I’m sharing this story because I know how isolating and frustrating foot pain can be, especially when it feels like such a small problem that no one else would understand. For a long time, I minimized my own discomfort, telling myself it wasn’t serious enough to complain about. But living with cracked, painful heels day after day slowly wore me down—physically and emotionally—and I wish someone had told me earlier that it didn’t have to be this way.

My heels were constantly dry, thick, and split open. Every morning, the first steps out of bed felt like walking on glass. Standing for long hours made the cracks burn, and by evening, my feet throbbed with pain. I stopped wearing sandals, avoided walking barefoot, and felt embarrassed even around my own family. I tried soaking my feet, layering heavy creams, pumice stones, and even harsh scrapers. Nothing lasted. The skin would harden again within days, and the cracks seemed to deepen. I started worrying about infections, bleeding, or being forced to cut back on work and daily activities if things got worse.