Splits in the skin at the back and sides of the heel are unsightly and can be painful. These are reasonably common, especially in those people who are predisposed to them. These cracks in the skin about the heel occur when the skin is thicker and dry. As the fat bad underneath the heel bulges out sideways when walking puts strain on the skin that it can not take, so the skin just tears or splits. The using of open back shoes also contributes to the cracked heels. Various medical disorders can also contribute to the dryness of the skin and a number of different biomechanical issues contribute to the thickening of the skin.
When a cracked heels happens, it will have to be dealt with as it can act as a portal for an infection to get in. First of all, an antiseptic needs to be used to avoid that if the crack is open. It is next necessary to remove the thick callus around the edges of the heel. This can be carried out by a competent podiatrist if you have access to podiatry. Otherwise, then you need to use something like a foot file, pumice stone or emery board and get to work on removing the callus. This tends to take a great deal of effort. As soon as that callused skin is removed, then it is essential to use creams and ointments to make the skin soft and flexible so it does not have the inclination to split. Urea based lotions are usually much better for that. When this original problem is taken care of, then preventative measures need to be put in place to continue with or else the problem probably will happen again. Regular use of a foot file or similar is advised to keep the thick skin down and frequent use of a urea based lotion is.