Cracked heels
Remove calluses: This is how your feet become soft and supple (again).
The pumice stone is a tried and tested means of removing calluses on the feet
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Calluses on the heels and balls of the feet normally serve to protect the feet – but if they become too thick, they can tear. This not only looks ugly, but also causes pain. Here you can find out how to remove and prevent calluses.
Thickened calluses are favored by external influences, such as too much pressure and friction from tight or uncomfortable shoes. But dust, heat and sweat also promote hard skin by drying out the skin. This is particularly evident on the heels and balls of the feet during the hot summer months when most people wear thin shoes such as sandals or flip-flops. However, if the keratinized areas tear, bacteria have an easy time of it – they penetrate the skin and trigger painful inflammation. It is all the more important to regularly care for calluses, calluses and cracked heels by remove callus. How this works best is summarized below.
Remove calluses step by step: Here’s how
1. Start with a foot bath
So that you can remove the excess callus, you must first soak it – with a footbath. Use lukewarm water to which you add either 100 milliliters of apple cider vinegar, some tea tree oil or Dead Sea salt. On the one hand your feet are cleaned, on the other hand it has a special effect Salt germicidal. Place your feet in the ankle-deep water and let the footbath soak in for ten to a maximum of 15 minutes.
2. Use a pumice stone
Various tools help to remove the excess skin. A classic is that Bimsstein, which was already used in ancient times for foot care. In contrast to a planer or rasp, the coarse-pored volcanic rock only removes the upper layers of skin, so there is no risk of removing too much callus and leaving your feet unprotected. Alternatively, you can also use a callus file use.
3. Cream your feet
After the treatment, it is important to take care of the abraded skin. It is best to use one for this Creme, which provides your feet with sufficient moisture and at the same time helps to prevent new calluses from forming again so quickly. Alternatively, you can also use so-called foot butter use, which is quickly absorbed into the skin and leaves a smooth, supple feeling.
New beauty trend: foot mask instead of pedicure
In order to save time and money, more and more people are doing without a professional pedicure – and are instead opting for a new beauty trend: so-called Foot masks. This is a kind of sock that you simply have to put over your feet. The special thing about the foot masks is that they contain a nourishing moisturizing emulsion (including milk, aloe vera and papain) that penetrates your skin and softens it. Depending on how much callus you have, your feet can even “peel”, i.e. the old layers of skin are shed – and new, soft skin appears underneath.
Important: If you have particularly sensitive skin, you should test whether you are allergic to the foot mask before use. To check, dab some liquid from the mask onto your skin and wait ten minutes.
The best home remedies for calluses
Of course, there are also popular home remedies that you can use to remove calluses. This includes:
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Mix together three teaspoons Baking soda with lukewarm water and soak your feet in it for ten minutes. Alternatively, you can make a kind of paste out of baking soda and a little water, rub it on your feet and leave it on for five minutes before rinsing and rubbing your feet.
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dried Camomile is also an effective home remedy for calluses. To do this, take either a tea bag or loose chamomile flowers, wrap them in a dry cloth, sprinkle hot water on them so that they are wet – but not dripping – and press the chamomile bag onto the calloused areas for 15 minutes.
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Another beauty secret weapon is fresher lemon juice – a home remedy that is always used when it comes to skin problems. This is due to their acidity, which can also help against calluses. To do this, cut a lemon in half and place the halves on the calloused areas for a maximum of 30 minutes.
This is how you can prevent calluses
You can take preventive measures to ensure that the skin on your heels and balls of your feet does not dry out and become calloused in the first place:
- Do not wear shoes that are too tight or uncomfortable – the pressure causes calluses to form more quickly to protect the feet from friction.
- It is best to change your shoes regularly as often as possible so that the same areas are not always irritated.
- If possible, avoid high heels and soles that are too thin or too hard. Instead, walk barefoot as much as possible.
- Treat your feet to a regular bath and then always cream the skin with an ointment that contains urea or salicylic acid.
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