What should you know about stone for cracked heels?

Heel fissures form when dry, thick skin loses flexibility and pressure makes it open. Open-backed footwear, prolonged standing, friction and dry environments can add strain. Dry skin and cracked skin can occur together, while scaling or itching between the toes may point toward athlete's foot. A stone only addresses surface thickness; it cannot diagnose the reason for the crack and cannot repair a deep split by itself.

Soak or wash the feet, then use a clean foot stone lightly on softened thick skin. Stop if the area feels tender, raw or starts bleeding, and do not use it over an open fissure, blister or rash. Apply a rich emollient straight afterwards and cover a painful split as advised by a clinician. Wear supportive, well-fitting footwear and avoid cutting heel skin with blades. Keep the stone clean and do not share it.

Seek medical advice for increasing pain, warmth, redness, swelling, drainage, fever, or a crack that is deep or slow to close. Arrange an assessment sooner if you have diabetes, reduced sensation or poor circulation, because foot wounds may need specific care. Persistent scaling, itching or recurrent fissures also deserve review so a fungal infection or skin condition is not missed.

Is the thick skin suitable for gentle smoothing, or is the fissure too open? Could athlete's foot or another condition be contributing? Which emollient should I use, and how often? What footwear and dressing would protect this area while it heals?