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Health

Treatment of cracked heels at home

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Today, many patients prefer to treat cracked heels at home. This determines the relevance of this article. Let's consider the main methods of such treatment.

How to steam cracked heels?

The easiest way is to steam your feet. This is the most basic procedure that allows you to get rid of fatigue as quickly as possible, relieve tension, relax muscles, and normalize blood circulation in the extremities and skin. Steaming significantly improves both the external condition of the skin and its internal structure and functional activity.

Hot water activates the main metabolic processes in the skin, softens and macerates the outer layer, improves blood circulation. This promotes softening, healing of cracks, as well as better penetration of drugs into the tissues.

There are many ways to steam your feet. But all principles come down to one thing - the water should be slightly hot, above the level of the usual comfortable state. You need to steam your feet for at least 20 minutes, but not more than 30 minutes. If the water cools down, you need to add hot water. You can add various oils, ointments, decoctions, and medicines to the water to ensure a medicinal effect.

Let's look at the main medicinal plants that can be used to steam your feet.

Calamus, due to its high content of phytoncides and alkaloids, has antibacterial and antiviral effects, and also prevents the development of purulent-inflammatory and infectious processes. Cracks heal faster when applied directly to cracks, since calamus also has a wound-healing effect, preventing the formation of blood clots. Rhizomes are mainly used in the form of infusions and decoctions.

Pansies have a similar effect. Most often, leaves and flowers are used. The best option is a decoction, infusion. It is effective in the treatment of blood diseases, eliminates inflammation, infection, suppuration, cracks, normalizes body temperature, including local. It also relieves pain.

Wild rosemary has proven itself as an antipyretic and wound-healing agent. It is recommended to apply the decoction to the crack, put on warm socks. It is also additionally recommended to drink the decoction with honey, then go to bed as quickly as possible and cover yourself completely with warm blankets.

Blue cornflower normalizes the skin condition, softens it, normalizes the microflora, and accordingly eliminates infection and inflammation. Contains a large amount of vitamin C, which stimulates the immune system and helps fight viral and bacterial infections, prevents suppuration and the formation of erysipelas. When taken orally, it normalizes the hormonal background and stimulates the production of endorphins.

Bergenia crassifolia will quickly relieve inflammation. This is achieved due to the high content of tannins, glycosides. The active substances included in the herb have antiseptic properties. They saturate the body with vitamins and microelements, which helps strengthen the immune system and normalize hormonal levels. The decoction is used as a lotion, under a compress.

Badan tea, which is brewed from leaves, has also proven itself well. In this case, the most effective are considered to be old blackened leaves that have lain under the snow all winter. Brew and drink like tea when you feel thirsty, without restrictions and contraindications.

Marsh reed is used as an antiviral and antiseptic agent.

Restores skin and mucous membranes, promotes healing of wounds and injuries. Flowers, stems and leaves are used in the form of decoctions and infusions. Can be applied externally in the form of compresses, lotions.

Lingonberry is used as an effective wound-healing and antipyretic agent. It quickly kills viruses and normalizes microflora. Accordingly, it is possible to easily relieve inflammation and quickly achieve recovery. It is used in the form of decoctions or infusions. The leaves and fruits are considered the most valuable.

Plantain is a good remedy for reducing inflammation. It is one of the main remedies used in the treatment of wounds and cracks. It kills viruses, bacteria, restores normal microflora, and accelerates recovery from inflammatory processes. The leaves are used fresh and in the form of a decoction.

Carnation is used in the form of decoctions. The herb is used, namely: stems, leaves, flowers. Quickly eliminates inflammation, relieves pain. A good antitoxic agent that eliminates the symptoms of intoxication, prevents erysipelas, sepsis.

After your feet have been steamed, you need to wipe them dry. You should not rub the skin mechanically, just blot it with light movements.

After drying your feet, you need to put on warm socks and lie down with your feet up (along the wall). You should keep your feet in this position for at least 15 minutes. Then you can do a light massage with rubbing in medications, ointments, balms. Then put on warm socks again, go to bed, covered with a warm blanket. It is better for the socks to be woolen, since wool has an additional effect. It is also recommended to drink a herbal decoction before going to bed, which has an anti-inflammatory, wound-healing effect. For example, a decoction of sage, chamomile, calendula, knotweed, oak bark, raspberry leaves, sea buckthorn fruits is suitable.

Bath for cracked heels

You can get rid of cracks by lying in the bath. The main principle of action is complete relaxation, during which the body relaxes, the skin receives more oxygen, nutrients, toxins are removed faster. All this leads to an improvement in the structure and function of the skin, launches regenerative (wound-healing properties). Special substances are added to the water, in particular, balms, creams, which improve metabolic processes in the skin. Ointments, herbal decoctions, balms can be added to the water.

Balm for cracked heels

Various balms can be used against cracks. They can be ready-made, bought at a pharmacy. Or you can make a balm at home yourself based on active ingredients. Balms based on coniferous and plant extracts, homeopathic remedies have proven themselves well.

Thai balms for cracked heels

Thai balms contain various Thai herbs and plant extracts, which quickly relieve inflammation, normalize metabolic processes, and cause rapid tissue regeneration.

Creams and ointments for feet from cracked heels

Various creams can be used against cracks. These can be ready-made creams purchased in a pharmacy. Some creams are made to order according to an individual prescription in a pharmacy using pharmacy technology. But there are also simple recipes by which you can make a cream at home yourself. You can make it completely yourself, or you can modernize ready-made creams by adding active components to them.

Healing cream

In case of cracks, it is necessary to use a healing cream. It stimulates the upper layer of the skin, promotes the activation of metabolic processes and the development of regenerative processes. Healing is promoted by substances that stimulate regenerative processes, including sage, hops, comfrey, meadowsweet, sea buckthorn, chamomile, calendula, lemon, and mumiyo.

Pine cream

In pharmacies you can buy pine cream, which contains natural pine extracts (pine extract). You can also make your own cream, which will be based on natural pine needles.

Baby cream

Simply baby cream is a fairly effective product that softens the skin well, relieves irritation, inflammation, and normalizes metabolic processes in the upper layer of the skin. Baby cream may contain some components, in particular: chamomile, string, which soften the skin and normalize its condition.

But you can make the cream even more active: by adding active ingredients to it, for example, camphor, ethyl alcohol, natural extracts and concentrates.

Zinc ointment

It has a drying effect, is known for its ability to adsorb and remove toxins from the body. As a result, inflammation is reduced. Another important property is that the ointment prevents the formation of exudate. It can be applied directly to the crack without fear of its penetration into the deep layers. Healing with regular use of the ointment occurs in 5-7 days.

Levomekol

This is an antibiotic-based ointment that has antimicrobial properties and acts as an effective antiseptic that has a bactericidal effect on both the crack itself and the entire body as a whole.

Calendula ointment

This ointment can be purchased at the pharmacy in ready-made form. As the main active ingredient, it contains calendula extract. As is known, calendula has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic properties.

You can also make the ointment yourself. You can take any fatty base for the preparation. This can be butter, glycerin, Vaseline, baby cream, and other kerma. Separately brew a decoction of calendula. About 1-2 tablespoons of dry or fresh calendula herb are required per glass of water.

The decoction is infused under a closed lid for an hour, after which it is added to a previously prepared base and thoroughly mixed until smooth. If it is a cream, Vaseline or glycerin, the decoction can be added directly to this base and mixed. Butter requires preliminary melting over low heat. So, the butter is heated, stirring it constantly. When the butter has melted, you can add the calendula decoction, continuing to stir. You can also heat it in a water bath.

After the cream has acquired a uniform consistency, it is set aside and allowed to infuse for an hour under a closed lid. Apply a thin layer to the crack. 3-5 times a day.

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Salicylic ointment

Salicylic ointment plays an important role in preventing the spread of infection, preventing purulent-inflammatory processes. It prevents sepsis. This is a non-hormonal ointment, however, it cannot be considered that it is absolutely incapable of causing side effects. It should be applied directly to the affected area, in a thin layer, up to three times a day. The duration of treatment should not exceed 7 days.

First aid cream

The cream allows you to soften the hard skin on your heels, heal cracks that have already formed, prevent their infection and disease progression. The advantage of this cream is that in addition to the local effect directly on the crack, it can also have a systemic effect on the entire body.

The systemic effect of the cream is based on the ability of the active substances to penetrate the dermatological barrier. Due to this, the active substances can penetrate into the tissue fluid. This helps to normalize the immune system. It has a positive effect on the process of eliminating dry skin, preventing the formation of cracks. The cream also helps to reduce pain.

Thus, treating cracked heels at home can be quite effective and does not require significant costs.

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