Please help me with my awful feet...

[EarthboundMisfit]

I've always had hardish skin on the soles of my feet. I used to use a pumice type foot file, but it seemed to exacerbate things, so in recent years I've left them. However, my heels are now quite cracked, to the point that my DCs and their friends have commented several times.

Any tips on how to remove this, preferably on a budget?

Thanks.

[1moreglassplease]

Honestly, the best thing would be to go and see a chiropodist. Prices will depend on what you have and where you live, but they can remove the skin very easily and safely and your feet will feel great afterwards. They will have seen a lot worse than your hard skin!

[allegretto]

If you want to do it on your own try a pedi egg on damp skin and put heel balm and cotton socks on at night.

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Soap and Glory foot file!

[allegretto]

IT will take a while! Seeing a chiropodist will speed the process up.

[pippinandtog]

Have seen ads for battery-operated hard skin removing devices: have a look on Boots website.

[Indecisivejo]

Ccs foot cream I swear by it

[Ifiwasabadger]

Long hot shower or bath and a body shop foot file, followed by Vaseline and socks. Every night for two weeks my and you will be sorted.

[FuzzyOwl]

Footner

[polyhymnia]

Definitely see a chiropodist. They will sort it plus advise on how to stop it getting that bad in future. Much better than messing around yourself.

[Fishcake72]

Flexitol cream is amazing!

[Want2bSupermum]

I always see a chiropodist when home. My heels crack easily as I am in sandals for 6 months of the year. They have sorted my heels out and told me how to best self care for them.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

Footner

[EarthboundMisfit]

Thanks all! I can't afford a chiropodist at the moment, so I will try the other suggestions and see one next month if things haven't improved. I did some gardening this evening in flip flops and now I'm going to have to soak them to get the dirt out of the cracks!

[CatThiefKeith]

Footner!

[EarthboundMisfit]

Haha! Have ordered Footner! The before pictures are scarier than my own feet!

[CatThiefKeith]

The first time I did it I thought my entire heel had come off in my sock!

It's amazing.

[squoosh]

Footner gives me a foot-gasm.

I'm getting all hot and bothered just thinking about all the manky skin slithering off in sheets.

[Ilovetea82]

Depends how bad they are -
Thin soled shoes will cause dry heels to crack (I have a huge deep crack on one of mine as I was seduced by some beautiful £8 sandals in primark)

I have used the following:
Soaked my feet in the bath for a good 20mins, used a special blade thing I got in boots to pare the callaus away smothered feet in ccs cream ( sorry normal soap and glory and other feet creams don't work if it's really bad) or another cream that has urea in it. Socks on and leave over night, I now have skanky feet but not so much that anyone would notice.
Heel fissures are bloody painful apart from anything else!

[EarthboundMisfit]

Thanks. They're not too bad, not painful. The worst they've ever been was when I got back from a year in a very humid country. Within a week of being back in the drier climate they were bleeding.

They're just a bit unsightly. To be honest I was surprised the DC noticed, but I think if they have, adults do too. Sure the supermarket flip flops don't help.

[tyke1989]

Holika holika baby foot mask , you soak your feet then put on the socks that have a fruit and plant extracts in the solution that you pour into them, leave on for 1-2 hours wash feet then in 5-10 days normaly your whole feet will shed the dead skin.

[LazyCake]

YY to Footner for a radical fix. IMO, no need to go to a chiropodist unless you have other issues, e.g. painful bunions or really bad corns.

For day-to-day maintenance, Newton's Chiropody Sponges are absolutely brill (£2.35 on Amazon).

YY to Flexitol and CCS cream, or Vaseline works really well as a budget alternative.

Don't know if corns are an issue for you, but I have found the best things for cutting them out to be a pair of cuticle pliers.

[conkerpods]

I think Footner is overrated.
Soap and Glory file pretty good but the best thing EVER is the Chiropody sponge from Amazon (green box). Cheap and extremely effective,someone on MN recommended it and it's great. You need to use it in the bath with lots of soap. It's like and extreme pumice stone.

[allegretto]

Footner didn't work for me either.

[polyhymnia]

Can't help thinking if you go to Boots/ Superdrug and buy all the things recommended it will add up to about the same as going to a chiropodist!

[EarthboundMisfit]

Yes probably!
Waiting on Footner and we shall go from there!