You moisturise your heels. You are not ignoring them. In fact, you are probably doing more than most people.
And yet they are still dry. Still cracking. Still catching on socks, feeling rough, or becoming uncomfortable when you walk.
This is something we see regularly at Pontardawe Foot Clinic. Many people come in saying, “I’m putting cream on every day and it’s still not getting better.” In most cases, the problem is not a lack of effort. It is that heel skin needs more specific care than normal skin.
Why cracked heels happen
Heel skin is different from the skin on the rest of your body. It is thicker, takes more pressure, and often builds up hard skin over time.
When that skin becomes dry, it loses flexibility. Instead of stretching normally as you walk, it becomes stiff. Pressure then pushes the skin to split, which is how cracked heels, also known as heel fissures, develop.
What makes cracked heels worse
A few things commonly make cracked heels harder to improve:
- Standing or walking for long periods.
- Hard skin build-up around the heel.
- Repeated filing at home.
- Open-back shoes or flip-flops.
- Using a general body moisturiser instead of a heel-specific product.
These factors often overlap. That is why many people feel they are treating the dryness but not really solving the problem.
Why your heel cream may not be enough
A few things commonly make cracked heels harder to improve:
- Standing or walking for long periods.
- Hard skin build-up around the heel.
- Repeated filing at home.
- Open-back shoes or flip-flops.
- Using a general body moisturiser instead of a heel-specific product.
These factors often overlap. That is why many people feel they are treating the dryness but not really solving the problem.
What usually helps
For dry or cracked heels, it is usually best to use a heel balm rather than a standard moisturiser. Products containing urea are often useful because they help soften hard skin and improve moisture levels at the same time. For more stubborn dry or cracked heels, I often suggest starting with Dermatonics Manuka Honey Heel Balm. It contains 25% urea, which helps soften thicker skin and works well in the early stages.
Once things improve, moving to something lighter like Flexitol Heel Balm, with around 10% urea, is usually a good option for maintenance.
Another one people often get on well with is CCS Foot Care Cream, especially for keeping the skin under control long term.
When your heels are thick and cracked, the skin has built up too much hardness (called Hyperkeratosis), so we start with a stronger cream like 25% urea to break that down and soften it. But once the skin improves, staying on a strong cream for too long can make it a bit too fragile, because your skin is always renewing itself (Keratinisation). That’s why we switch to 10% urea — it keeps the skin hydrated and flexible without overdoing it. In simple terms: 25% helps fix the problem, 10% helps keep it away.
In milder cases, regular use of the right product may be enough. In more stubborn cases, the skin may need professional reduction of hard skin, advice on footwear, and a treatment plan that matches the actual cause.
When to book an assessment
If your heels are painful, deeply cracked, bleeding, or not improving despite using creams at home, it is worth having them assessed properly.
At Pontardawe Foot Clinic in Pontardawe, we look at more than just the dry skin itself. We assess pressure, hard skin build-up, footwear, and whether there may be another skin issue contributing to the problem.
Book your cracked heel assessment at Pontardawe Foot Clinic and get clear advice on what is causing the problem and what treatment is most likely to help.