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If you have cracked heels that are painful and unsightly to look at, it is high time you learnt the real cause behind it. There are a number of reasons why this happens right from standing for long hours to nutritional deficiencies. Dr Jaishree Sharad in her book Skin Talks lists down 10 such causes of cracked heels.
Walking barefoot: Yes doing this can give you cracked heels even if you do this in the house because your heels are exposed to dust and even water at times. This without any proper care can crack the heels.
Standing: Even if you wear shoes, you can get cracked heels if you stand for long hours at a stretch. This can worsen if the floor is hard.
Wrong footwear: Wearing improper footwear can not only damage your heels but also your posture and gait. Open-back sandals, flip-flops and high heels are really bad for your feet and cause cracked heels. Did you know these 5 things are sabotaging your health?
Diseases and conditions: You are likely to have cracked heels if you suffer from diabetes, arthritis, psoriasis, athlete s foot, obesity.
Pregnancy: During this phase, the pressure on the heels increases which can lead to cracked heels.
Ageing skin: Mature skin can crack easily as it tends to be dry. That s why older or middle-aged people are likely to have cracked heels. Is your skin ageing prematurely? Find out.
Nutritional deficiency: If your body lacks calcium, iron, vitamin E, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, you are likely to have cracked heels.
Chemicals: Exposure to soaps, detergents and even water can strip your skin of its natural oils which make your heels dry and they soon crack if you don t take care of them.
Improper foot care: If you don t pay attention to your feet, they respond by showing up with these problems. Cracked heels do not happen overnight, these take time to develop and if you have them, it is high time you start following a good foot care regimen. Here s a home remedy you can use.
Wrong posture: If you think slouching or hunching is bad only for your back, think again. Wrong posture and even wrong gait puts undue pressure on your heels and they soon develop cracks.
You can buy the book Skin Talks here.
Image source: Shutterstock
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