The skin on the soles of our feet is naturally much thicker than skin elsewhere on the body. Add repeated pressure, friction and dryness, and that skin can become increasingly hard and thickened.

This is why aggressively filing your heels every time they feel rough can be counterproductive.

For skin of colour, the principle is particularly important: avoid repeatedly traumatising the skin when you can soften excess keratin chemically and restore hydration instead.

The approach is simple: controlled exfoliation, urea, moisture, occlusion and less friction.

Why do heels become rough and crusty?

The skin on the soles of your feet is called plantar skin.

It is naturally thicker than the skin on the top of your feet because it has to tolerate pressure from standing, walking and running.

When plantar skin becomes dry, it can start to feel:

• rough
• hard
• flaky
• callused
• grey or ashy
• less flexible
• cracked around the edges

This thicker skin is also why a lightweight body lotion may make the top of your feet feel soft while doing very little for severely dry heels.

The soles often need a richer moisturising and keratolytic approach.

Why can heels look grey or ashy?

Dryness can make deeper skin tones appear grey or ashy, but very rough heels may also have a build-up of thickened keratin.

This is known as hyperkeratosis.

Hyperkeratosis happens when the outer layer of the skin becomes thicker than normal. On the feet, repeated pressure and friction can encourage this protective thickening.

So the answer is not necessarily to keep scraping away the surface.

If you remove hard skin aggressively but continue the pressure, friction and dryness that encouraged it to develop, the problem can simply return.

In skin of colour, repeated friction and irritation may also contribute to unwanted pigmentation.

Should you file crusty heels?

This is where many people go wrong.

A metal foot file can feel satisfying because you can immediately see skin coming away, but more filing does not necessarily mean healthier heels.

Repeated aggressive scraping creates physical friction and can cause microtrauma to the skin.

When the skin continually experiences pressure or injury, it can respond protectively by becoming thicker.

For melanin-rich skin there is an additional consideration: unnecessary trauma and inflammation can also trigger pigmentation.

So stop trying to “cheese-grate” every layer of hard skin away.

If you use a foot file at all, keep it very gentle. Avoid aggressively scraping dry feet and never use:

• razor blades
• knives
• scissors
• sharp callus-removal tools at home

The better approach is to soften the thickened skin gradually.

What should you use instead of aggressive filing?

Think of heel care in four stages:

Rather than relying on repeated physical scraping, controlled chemical exfoliation can help loosen built-up surface skin.

Useful options can include:

• AHAs such as lactic acid
• BHAs
• PHAs
• urea

Dr Vanita favours properly formulated chemical exfoliation over harsh physical friction.

The goal is not to make the heel sting, burn or peel dramatically. It is to gradually soften excess keratin without creating unnecessary trauma.

Can lactic acid help rough heels?

Yes.

Lactic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps loosen the bonds between accumulated dead skin cells.

This makes it useful for rough, thickened areas such as the heels when used appropriately.

Dr Vanita favours lactic acid over glycolic acid, particularly when thinking about controlled exfoliation for skin of colour.

For rough heels, a properly formulated lactic-acid exfoliant can be used on intact skin as part of an evening foot-care routine.

Do not apply exfoliating acids directly onto heels that are:

• deeply cracked
• bleeding
• inflamed
• infected

The aim is controlled exfoliation, not irritation.

Why is urea so useful for crusty heels?

Urea is one of the most useful ingredients for dry, thickened heel skin.

It has two important functions.

Urea helps hydrate the skin

Urea acts as a humectant, helping the outer layer of the skin attract and retain water.

Urea helps soften excess keratin

Urea also has keratolytic properties, meaning it can help soften and loosen thickened dead skin.

This makes it particularly useful for heels because it tackles both dryness and hard skin.

For very dry feet, a foot cream containing around 10% urea is a useful starting point.

You do not necessarily need the strongest treatment available. Consistency is more important than aggressively trying to remove everything at once.

Why may body lotion not be enough for your heels?

There is nothing wrong with moisturising your feet with body lotion.

However, the plantar skin on the sole is substantially thicker than skin elsewhere on the body.

A light moisturiser may therefore work perfectly well on the top of your feet while the heel remains hard and dry.

For significantly rough heels, look for a richer formula containing ingredients such as:

• urea
• humectants
• emollients
• occlusives

The aim is to both add and retain moisture while softening the thickened skin.

How often should you use urea on dry heels?

For very dry feet, a practical starting routine is to use a foot cream containing around 10% urea twice daily for approximately the first week.

As the skin begins to improve, this can be reduced to once daily.

For moderately dry feet, once daily may be sufficient.

You also do not need to coat the foot in a huge quantity.

Start with a small amount and let it absorb. If your feet are extremely slippery afterwards, you may simply be using too much.

Does Vaseline help dry, cracked heels?

It can be very useful.

Petroleum jelly works as an occlusive.

An occlusive does not exfoliate the hard skin. Instead, it forms a protective layer that helps reduce water loss.

For very dry heels:

1. Apply your moisturising or urea cream.
2. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly over the heel.
3. Put on clean cotton socks.
4. Leave them on overnight.

This helps create an environment where moisture remains in contact with the dry heel for longer.

Be careful walking immediately afterwards because the soles may become slippery.

Why wear cotton socks after moisturising?

This is a simple overnight trick.

After applying your moisturiser and an occlusive layer, clean cotton socks help keep everything in contact with the heel rather than allowing the product to rub off onto your bedding.

Overnight hydration can help gradually soften hardened keratin.

Once your heels improve, you may not need to do this every night.

Can flip-flops and backless slippers make crusty heels worse?

They can contribute.

Open-backed shoes provide less support around the heel and can allow the heel pad to spread under pressure.

The repeated movement or “slapping” of backless footwear against the heel may also create additional mechanical friction.

If you are treating your heels every evening but spending most of the day in footwear that continually creates friction, the cycle can continue.

So heel care should not only be about what you apply.

Ask what is repeatedly rubbing, pressing or traumatising the area.

Avoid DIY lemon and lime treatments

Using lemon or lime on rough heels may appear appealing because they naturally contain citric acid.

But naturally occurring acid is not the same as using a properly formulated skincare exfoliant.

Lemon and lime can be irritating and unpredictable on the skin.

Do not replace a professionally formulated AHA product with acidic kitchen ingredients.

For skin of colour in particular, causing unnecessary irritation in an attempt to brighten the skin can be counterproductive.

A simple evening routine for crusty heels

You do not need a complicated foot-care routine.

The aim is to soften the keratin gradually rather than repeatedly traumatising it.

What should you avoid if you have crusty heels?

Aggressive metal foot files

Repeatedly scraping away large amounts of skin can create unnecessary friction and trauma.

Lemon or lime

They may contain natural acids, but they are not controlled skincare formulations and can irritate the skin.

Cutting your own calluses

Do not use blades, scissors or knives to cut hard heel skin.

Applying acids to broken skin

Chemical exfoliants should not be applied into deep, bleeding or inflamed fissures.

Ignoring footwear

If backless shoes, friction or repeated pressure are contributing to the problem, topical treatments alone may not stop it returning.

Treating only once in a while

Consistency is far more useful than one aggressive pedicure every few weeks.

What if your heels are already deeply cracked?

Once a heel fissure becomes deep, painful or bleeding, it is no longer simply a cosmetic concern.

Every time you stand or walk, pressure can pull the edges of that crack apart.

Stop aggressive exfoliation and seek professional advice if your heels are:

• deeply cracked
• painful
• bleeding
• swollen
• unusually warm
• increasingly red
• producing discharge

If you have diabetes, poor circulation or reduced sensation in your feet, avoid trying to cut or aggressively remove calluses yourself and seek appropriate professional foot care.

When should you see a podiatrist?

A podiatrist can assess whether what appears to be simple dry skin is actually significant callus, a heel fissure or another foot condition.

Seek professional assessment if:

• cracks are deep or painful
• the heel is bleeding
• you notice signs of infection
• walking has become uncomfortable
• there is extensive hard skin
• the problem keeps returning despite consistent care
• you are unsure what is causing the thickening

Professional removal of significant callus is very different from aggressively cutting or scraping the skin yourself at home.

FAQs

Final takeaway

If your heels are rough, grey, ashy or hard, stop trying to scrape every layer away.

Instead:

• Use controlled chemical exfoliation rather than aggressive friction.
• Choose lactic acid rather than harsh physical scraping.
• Use urea to soften and hydrate thickened heel skin.
• Seal in moisture with an occlusive when needed.
• Use cotton socks overnight for intensive hydration.
• Reduce the footwear and mechanical friction that keeps triggering the problem.

For skin of colour, this approach is especially useful because repeated friction and inflammation may contribute not only to thicker skin but also to unwanted pigmentation.

And if the heel has progressed to deep, painful, bleeding or infected fissures, stop exfoliating and seek professional advice.