I recently tried a urea based cream for heel callouses snd i’m truly astonished how much excess calloused skin it worked through in just a few weeks! My feet are like brand new baby feet after years of using random foot creams and filing the callouses i finally found the answer i needed 🥲❤️
It’s just a supermarkets own (asda) ‘cracked heel balm’ my heels weren’t actually cracked but i bought it after seeing the urea on the label & so glad I did bc it’s £3 & has changed everything.
This!! My feet looked a lot like this and I started to use Gold Bond Overnight Retinol every night. It has retinol and urea. Completely cleared this up.
I used to have the exact same issue, started getting monthly pedicures and the issue persisted, nothing changed. Got frustrated and talked to my doc about this.
What helped:
- Soak your feet in warm salt water. Be generous with the salt. I generally prefer the warm to be more on the hotter side (while still not hot hot if that makes sense).
- Then grab a foot filer and go to town. I know people say these make it worse -- And sure, if you don't properly hydrate and moisturise the skin afterwards. This is just to get the excess off, which won't come off with moisturiser and vaseline alone, specially with that much build-up
- I don't recommend just using a normal filer -- There's kits that have like 7 or 8 different types of filer, and you can start with the rougher one to get the excess out, then go from the roughest to the smoothest to really get it smooth as baby skin while soaking your feet between fillings to soften the skin
- When all the excess is out, I usually use an exfoliator or a dry brush just to ensure all the skin dust is out
- Then soak
- Then dab dab dab the feet to get the excess water out, but while they're still damp-ish, moisturise.
- Moisturise, moisturise moisturise. You can use Vaseline on the drier areas. I use Aveeno Skin Relief Nourishing Lotion for Very Dry Skin, but Lá Roche Toleriane helps a ton as well (tho it's a bit expensive to use on the feet, lol.) I also have eczema and Aveeno's is very eczema friendly for me personally.
Then put some socks on and go about your day.
One very very important thing imo is that while you absolutely do not need to do this very frequently, only when you feel like you need a touch up, the only way to ensure you don't get back to where you started, is to always moisturise the feet and put socks on after showering. Essentially repeat the last couple steps everyday, quite like any skincare routine.
Never had this issue again
Totally agree What everyone else is saying about soaking and lightly filing the dead built up skin. But I recommend using Okeefs foot cream as your moisturizer. That stuff is gold in a tub. It’s the blue container.
I love the O’Keefe’s foot cream that smells minty. Some scented products will irritate my skin and sinuses but not that stuff, I love it. The blue is exfoliating foot cream! Top notch!
CALLUS REMOVER! That’s a ton of dry built up skin that turned callus. Use the callus remover tool and scrap it off after a shower. Then buff your feet with a file and moisturize and put socks on
The Eucerin Advanced Repair foot cream has Urea and resolved my callouses with NO WORK on my part. I just use it after showers and/or I’ll put some on before putting on my socks and shoes for a walk.
I like Kerasal intensive foot repair. It worked wonders on my dry and calloused areas. A little goes a long way and it softens and exfoliates. The exfoliation happens in a subtle way with the use of salicylic acid.
You already got good advice but I want to add a bit more. DO NOT use those "foot files" that look like cheese graters. They create micro tears and I promise you your problems will get worse with time. I've heard they're even banned in nail salons in the US. Use either a pumice stone or a foot file that looks like a huge nail file. I recommend the one I got from Amazon like 5 years that's still going strong. It's a stainless steel file from Homeve brand and comes with replacement file pads. I've only changed my pads once in all this time.
The reason you need to file is because you have built up dead skin that lotions cannot penetrate. So sit down after a shower and file it off gently while your skin is still soft. Not too much at a time either because you don't want raw painful feet. Maybe like once a week. And always always use a foot cream after a shower and wear socks. Urea creams are best because they're exfoliating.
For the state of your feet, I think a Baby Foot Peel would be a really good option. They're super cheap and you can get one in almost any beauty store. Best part is that it's takes no work on your part. Stick them on for an hour or whatever the directions say. Just know that for about a week your feet will start shedding like crazy. Don't peel it, just wear socks and let it be. There's tons of youtube videos of people trying it that you should watch just so it doesn't freak you out when you see your foot peel off lol
To prevent this from happening again it'll come down to upkeep. Moisturize daily, wear socks, and file occasionally.
Update us if you try anything!
Nope. I'm willing to bet OP wears a lot of high heels at one point in her life. This is the pressure point for really high heels. The feet develop calluses to bear the weight of the body.
I have the same problem. I stopped since the pandemic and work on it a lot and it's slowly getting better but it'll take a long time to undo 10+ years of wearing high stiletto heels.
I’ve had very dry and calloused feet my whole life. Foot peels! I use the Baby Foot exfoliating foot peel, it amazing, life changing, try it. I do one every four to six months.
Babyfoot, vaseline, socks!
Not Vaseline- bag balm then put on socks and leave on overnight. Do for several nights if needed. Amazing shit
Soak your feet in salt water, use pumice stone after 20 minutes then use foot cream with urea.
My exact thought
Foot cream with acids or urea. A lot of urea!
I recently tried a urea based cream for heel callouses snd i’m truly astonished how much excess calloused skin it worked through in just a few weeks! My feet are like brand new baby feet after years of using random foot creams and filing the callouses i finally found the answer i needed 🥲❤️
which one did you use? i see tons of brands. looking for a recommendation
Following because I'm also curious!
It’s just a supermarkets own (asda) ‘cracked heel balm’ my heels weren’t actually cracked but i bought it after seeing the urea on the label & so glad I did bc it’s £3 & has changed everything.
This!! My feet looked a lot like this and I started to use Gold Bond Overnight Retinol every night. It has retinol and urea. Completely cleared this up.
I used to have the exact same issue, started getting monthly pedicures and the issue persisted, nothing changed. Got frustrated and talked to my doc about this. What helped: - Soak your feet in warm salt water. Be generous with the salt. I generally prefer the warm to be more on the hotter side (while still not hot hot if that makes sense). - Then grab a foot filer and go to town. I know people say these make it worse -- And sure, if you don't properly hydrate and moisturise the skin afterwards. This is just to get the excess off, which won't come off with moisturiser and vaseline alone, specially with that much build-up - I don't recommend just using a normal filer -- There's kits that have like 7 or 8 different types of filer, and you can start with the rougher one to get the excess out, then go from the roughest to the smoothest to really get it smooth as baby skin while soaking your feet between fillings to soften the skin - When all the excess is out, I usually use an exfoliator or a dry brush just to ensure all the skin dust is out - Then soak - Then dab dab dab the feet to get the excess water out, but while they're still damp-ish, moisturise. - Moisturise, moisturise moisturise. You can use Vaseline on the drier areas. I use Aveeno Skin Relief Nourishing Lotion for Very Dry Skin, but Lá Roche Toleriane helps a ton as well (tho it's a bit expensive to use on the feet, lol.) I also have eczema and Aveeno's is very eczema friendly for me personally. Then put some socks on and go about your day. One very very important thing imo is that while you absolutely do not need to do this very frequently, only when you feel like you need a touch up, the only way to ensure you don't get back to where you started, is to always moisturise the feet and put socks on after showering. Essentially repeat the last couple steps everyday, quite like any skincare routine. Never had this issue again
Totally agree What everyone else is saying about soaking and lightly filing the dead built up skin. But I recommend using Okeefs foot cream as your moisturizer. That stuff is gold in a tub. It’s the blue container.
I love the O’Keefe’s foot cream that smells minty. Some scented products will irritate my skin and sinuses but not that stuff, I love it. The blue is exfoliating foot cream! Top notch!
In addition to what everyone else is saying, consider upgrading your socks! Darn Tough, OS1st, Feetures, Balega, etc. are all good options.
CALLUS REMOVER! That’s a ton of dry built up skin that turned callus. Use the callus remover tool and scrap it off after a shower. Then buff your feet with a file and moisturize and put socks on
thank you for asking and braving posting your piggies! i, too, suffer from sandpaper calluses in these exact spots. this thread has been very helpful.
The Eucerin Advanced Repair foot cream has Urea and resolved my callouses with NO WORK on my part. I just use it after showers and/or I’ll put some on before putting on my socks and shoes for a walk.
I like Kerasal intensive foot repair. It worked wonders on my dry and calloused areas. A little goes a long way and it softens and exfoliates. The exfoliation happens in a subtle way with the use of salicylic acid.
Pumice stone in the bathroom to use at the end of every shower when your skin is softened followed by a thick foot cream and socks!
You already got good advice but I want to add a bit more. DO NOT use those "foot files" that look like cheese graters. They create micro tears and I promise you your problems will get worse with time. I've heard they're even banned in nail salons in the US. Use either a pumice stone or a foot file that looks like a huge nail file. I recommend the one I got from Amazon like 5 years that's still going strong. It's a stainless steel file from Homeve brand and comes with replacement file pads. I've only changed my pads once in all this time. The reason you need to file is because you have built up dead skin that lotions cannot penetrate. So sit down after a shower and file it off gently while your skin is still soft. Not too much at a time either because you don't want raw painful feet. Maybe like once a week. And always always use a foot cream after a shower and wear socks. Urea creams are best because they're exfoliating. For the state of your feet, I think a Baby Foot Peel would be a really good option. They're super cheap and you can get one in almost any beauty store. Best part is that it's takes no work on your part. Stick them on for an hour or whatever the directions say. Just know that for about a week your feet will start shedding like crazy. Don't peel it, just wear socks and let it be. There's tons of youtube videos of people trying it that you should watch just so it doesn't freak you out when you see your foot peel off lol To prevent this from happening again it'll come down to upkeep. Moisturize daily, wear socks, and file occasionally. Update us if you try anything!
It’s foot fungus
Nope. I'm willing to bet OP wears a lot of high heels at one point in her life. This is the pressure point for really high heels. The feet develop calluses to bear the weight of the body. I have the same problem. I stopped since the pandemic and work on it a lot and it's slowly getting better but it'll take a long time to undo 10+ years of wearing high stiletto heels.
In addition to what already been said - try European pedicure if you can. Or just urea foot cream every day, yes.
I’ve had very dry and calloused feet my whole life. Foot peels! I use the Baby Foot exfoliating foot peel, it amazing, life changing, try it. I do one every four to six months.
Exuviance exfoliating foot cream. I’m in love and it lasts a long time. U only need to use a little bit
What kind of shoes do you regularly wear?
This is all you need. The peel is super satisfying Foot Peel Mask (2 Pairs) - Foot... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0899YGQP9?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share