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Epidermal crack
25 Mar 2019
Epidermal crack

What is epidermal crack?

Cracked feet and the formation of so called fissures on the heels or soles of the feet, are common conditions that affect men and women indiscriminately, but they develop more frequently among the elderly.

As we age, the protective fat that makes up part of the sole of the foot becomes thinner and the consequent loss of cushioning can increase stress on the skin leading to callous skin or with epidermal cracks (especially on the heels).

What are the symptoms of epidermal crack?

The appearance of fissures or cracks can be the cause of discomfort and embarrassment, but such conditions must not be taken lightly because as well as the pain they bring considerable difficulties to those affected: difficulty in standing, wearing footwear and if untreated they can develop into bleeding wounds and lead to infections.

The most common symptoms are:

  • Skin dryness with desquamation (skin peeling)
  • Itching
  • Cuts or cracks: cracking can be seen, especially in the region of the heels
  • Pain and sensitivity: especially when walking
  • Skin hardening: by losing humidity the skin can harden and become rough, delaying recovery

What are the causes of epidermal crack?

Some of the most common causes of this condition are:

  • Age
  • Being obese or extremely overweight (because of the pressure exerted on the sole of the foot)
  • A lack of proper hygiene and care of the skin (around the heel)
  • Health problems such as diabetes
  • Athlete’s foot
  • Bad blood circulation in the feet
  • Subjecting the feet to abnormal activity (standing or walking for several hours)
  • Skin disorders or psoriasis and eczema
  • Wearing shoes that leave the heel exposed
  • Nutritional deficiencies (iron, calcium, vitamin E, fatty acids Omega 3 and zinc)

Treatment of epidermal crack

Skin dryness can vary from a very mild form all the way up to extreme xerosis accompanied by severe epidermal dysepithelialization (accentuated skin dryness). When epidermal crack and epidermal dysepithelialization are present, especially in the elderly, emollient preparations are useful that hydrate dry skin and reconstitute the altered skin barrier. Preparations for application to the skin are available on the market, containing Traumatic Acid and Biotin, that have an emollient/reconstituting action on the skin. These formulations optimise the natural epidermal restructuring compromised by states of severe and persistent skin dryness.
The synergic activity of the Traumatic Acid – Biotin complex promotes the physiological keratinocytic convergence (bio-mechanical action) with a re-vitalising effect on the skin cells compromised by conditions of excessive dryness in the foot and in the leg, especially in the elderly or in individuals with a predisposition for allergic contact dermatitis.
It is furthermore important to enrich the formulations with Hyaluronic acid and Sodium Pyroglutamate for the purpose of guaranteeing the hydrating effect, at the same time aiding the normal recovery of the skin’s hydrolipidic barrier.

 

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