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What Cracked Feet Say About Your Health

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Cracked Feet

Cracked heels are a common foot problem. According to healthline.com, 20 percent of adults in the United States experience cracked skin on their feet. This can occur in both adults and children and seems to affect women more than men. If you have dry, cracked heels, you may also suffer from pain, especially when wearing tight footwear that puts stress on your heels. Cracked heels are unsightly and can cause further damage to your shoes and feet. Your feet are an amazing tool for your doctor. They can give your doctor clues potentially pointing to a whole list of health problems.

Cracked heels are a common foot problem.  According to healthline.com, 20 percent of adults in the United States experience cracked skin on their feet.  This can occur in both adults and children and seems to affect women more than men. The most common causes of dry, cracked heels includes the following medical conditions:

THYROID CONDITION
If the skin around your heel or on the ball of your foot is dry, cracked, or flaky, it may be a warning sign of a thyroid condition.  Your thyroid gland produces hormones that control your metabolic rate, blood pressure, tissue growth, and nervous system functions.  Obviously, dry skin can also be the result of many less serious health issues, and sometimes your skin dries out simply because of changes in the weather.  But if you notice that the skin on your feet is dry and you have other symptoms such as weight gain, numbness in your hands, or vision problems, it is advised that you see your doctor.

DIABETES
Diabetes can cause changes in the skin of your foot.  At times, your foot may become very dry, and the skin may peel and crack.  This problem is caused by nerve damage that affects your body’s ability to control the oil and moisture in your foot.

ECZEMA/PSORIASIS
Skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis may lead to cracked heels.  The skin forms an important barrier, keeping moisture in and external allergens or microbes out.  People who have eczema lack important proteins and lipids in the outer layers of the skin, creating a defective skin barrier, and water escapes from the skin, drying it out and leading to cracking and itching.  Scratching the dry, itchy skin of those who have eczema can further damage the skin barrier and activate the immune system. 

OBESITY
Heels can crack when the skin around the rim of your heel  becomes dry and thick, and increased pressure on the fat pad under the heel causes the skin to split.  When weight and pressure are applied to the fat pad under the heel, the skin expands sideways.  Also, if the skin is lacking in moisture, it becomes stiff, less elastic, and prone to cracking.

SJOGREN’S SYNDROME
Sjogren syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder.  It causes your white blood cells to fight the glands that product your body’s moisture.  Dry skin can occur as a result of an autoimmune attack on the moisturizing and lubricating mechanisms of the skin. Skin on your heels can become dry and callused and occasionally crack open exposing the raw tissue below it.

There are many other medical conditions that can contribute to dry cracked heels/feet, but we will stop here for now.  If you suffer from cracked heels, investing in a body butter may be just what you need.   Body butters tend to be thicker than most creams and lotions.  They are free of water, plus they include rich ingredients like shea butter and natural oils to soften the driest of skin, even on the SOLES OF YOUR FEET. 

I suffer from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis which is an autoimmune disorder caused by the thyroid gland.  I cannot begin to tell you the issues I have had with my skin, from the dry red itchy patches to dry cracked heels.   Over the counter medicines helped for that instant relief, but that was just it.  No matter how many times I would apply the ointments, or the lotions, the problems still existed.   After researching what some of the ingredients were in these products, its no wonder why they did not work continuously.  Sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, Salicylic acid, AHA acids, just to name a few.  These are all ingredients that could irritate your skin or cause loss of oil or moisturize.  So, ask yourself, if you have dry, irritated, or cracked skin, why would you use products that only would make your skin issues worst.

People with dry skin have distinct needs for moisturizers. Products that hydrate and help the skin retain moisture.  So, I have come up with the perfect solution to dry, cracked, and irritated skin for both hands and feet.   My hand and Foot butter is made with Shea butter which is a butter derived from natural beans. 

Research has proven that Shea Butter has anti-inflammatory properties, reducing redness of dry, cracked feet and calms itchiness, relieving walking discomfort which makes it gently useful for foot skin. Shea butter also helps to moisturize most cracked dry skin.  Once applied to the skin, shea butter takes on an oil-like texture and is readily absorbed by the skin and can be used year-round.

There will always be some dead skin under your feet whatever your medical history may be, and that is because they are closest to an exposed surface.   If you need tips to keep your dry cracked feet in tip top shape, check out SUZOTICS Hand and Foot Butter

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