Cracked heels / heel fissures
Greg Robinson encounters patient's presenting with dry, hard (callus) skin on a regular basis within his podiatry practice.
Treatment is most often with debridement – which is painlessly removing the hard, thick skin build up as well as the prescription of an emollient or keratolytic to soften the skin. Debridement should not be attempted at home using a scissors or razor blade!
Cracked heels are often referred to as fissures and are usually caused by dry skin.
This is often an annoyance and a cosmetic problem but when the fissures are deep, standing, walking or any pressure placed on the heel can be painful. Deep fissures may result in skin bleeding and pain.
Treatment is most often with debridement – which is painlessly removing the hard, thick skin build up as well as the prescription of an emollient or keratolytic to soften the skin. Debridement should not be attempted at home using a scissors or razor blade!
Cracked heels are often referred to as fissures and are usually caused by dry skin.
This is often an annoyance and a cosmetic problem but when the fissures are deep, standing, walking or any pressure placed on the heel can be painful. Deep fissures may result in skin bleeding and pain.
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The first sign of cracked heels is the development of dry, hard, thickened skin around the heel. Hard skin, usually on the outer edge of the heel may result in pain while walking and increased discomfort in thin sole or open back shoes. If left untreated and with more pressure placed on the heel, these cracks become deeper and eventually walking and standing will be painful.
In severe cases cracked heels can become infected, and lead to cellulitis (skin infection). 
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