cracked skin

Dry, itchy skin is bad enough, but when eczema gets an attitude or psoriasis gets super serious, you may make the transition from considerable discomfort to full-fledged torture. Your skin can crack, leaving painful slits that bring agony with even the most basic body movements such as stretching.

Doctors call these cracks skin fissures. You will probably call them something a little more colorful. Hands and feet are the most likely spots for cracked skin, but there are other vulnerable places, too.

"Sometimes the feet are so dry that they crack, particularly on the heel and between the toes--and these cracks are like little portholes for infection," says Houston podiatrist William Van Pelt, D.P.M., former president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. "Women who wear open-backed heels and slides are particularly prone."

Here's how to take the fire out of painful fissures.

Give yourself a good soak. "The best way to treat very dry skin is to hydrate it every night," says Dr. Van Pelt. "Each skin cell is like a little sponge, so each night before going to bed, I recommend soaking your feet or whatever part of your body is especially dry in warm water for about 20 minutes. During this soak, the skin cells will absorb water. Then pat yourself dry."