Feet are hard workers. They support all your body weight and more! They’re stuffed in socks and shoes, and often they’re not washed and cared for as well as the other parts of your body. The result: The soles of your feet may develop red or flaky patches and begin to peel, itch, and crack. You may even experience bleeding or discharge. Cracked feet, also known as heel fissures are a common problem for people of all ages. When the cracks in your feet are deep, they often split the skin wide open, making it prone to bleeding and infection, which can cause pain when you stand or walk.

Causes

The medical condition diabetes can lead to cracked feet. This is because the nerve damage may cause the skin to become very dry. When you put pressure on very dry skin, it can become cracked.

You are at risk of cracked feet if you are overweight. Consider this: When you combine extra weight with dry feet, you may crack your heels when you put pressure on them.

Of course, anyone can get dry or cracked feet, not just overweight or diabetic people. Certain things will suck the moisture from your skin, so be careful. For instance, the cold, dry air of wintertime dries your skin, as does hot water.