13 What can I do if I develop "cracks" in my soles?
Description
This article is from the Living Barefoot FAQ, by Paul J. Lucas with numerous contributions by others.
13 What can I do if I develop "cracks" in my soles?
Sometimes, parts of your soles can become too thick and the callus can
crack which is often painful. This generally happens around the edges
of your heels.
To prevent the cracks in the first place, file some of the callus with
pumice from the edges _only_ and use skin lotion or Bag Balm* to keep
the _edges_ supple. Do it just after you trim your toenails; this is a
good frequency. That's all the maintenance bare feet need!
* Bag Balm is a lotion/paste product that contains a mild antiseptic
(0.3% 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate in a petroleum, lanolin base). It's
made by the Dairy Association Company of Lyndonville, VT, 05851, and
comes in a 10 oz., 2.5" square green tin with the red letters "Bag
Balm" and a picture of a cow and flowers on it. Its intended purpose
is to treat cow's udders to keep them supple and to ward off
infection. As such, it's strictly a veterinary product, but it appears
people have been using it for years with success; so much so that it's
available at Walgreens and other drug stores. (I don't think too many
Walgreens' customers have cows.)
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