What should you know about heel dryness cracking?

When dry, thick heel skin expands as you stand or walk, it can split into fissures. The cracks may sting because they reach deeper than the flaky surface. A person may have [Dry Skin](/symptoms/dry-skin/) alongside cracked heels, but persistent scale, burning, or peeling can also occur with [Athlete's Foot](/conditions/athletes-foot/). The condition presents through its own pattern of symptoms; a crack alone does not identify the cause.

Wash gently, pat dry, and apply an ointment or thick cream to the heels twice daily, especially after bathing. [Emollient Therapy](/treatments/medical-dermatology/emollient-therapy/) helps reduce water loss and makes the surface more flexible. Covering moisturised heels with clean cotton socks overnight can limit rubbing. Wear shoes that support the heel and avoid prolonged barefoot walking on hard floors. Do not pull at loose skin or file an actively bleeding fissure. Keep any tool used for intact thick skin clean and do not share it.

Seek care for increasing pain, warmth, swelling, pus, spreading redness, fever, or a wound that makes walking difficult. A clinician should review recurrent or deep fissures, especially when moisturising has not helped. Diabetes, neuropathy, circulation problems, or immune suppression raise the need for tailored foot care; avoid treating a deep crack aggressively at home.

Ask whether the fissures are caused by dryness, fungal infection, eczema, or another problem; which product and routine fit your skin; and whether you need protection for a deeper split. Tell the clinician about itching between the toes, new footwear, bleeding, or previous reactions to creams.