The Massage Geek^® Blog

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.

I am now officially certified as a Resistance Stretching Trainer, the first in Minneapolis/St. Paul.  Yea!

I’ve been practicing on clients and I attended a weekend training in Chicago with Anne Tierney and Steve Sierra.  They are both excellent instructors and they had several assistants with them as well.  So each student had a lot of one-on-one feedback.  I felt great after a weekend of working out with them.

I have been able to apply the method with great success.  It is very easy to incorporate it into a massage session.  I still would like to have one more practice client….