Cracks in the skin at the back and sides of the heel are ugly and can be painful. These are reasonably common, especially in those people who are susceptible to them. These types of cracks in the skin about the heel happen when the skin is thicker and dry. As the fat bad beneath 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 wearing of open back shoes also plays a part in the condition. Some medical problems could also lead to the dryness of the skin and a number of different biomechanical issues contribute to the thickening of the skin.
Once a crack occurs, it does have to be taken care of as it could act as a portal for an infection to get in. Firstly, an antiseptic should be used to avoid that if the split is open. It is next important to remove the thick callus about the peripheray of the heel. This can be done by a skilled podiatrist for those who have access to podiatry. Otherwise, then you need to use something such as a foot file, pumice stone or emery board and get to work on reducing the cracked heels. This may take a lots of work. As soon as that callused skin is taken care of, then it is crucial that you use lotions and ointments to make the skin elastic and flexible so it doesn't have the inclination to split. Urea based lotions are usually better for that. Once this original problem is dealt with, then preventative measures ought to be put in place to continue with or else the condition will probably occur again. Periodic use of a foot file or similar is recommended to keep the thick skin down and frequent use of a urea based cream is essential to make the skin resilient to cracking and prevent the dryness. Staying away from open back footwear is also recommended in order to help avoid cracked heels.