Evans said,
January 12, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I don’t work on feet that often (mostly do corporate massage and chair massage) but since I don’t use lotion I get cracked skin on my thumbs. I use Avalon Organics Handy & Body lotion in between every session. And it smells great too..
massage table said,
January 15, 2009 at 12:18 am
In winter season, I often suffer with heel crack, I use socks and always keep my heels moisterised. Your tips are good. I will follow those for sure.
Kauai Couples Massage said,
April 10, 2009 at 4:31 pm
An interesting forum post here about massage therapy….
as a massage therapist living in a tropical and medicinal Hawaii Islands … I do realize cracked heels hasn’t been across our way especially working with a robust aromatherapy oils…… usually we have many tourists coming in off the tour ships, … these tourists have different types of body aches and pains and cramps…. theoretically they need massage to help with their aches and pains… because massage therapy is such a natural holistic way of creating wellness through manipulation naturally…
these types of massage there be help to assure that each person gets the most attention toward living a better life… thanks for the blog post here…. we look forward to coming back and reading more about all the most interesting things about massage their feet and massage modalities this is a very helpful and topical massage their reform for massage therapists looking for wellness and alternatives medicine….
regards Arun Rivera with kauaimassages.com/blog
Aaron said,
April 10, 2009 at 4:35 pm
adult work with feet often but I can honestly say that cracked heels happened to come from lack of moisture within the feet,,,, it also could be an indication that other extremely these or organs in the body could be in danger…..
Theoretically massaged there is had been chasing the theory of how to use better techniques, and it comes to dealing with the special modality…
although there are many different approaches when it comes to the massage or foot massage techniques reflexology is probably one of the most popular but sophisticated massages to use by professional massage therapists….
Thank you very much this is a great blog about massage there be I will be back to get more information thank you very much
Kauaimassages.com/blog
Massage Therapist said,
September 16, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Awesome post! I am a Massage Therapist and on my feet all day. Thanks for the tip on the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula creams.
Singing Bowl said,
October 2, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Great post. New to your blog, but you got great writing style. You had some very interesting points that I liked. Looking forward to more of your thoughts.
Claudia Sosulski said,
October 13, 2009 at 11:14 am
I have found that Arbonne products do the best job for handling cracked skin in massage. I have some more information at my site Balancing Touch Massage.
Massage Fort Lauderdale said,
November 27, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Anything with urea in it is good for cracked feet…
Julie Jones said,
March 24, 2010 at 5:48 am
I’ve been using the Dr. Scholls Products for two years and its been really great. I think it’s got urea as well.
ER said,
March 30, 2010 at 2:51 pm
I’ve been using dermesis and it worked for me. What I like about it is it didn’t leave my feet feeling greasy. If you want to check it out its at dermesischr.com
Massage Therapist said,
July 26, 2010 at 2:20 am
I myself encountered the same probelms u mention here.
Since last year I have been using a special Japanese gel that is called “NURU” after hearing about it in a convention.
I wash my hands first, leave them wet and then apply the gel on my hands.
The Nuru gel is made from deep seaweed and is colourless and extremely slippery and smooth and very comfortable to work with.
Since using the gel I don’t have cracked skin on my thumbs and hands anymore.
Hot Stone Massage said,
July 27, 2010 at 10:19 am
I have been looking for a solution to this probelem, thank you for the info you have provided.