Hardened heel skin and how to treat

As you spend yet more time dutifully filing your dry dead skin away, you may wonder why this happens to the body at all. Hard skin might be annoying and sometimes unsightly, but it actually serves an important purpose. When repeated friction and pressure is applied to the skin, the body reacts to this stress by hardening the area and therefore protecting it from further damage.

It’s logical enough if you think of our caveman and cavewomen ancestors running around with little to no protection on their feet, but none too helpful for summer season when we want to don our favourite strappy sandals.

Other places you might commonly find dry skin is on the hands, particularly if you play an instrument like the guitar or do a job that demands manual labour. You may also find dry skin on the elbows and on the knees.

How should I treat it?

Luckily, treating hard skin is normally very straightforward. As dry skin is the culprit, the answer is to moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!

Choose a cream or balm with active ingredients such as urea, which works to draw moisture into the affected area. Start your day by applying a generous amount to the affected area and do this within a few minutes of showering so that you can trap precious moisture into the skin. You should then apply it at least 1 – 2 times more during the day.

If your hard skin persists or if you have an underlying medical condition such as diabetes, obesity or psoriasis, you should speak to your doctor first.

Flexitol has a range of balms and creams specifically for hard skin, cracked heels and dry feet. Find out more here.