Cracked heals...

Some people tend to have a naturally dry skin that predisposes them to the cracks. The thickened dry skin (callus) around the heel that is more likely to crack is often due to mechanical factors that increase pressures in that area (eg the way you walk).





Other factors that can be involved in the cause of cracked heels include:

* prolonged standing (at work or home, especially on hard floors)
* being overweight (this increases the pressure on the normal fat pad under the heel, causing it to expand sideways - if the skin is not supple and flexible, the pressures to 'crack' are high)




* open back on the shoes (this allows the fat under the heel to expand sideways and increases the pressure to 'crack')
* some medical conditions predispose to a drying skin (eg autonomic neuropathy in those with diabetes leads to less sweating; an underactive thyroid lowers the body's metabolic rate and there is a reduction in sweating, leading to a dryness of the skin)
* skin conditions (eg psoriasis and eczema)