Cracked heels can quickly become a serious problem if they’re ignored.  Let’s dive in to learn why our skin must be protected and nurtured to keep it intact and doing its job!

The Skin

The skin is the body’s largest organ. Its primary job is to act as a waterproof barrier to protect everything underneath. There are 2 main skin layers, an inner layer with nerves and blood vessels and a protective outer layer. The skin on the bottom of our feet is extra durable to endure friction and pressure from the ground when we walk.

When the moisture balance of the skin is maintained, the skin remains strong and resilient. On the other hand, skin that is too dry or too moist becomes weak, and this can lead to cracks, breaks and even infection. Microorganisms like to live where it’s warm, dark and moist, our shoes and socks are the perfect environment for bacteria and viruses to flourish. They are also found on the surfaces we walk on every day.

In the summertime, many of us choose to wear sandals to keep cool when the temperatures soar. A supportive and well-structured sandal will protect the heel from the significant pressure it endures when it strikes the ground during gait. It’s important to remember that dry skin plus unsupportive footwear or walking barefoot are a recipe for disaster for our heels!

What can happen if your heels become cracked?

Although not common, if bacteria enters through cracks or fissures in the heel, it can travel into the blood and spread to surrounding tissues. Cellulitis, an infection and inflammation of the skin, may result. If left untreated this infection may lead to amputation or sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition, and it must be managed immediately in a hospital setting.

Let’s get and keep your heels healthy!

BioPed’s medical footcare clinicians recommend using a foot file on a regular basis to keep the skin around the heels soft and to also reduce thickness. The Footlogix FR Exfoliating Foot File is an effective tool to use at home to prevent cracks from forming in the first place. After filing your heels, it is beneficial to use a moisturiser that absorbs quickly, such as Footlogix Very Dry Skin or Footlogix Cracked Heel. Applied to moist skin, twice a day in colder months and once daily in warmer months is an excellent routine to follow. If you have callus around your heel, it is best to visit a BioPed Footcare Nurse or Registered Chiropodist for care. They will remove thick callus or dry flaky skin, allowing for better penetration of moisturisers to prevent future cracks from occurring. Pedicures at reputable salons (salons who disinfect and sterilize their tools properly) feel lovely, but they should not be a replacement for medical care or advice. People with diabetes often have issues with healing or a compromised immune system and for this reason, it’s best to avoid pedicures all together.

Book a Consultation Today

If you’d like more information or are suffering with a crack in your heel yourself, give your local BioPed a call today to book an appointment. Rest assured, our medical footcare clinicians will provide a thorough assessment and make recommendations for treating your individual needs. See you soon!

With weddings, garden parties, and barbecues on the rise as summer ramps up, we have many events where we want to look and feel our best. One way we keep ourselves looking together is with a nice pedicure. However, when we want to make it last for a week of vacation and a weekend wedding we tend to choose the longer lasting pedicure solution: shellac.

Once in a while shellac can be a nice treat for your feet, however with overuse and application it can suffocate your natural nail bed, leading to brittle, thin, dry, and cracking toenails that cause more pain than pleasure with their appearance. Luckily, we’ve compiled some solutions to getting your nail health and moisture level back.

What to Watch for after Having Shellac Nails

Brittle or cracking nails – Under the layers of shellac, the nail bed has weakened and becomes dry, and brittle. It will remain this way until new, healthy nail grows and repopulates. If additional layers of shellac continue to be applied with each pedicure, the new healthy nail, becomes dry and brittle also.

Flaky and weak nails – Many opt for picking the remaining shellac off, instead of paying to have it removed via acetone soaking. This tearing away of the already compromised nail, removes healthy nails, leading to breaking and further damage. This makes the process of growing healthy nails again take longer.

 Sore nail beds – This one is common anytime we finish a long period of shellac on the nails. When the outer barrier between the world and our natural nail bed is removed it can leave the natural nail exposed, damaged, and sore. The removal of the shellac is an intensive process even when done by a professional and it can leave the nail thinner, and tender, as a result.

How to Care for the Natural Nail

The key to reducing damage, brittleness, soreness, flaking, and the occurrence of nail fungus is to promote a healthy nail bed growth through moisture! Here we have some tips to get some moisture back in your nails.

Let them rest – Give the nail time to recover by letting them breathe. Avoid nail polish altogether unless it is doctor formulated, full of nutrients and free from chemicals, such as Dr. Remedy’s.

Moisturize your nails – Cuticle oil is a wonderful aid in getting moisture to return to your nail bed and helps promote increased nail growth and protection. Applying cuticle oil gives the nail a fighting chance at recovery. Additionally, at BioPed you will find our Healthy Nail Tincture, which has been proved to restore health to the the nail bed through clinical studies in Europe.

Drink more water – This is a catch-all solution for dry skin and nails. Drinking water helps hydrate the body, which in turn can help increase the firmness and hydration of the nail bed.

Let the nail breathe – Dr. Remedy’s nail polish allows more breathability between the air and the natural nail, thus decreasing the occurrence of fungal nail infections and suffocation of the nail bed, leading to healthier, happier nails that still have the summer event look.

Our skin, which is the largest organ in our body, is made up of over 60% water and its main function is protection.  It is essentially a waterproof barrier that shields us from the elements in our environment, including from chemicals and microorganisms, such as bacteria.  It regulates our body temperature and gives us a tactile sense, which is the ability to feel things, such as hot and cold temperatures.  The skin consists of 3 layers.  The epidermis is the layer we see on the surface and is the first layer.  The dermis is in the middle and the hypodermis is the most inside layer.

As a protective barrier, our skin is at risk for developing an infection or condition.  To help maintain the health of the skin, maintaining the moisture balance is key.  Skin that is too dry or too moist becomes weak and its integrity may be compromised, making it more susceptible to cracks and injury.  Colder temperatures air has less humidity and therefore skin will lose more moisture.  As winter quickly approaches in Canada, it is important to know how to better care for your skin.

Dry skin is also known as xerosis and can be rough, scaly, flaky and often feels tight or itchy.  Dry skin on our feet can be particularly problematic because of the large amount of pressure and stress they endure as we walk and run.  The bottoms of the feet and heels are prone to developing thickened skin due to pressure, which can easily crack open if the skin is too dry.  A crack in the skin is a breach of our protective barrier.  Bacteria and other microorganisms can easily enter even the tiniest crack and may cause an infection that can threaten our overall health.

Dry skin left untreated may lead to problems

If your skin has painful cracks, open sores that just won’t heal, scratches caused by itchiness or discoloration, it is best to seek the advice of a footcare clinician.  BioPed has footcare clinicians who will assess your feet and skin, determine possible causes and provide treatment solutions.  There could also be an underlying health issue that is causing your dry skin and together with your primary care professional, they can help get you back on the right track.

Healthier skin at home

1. Wash your feet daily using a mild soap.
2. Wash with warm water, not hot water, which can be too drying!
3. While the skin is still moist, apply a moisturizer that contains urea, an active ingredient that will soften the top layers of the skin.
4. Using a humidifier in your home will add moisture to the air especially during the winter months.
5. Eating a balanced diet will provide important vitamins and minerals that help keep skin healthy.
6. Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water can help increase skin’s moisture level.

These tips work best when done consistently and on a daily basis.  Give your local BioPed a call today to learn about effective skin care products to use at home as part of your daily routine.  We are here and ready to help you be your healthiest self!