How to get rid of old skin on your feet

Cracks and rough heels are not only an aesthetic problem. This is also quite a serious discomfort: a person experiences pain when walking, and women also have difficulty buying beautiful, open shoes for the summer.

To prevent this from becoming a serious problem over time, the rough layer of skin on the heels must be constantly removed.

In order to get rid of cracks and rough skin on the heels, you need to follow several fairly simple, but at the same time quite effective methods.

Cause of rough skin

Most people are faced with the acute problem of rough and rough skin on their heels. The reasons can be very different. These include excess weight, frequent wearing of high-heeled shoes, poor-quality and uncomfortable shoes and heavy loads on the feet.

It can also be a lack of microelements and essential vitamins, or the consequences of constantly being on your feet. Cracked and rough heels can be quite serious diseases of the kidneys and endocrine system, as well as a consequence of hormonal changes, infections and fungus.

Rough skin on the heels occurs when water and lipids are lost through the skin, and the body, due to various circumstances, cannot compensate for their loss on its own. And if you consider that the feet are under constant stress, the skin on the heels becomes rough, bursts, resulting in cracks.

It is extremely important to constantly remove rough skin on the heels, and then be sure to lubricate it with a nourishing cream. You should take care of the skin of your feet every day, only in this case will you be able to get rid of rough skin on your heels.

It should be noted that before any self-medication at home, you need to consult a specialist in order to identify the cause.

Getting rid of cracked heels at home

Constant use of folk remedies will have good results and will help cope with even advanced cases.

How to remove dead skin with a knife

Don't be alarmed. There is no need to remove it with a razor, a knife, or any other sharp objects. For this purpose, there are special tools and devices in the cosmetic composition that help remove keratinized growths from the heels:

Soft peelings and scrubs containing abrasive substances

The scrubbing method is considered the most gentle method of treating heels, allowing you to clean those formations that are usually not visible to the eye. It can be used once a week after taking a bath. You can prepare a scrub that can moisturize your heels at home.

This will require ten ml. any shower gel and ten ml. coconut oil. Mix the ingredients and add thirty grams of dry ground coffee. Dried coffee is also suitable for use. Apply the resulting composition in a small layer to rough heels, then rub them with light massage movements for ten minutes. If you use this method regularly, you will see results within a few weeks.

Scrubbing at home (video)

When treating heels at home using scrapers and hard brushes, try to watch your movements . They should not be too strong, but at the same time try to act confidently.

When using manicure cutting machines try to act with extreme caution and care, to avoid infection and skin injury. And also follow some very important rules:

Never lend your personal instrument to friends or even relatives.

For each action, try to use only a new blade

Clean your heels gently, moving from the edges to the center, with minimal pressure on them.

If you feel pain, simply relax your movements or stop the operation altogether.

Out of habit, this procedure may seem quite complicated at first glance, but this is only until you get used to it. After this, the procedure will begin to bring you pure pleasure.

Vinegar compress

There is a method for removing rough skin on the heels using apple cider vinegar, before which you need to thoroughly steam your feet and apply gauze soaked in vinegar to them. After this, wrap cellophane over the gauze and put socks on top. This procedure should be carried out at night. In the morning, the compress is removed and the softened layer of skin is cleaned using a special foot file.

This procedure is carried out daily until the keratinized skin on the heels becomes completely smooth, the same as that of a baby. After a month, you can repeat the procedure again solely for preventive purposes.

Compress of grated potatoes and alcohol

This method is originally Russian. For him You will need four medium potatoes, grated, and medical alcohol, diluted one to one. The resulting mixture should be placed in plastic bags and the feet should be placed there, pre-lubricated with a thick layer of fatty cream to avoid burns. To prevent the liquid from the bags from flowing onto the floor, you can place your feet in a basin and keep them in this position for two hours.

To pass the time quietly, you can read a good book or watch your favorite TV series. Try to take care of this in advance before you immerse your feet in the mixture. To achieve a positive effect, this procedure is usually carried out at least five times.

Simple compress

The simplest method of treating skin on the feet is applying alcohol compresses at night. To do this, you need to moisten cotton swabs in regular vodka and apply them to the rough skin. Wrap the top with cling film or plastic bags and put on warm socks. In the morning, when taking a shower, you can gently rub your heels with a pumice stone and lubricate them with moisturizing foot cream. This procedure should be repeated until a noticeable result appears.

Ways to deal with rough heels

Soda baths

This procedure can be performed daily . To do this, you need to pour four tablespoons of soda into a bowl of warm water and soak your feet in it for fifteen minutes. After the coarsened layer has steamed a little, it can be easily removed with a regular pumice stone or a special nail file. You will not see the effect in one such procedure, be patient, repeat the procedure constantly and the result will not be long in coming.

Special scrubs

We clean the heels for five minutes, rinse them in water and apply a special scrub to them. We rub it in different directions. After this, rinse your feet with water and lubricate with rich cream.

Herbal decoctions

Herbs such as St. John's wort, calendula, sage, chamomile, elecampane are very suitable for decoctions. . Pour one tablespoon of any herb into one liter of water and bring to a boil. Let the broth boil for about five minutes, then let it brew for about fifteen minutes. Leave your feet in the prepared broth for twenty minutes, then rub them thoroughly with a pumice stone. Rinse your feet with water, apply cream and put on warm socks. For cracked heels, use almond, sea buckthorn or olive oil.

Onion peel

In order to soften the skin of the feet and heal cracked heels, it is recommended to use onion peels. A handful of husks must be brewed with two liters of boiling water and, covered with a lid, left to steep for one hour in a warm place. Pour a hot broth into a basin and add soda and salt to it, one tablespoon at a time, then put your feet in there and keep them there until the water cools down. Then wipe your feet, brush with butter and raw egg yolk. Put on thin socks, wrap the top with cling film and put woolen socks on top. Usually five such procedures are enough to completely cure cracked legs.

Cedar resin

It so happens that all of the above methods may not work and may not have a positive effect, since the skin on the legs has become significantly rougher and severely cracked. In this case, you should use resin. And the best choice is cedar resin - a kind of sticky substance that is secreted by the bark of a tree.

Resin has a number of medicinal properties:

Healing purulent wounds

Stimulation of repair of damaged tissues

Rough heels of the feet should be lubricated with resin at night. . The pain in the leg goes away almost instantly, and the cracks heal in a couple of days, unless, of course, much pressure is put on the legs.

Application of glycerin

Glycerin is a very effective remedy for combating cracked heels. both in masks and as an additive to foot baths. Take one teaspoon of glycerin per liter of water. You need to soak your feet in the resulting solution for about twenty minutes, then treat them with pumice and lubricate them with cream.

Lemon acid

A good remedy for getting rid of keratinized tissue on the heels is citric acid. . Lemon can protect against infections. It removes dead cells well. You can tie it to your heels all night, and in the morning remove the bandage and lubricate the skin with baby cream. Do this procedure every day until the skin on your feet becomes soft and tender.

Almond oil

This oil has many beneficial properties . It is an excellent product for body and face care. Almond oil softens, nourishes and moisturizes the skin, and it can also increase its elasticity. Almond oil contains a lot of vitamin E, which slows down the aging process of cells and is able to remove various skin inflammations. This oil is very soothing to the skin. Before use, it must be heated and rubbed in only when warm.

Treatment with aspirin

Aspirin mixed with iodine and medical alcohol can heal cracked heels. Treatment takes place in a very short time. First, wash your feet thoroughly, wipe them dry, apply the mixture to your heels, and put on cotton socks on top.

Aspirin can heal wounds, alcohol disinfects, and iodine will dry out the skin. Alcohol can be successfully replaced with vodka. This remedy will only be effective if there is no fungus on the feet.

Conclusion:

It is very important to take care of your feet regularly. You can use both folk remedies and modern cosmetics. An integrated approach to treatment will help in caring for your heels, which can turn your feet into very tender and soft ones, like those of a small child.

As for how to clean your heels from rough skin at home, there are many remedies available to everyone and do not require the use of any specialized equipment. But it is not always possible to clean the heels of rough skin, for example, with the same pumice stone. This happens if the resulting stratum corneum is too thick or if cracks appear. In the latter case, all this is accompanied by quite severe pain, and it is simply not possible to remove the skin mechanically. What can be done?

Traditional method of cleaning heels

Many people clean rough heels by steaming. The feet are placed in a warm bath (never hot) for 10-20 minutes, after which the dead skin is mechanically cut off. For these purposes, both special brushes and pumice are useful. There are those who use a razor blade, but this is very dangerous and can cause even more harm.

What do dermatologists recommend? Special baths based on lactic acid products, compresses from potatoes, cabbage, plantain, burdock. All these products not only speed up the process of removing dead skin, but also stimulate the regeneration of new skin. After them, the coarsened layer is effectively removed with minimal mechanical impact, without the need to use blades and other “dangerous” methods.

But fresh tomatoes will help with cracks and bleeding wounds. It is enough to apply their pieces for several hours, after which you steam the skin. During the period of wearing such a compress, discomfort and a burning sensation may occur - this is a normal reaction, and you just need to endure it.

How to properly steam your heels at home? Experts recommend making baths with a water temperature of approximately 50-60°C. Additionally, you can add essential oil (citrus oil is an excellent choice), sea or iodized salt. The latter components will also help disinfect the skin and prevent the penetration of pathogenic bacteria through microcracks into the deep pores of the epithelium.

Peroxide and soda to eliminate corns

A rather old, but no less effective method of combating rough skin on the heels, including the fingers, and feet is a mixture of soda and hydrogen peroxide. To prepare such a bath you will need warm (preferably previously boiled water), 4 tbsp. l. soda, 2 tbsp. l. sea ​​or kitchen salt, 2-3 tablets of hydrogen peroxide (or 4 tablespoons of a 9 percent solution, which is sold at any pharmacy).

You should steam your feet in such a bath for at least 20 minutes, after which you should use a brush or pumice stone again. If all the rough skin cannot be removed the first time, it is recommended to repeat the procedure the next day. And so on until complete “recovery”. You can clean your heels with peroxide and soda even on completely unkempt feet. As a rule, only 5-6 procedures are enough, after which all that remains is to simply maintain the health of the skin in an up-to-date state.

You can also get rid of rough skin on your heels with a compress with acetylsalicylic acid, but this option is not at all suitable for those with delicate skin who have developed corns due to wearing uncomfortable shoes. Still, it is better to use it as a last resort, and first of all use baths of soda, hydrogen peroxide and sea salt. It is no less effective and also beneficial for damaged skin.

Using baking soda, you can also whiten your skin, making it more attractive and soft to the touch. Even if you do such baths every day, you won’t be able to harm yourself. Quite the opposite: the skin will be cleared of dead cells much faster, and the process of regenerating new ones will accelerate. This recipe should not be used only by those who have been diagnosed with certain skin diseases, including nail fungus.

A few words about nutrition

It is imperative to mention that rough skin on the heels occurs as a result of a lack of vitamins A and B in the body. Those, in turn, are found in large quantities in fresh vegetables (for example, carrots, green onions, parsley). The formation of a stratum corneum is a normal biological process, but if it becomes too large and thick, it is no longer normal. And metabolic problems are the reason for this.

Ideally, you should consult a nutritionist to create an optimal daily food intake. It should include as many fruits, vegetables and proteins as possible that are easily digestible by the body. This will not completely get rid of rough skin, but it will radically reduce the appearance of this defect and speed up the healing process of cracks.

What to do if the skin is rough due to fungus?

If the skin is roughened due to a fungus or any other infection that affects the epithelium, then you should not try to treat it yourself. The only thing you can do is those same warm baths with essential oil or sea salt, but nothing more. Many people also recommend making compresses from cabbage leaves, but this will have absolutely no effect on anything. Unfortunately, this ingredient does not act as a disinfectant.

How to get rid of rough skin due to fungus? The first thing you need to do is treat it. Next, laser peeling will help, that is, mechanical cutting of the keratinized epithelium using a specialized thermal installation. The procedure is absolutely safe and will not harm in any way. At home, you can only follow the doctor’s recommendations. Cutting off the limp layer of keratinized skin will in no way help eliminate the problem: corns will appear again until the person gets rid of the disease.

Using a soap compress

But representatives of the fair sex often mention that you can achieve clean heels with the help of a soap and soda compress. And this is rightfully one of the best recipes, as it allows you not only to get rid of rough skin, but also to improve normal skin, make it softer and lighter.

Prepare a soap-soda solution in the following way:

1. grate about 50 g of baby soap (preferably without dyes or fragrances);
2. melt the resulting shavings in a water bath (approximately 70°C);
3. add water (30-50 ml);
4. Cool slightly and, stirring, add soda.

Such a compress should be applied along the entire length of the foot and it is advisable to immediately wrap it in cellophane or any other film that does not allow moisture to pass through and allows you to retain heat. You can wear a wool sock on top.

Cleansing the skin with this product should be carried out for at least 40-60 minutes, after which use a heel brush. Even very rough skin and old calluses are easily removed after such exposure, and healthy pink skin will remain in its original place. You should not use such a “medicine” too often, since while wearing a compress, the skin simply does not receive access to oxygen. This is not entirely correct from a physiological point of view, but it does speed up the process of exfoliation of dead cells. Similar to a scrub, only for feet.

If the skin around the heels is slightly inflamed, you should use olive oil. That is, in the proposed compress, reduce the amount of water used and replace it with olive oil (sold in almost every grocery store). You can replace it with olive “syrup” if you have one (but only from green olives, to be sure that there are no dyes there).

How to clean your heels with an onion?

Rough skin can still be removed using just an ordinary onion (the fresher the better).

This effect is achieved due to the presence of calcium, essential oils, manganese, fluorine, and zinc. The latter, by the way, also allows you to cope with increased sweating, which makes itself felt when wearing shoes made of toxic materials (there are a lot of these on the Russian consumer market).

How to use this compress? It is recommended to take as much of the onion as possible, cut it in half and apply it to each of the heels. On top you should put on socks made of natural fabric and stay like that for at least 1.5 hours. It is recommended to sit at this time, but keep your feet on the floor and not in a lying position. After the allotted time, remove rough skin using the usual method, that is, using a pumice stone or a brush. It may not work out the first time. The compress can be reapplied after 3 days. You shouldn’t do it more often, as you can get inflammation due to irritation of the sweat glands.

You can also make onion paste, but apply this dressing for no more than 20-30 minutes. You should not squeeze the onion itself after cutting. To eliminate the unpleasant odor, regular lemon or orange juice will help (literally a few milliliters will be enough). At the time of using onions to treat rough skin, it is recommended to at least temporarily abandon low-quality shoes. It is better to replace it with an orthopedic one made from materials that allow air to pass through perfectly.

Fighting rough heels with a mixture of viburnum and honey

This recipe is quite “young”. Cosmetologists began to use it, who noticed that honey can stimulate the exfoliation of dead epithelial cells. Viburnum is used as a concentrate of nutrients and mineral trace elements that stimulate the growth of a new layer of skin.

Removing corns and calluses with the help of such a compress is not only easy and quick, but also absolutely safe. You can use pumice with the lowest roughness. Removing rough skin after honey and viburnum is as easy as shelling pears. And this procedure can be performed almost daily, without any restrictions.

So, how to cleanse rough heels with honey and viburnum? The desired “porridge” is prepared from a mixture of 100 g of honey and 50 g of pitted viburnum berries (for this you can use the most ordinary sieve or gauze). Everything must be thoroughly mixed until a homogeneous red mass is obtained. If the honey is too thick, it is recommended to heat it to at least 60-70°C in the same water bath.

In the future, the resulting mixture can be sealed in a glass container and stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of about +5°C. The permissible shelf life is 3 months. Next, a smell of something sour may appear.

The most convenient way to apply a compress is with a regular bandage. A piece of fabric must be thoroughly moistened in the resulting composition and tied in several layers around the heel. From above everything is covered with a piece of elastic bandage or a thick sock made of natural fabric. There is no need to steam your skin before doing this; just wash your feet under running water to remove any remaining sweat.

A mixture of honey and prunes has a similar effect (it is recommended to first grind it into a paste). It easily penetrates into the deep pores of keratinized tissues and promotes their rapid breakdown. The skin literally begins to peel off, like after getting a sunburn. But it is absolutely safe and does not hurt. After the compress, the feet should be lubricated with regular baby cream or special lotion.

In general, there are dozens of methods on how to clean your heels from dead skin. They all work almost equally effectively. But it should be understood that having removed corns once, a person will face the problem of their appearance again. Therefore, in addition to treatment, it is necessary to use preventive measures to prevent roughening of the skin. This includes changing shoes, optimizing your diet, and periodic nutritional compresses.

Women's skin is very delicate, and therefore it requires special treatment. However, not every representative of the fair sex pays due attention to their skin.

Very often, girls and women notice that their dermis begins to look not its best only when it becomes too dry and rough.

In such a situation, every beautiful lady wonders how to remove rough skin and get her body in order?

Modern cosmetology offers a lot of completely painless procedures that will help you get rid of this unsightly cosmetic defect in one or several sessions.

Meanwhile, such procedures are almost always expensive and, moreover, not every woman has the opportunity to regularly visit beauty salons and studios.

In this article we will tell you what to do if you have rough skin on your heels, elbows or fingers and toes, and how to get rid of this problem at home.

Causes of roughening of the skin

Before you begin to fight the stratum corneum of the epidermis on different parts of the body, you need to understand what reasons provoke its appearance. Otherwise, all your efforts will be practically pointless, because literally a few days after the treatment the situation will return to normal.

The most common causes of excessive coarsening of the dermis on the human body are:

1. Too dry skin in most cases is associated with internal problems - a lack of vitamins and minerals in the human body, various endocrine diseases, hormonal changes, as well as kidney problems;
2. keratinization of the upper layer of the epidermis on the feet can cause excessive stress on this part of the body. Typically, a similar situation is observed in people with excess body weight, those who spend the whole day in a standing position, as well as women who cannot imagine their life without high-heeled shoes. In some cases, the reason may also be wearing shoes made of low-quality materials or the wrong size;
3. Also, the skin can change its structure under the influence of fungal infection;
4. roughening of the skin on the hands is also often found in people whose profession involves daily excessive pressure on these areas, for example, musicians, shoemakers or handymen;
5. allergic reactions can also lead to the proliferation of epithelial cells and the appearance of their horny layers;
6. finally, in some cases, this problem may indicate the occurrence of pathological processes in the human body, for example, the growth of a malignant tumor.

Is it possible to remove rough skin from your heels yourself, and how to do it?

When keratinized areas of the epidermis appear on any part of the body, it is necessary, first of all, to make changes to your diet. You should eat properly and nutritiously to provide your body with a sufficient amount of vitamins B, A and E. In addition, it is recommended to use various folk cosmetology products, with which you can achieve noticeable results in a short time.

Removing rough skin on your heels at home can be quite difficult, but if you wish, you can significantly improve its condition.

To do this, you need to take a foot bath every evening, before going to bed, and then clean your heels and lubricate them with a nourishing cream containing any cosmetic oil, vitamin E and other useful ingredients, as well as regularly make healing masks for your feet.

The following recipes will help you prepare these miraculous folk cosmetology products to remove rough areas from your heels:

1. One of the simplest procedures is steaming the legs in a soda solution. To do this, pour the required amount of hot water into a suitable container and dissolve baking soda in it, taking into account the ratio of 1 tablespoon of powder per liter of liquid. Keep your feet in this bath for about 15 minutes until the water cools down. Immediately after this, the rough skin on the feet should be cleaned with an ordinary pumice stone, a file or a foot brush. You can also use a special industrial foot scrub. After cleansing, lubricate your feet with nourishing cream, put on cotton socks and go to bed to rest;
2. It is very useful to steam your feet in a decoction of medicinal plants, such as sage, St. John's wort, calendula or elecampane. To prepare this liquid, crushed dry grass is poured with clean water, taking into account the ratio of 1 tablespoon of raw material per liter of liquid, placed on the stove, brought to a boil and boiled for about 5 minutes. You should lower your feet into the prepared broth after about 15 minutes, when it has cooled down a little, and also steam your feet for about 15 minutes. After this, it is recommended to clean the skin with pumice and lubricate the heels with cosmetic oil;
3. Another useful recipe for preparing a foot bath is extremely simple - add a little sea salt and a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the desired amount of warm water. Take a bath for about 15 minutes;
4. To achieve the best effect, 1 or 2 times a week you can make this mask for your feet - combine the yolk of a chicken egg with a teaspoon of olive oil and the same amount of lemon juice. Apply the prepared mixture to the heels and secure with gauze or bandage, and after half an hour, rinse off;
5. Another option for preparing an effective mask is to mix olive oil and slightly melted honey in equal proportions, apply this mixture to your feet and wash after 15-20 minutes.

How to soften rough skin on elbows?

Unsightly, rough skin on the elbows with the presence of flaky areas and cracks is also in most cases associated with a lack of vitamins and a violation of the water-alkaline balance of the dermis. That is why, first of all, you need to enrich your daily diet with fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as fresh herbs. It would also be a good idea to take a course of any of the multivitamin complexes presented in the assortment of pharmacies.

Additionally, to improve the condition of the skin, you can use the following effective means:

1. Take 4 cotton pads and soak them generously in heated olive oil. Place 2 disks on the elbows of both hands and wrap with wide bandages. After about 40 minutes, remove the compress and remove any remaining oil with an ordinary napkin;
2. Break a chicken egg and separate the yolk from the white. Add a tablespoon of cottage cheese to the yolk and grind the ingredients until smooth. Apply this mixture to your elbows, wrap them with polyethylene, and cover them with a bandage. After about 20 minutes, wash yourself in a warm shower. This mask additionally helps to get rid of age spots;
3. cut a whole lemon into 2 halves and rub thoroughly into the rough skin of your elbows for 15 minutes or longer;
4. Peel one medium-sized potato, grate it on a fine grater and add a teaspoon of honey to it. Mix well and apply the resulting mixture to rough elbows, then secure firmly with a piece of natural fabric. Wash off the mask after half an hour, wipe your hands dry and lubricate with nourishing cream.

How to get rid of rough skin on fingers and toes?

To soften rough skin on the fingers and toes, you can use all of the above methods. It is also very useful and effective to wipe your fingers and the skin between them with a cut aloe leaf, tomato paste or a small piece of fresh tomato or dandelion juice.

Getting rid of the stratum corneum of the epidermis on the fingers and other parts of the body is not at all easy, but it can be done if you pay attention to the skin every day.

In severe cases, it is recommended to consult a doctor to identify the true cause that provoked this symptom and prescribe appropriate treatment.