Heel Fissures

Deep cracks in the outer or epidermal layer as a result of dryness and thickening of the skin. They can be very painful and may rip into the sub-dermal skin layers, leading to open wounds that have the potential of becoming infected or enlarging into ulcerations. They are due to abnormal shearing forces.
Your podiatrist will seek to prevent the formation of fissures by debridement of the hyperkeratotic tissue as well as prescribing emollients for increasing skin flexibility, ex-foliating or keratolitic creams to slow the thickening of the surrounding skin and padding or shoe inserts to prevent shearing forces to the affected area.

This material is only provided as helpful information and you should always go to your medical doctor or podiatrist for a professional diagnosis.