Why do my heels become dry and cracked?

No matter how regularly you moisturize, your heels always end up drying out and sometimes cracking. This isn't inevitable, but there is a good reason for it: the skin on your heels lives under particularly difficult conditions.

All your body weight rests on them

With every step, it is the heel that absorbs your body weight first. This repeated pressure pushes the skin to thicken for protection, much like a callus that forms on a hand that does a lot of manual work. The problem is that this thicker skin is also more rigid, and therefore more prone to cracking if it isn't supple enough.

Skin that naturally lacks oil

Unlike the rest of the body, the skin on the heels does not contain sebaceous glands. It therefore cannot self-moisturize with sebum like the face or hands. It depends almost entirely on the hydration provided from the outside, which explains why it dries out faster as soon as you slacken your routine a little.

Habits that often make things worse

• Standing or walking a lot, especially on hard surfaces
• Wearing backless shoes without support
• Taking very hot showers, which dry out the skin
• Seasonal changes, especially drier air in winter
• Forgetting to exfoliate, which allows dead skin to accumulate

What to do in practice

The foundation remains daily moisturizing with a somewhat rich cream, preferably applied in the evening. But hydration alone is not enough if the layer of thickened skin is never removed: the cream struggles to penetrate. Gentle and regular exfoliation, once or twice a week, often makes all the difference. This can be done with a classic pumice stone or a tool such as an electric callus remover, which allows you to remove thickened skin without having to press hard or use a blade.

If your heels are mainly marked by very hard, localized areas rather than general dryness, it may be more a case of calluses: we discuss this in more detail in this article on foot calluses.

Finally, if you are diabetic, have circulation problems, or if the skin is cracked to the point of bleeding, it is best to talk to your doctor or a podiatrist before starting an at-home exfoliation routine.