Corns & Calluses
Oh, my aching feet
New shoes, or anything else that causes friction or pressure on your skin can lead to a callus or a corn. High-heeled or narrow shoes are the worst offenders, making women four times as likely as men to develop corns. Largely preventable and easily treated, corns and calluses are usually not serious.
Corns and calluses are your skin's reaction to abnormal pressure, and both are made up of dead tissue. Corns and calluses themselves do not contain nerves, but they can cause you pain by putting pressure on the underlying nerves. Calluses are normally painless; corns, on the other hand, can often be quite painful.
The most important step in alleviating discomfort from corns or calluses is to stop the cause of irritation. You can also use a variety of home remedies, from pumice stones to over-the-counter acid compounds, to soften and remove the dead skin. Foot bath anyone?
What's going on
Corns are pea-sized mounds of dead skin. Most often they are yellow but can become reddened when irritated or inflamed. Hard corns form over the bony areas of the top of toes, while soft corns form between them. The pressure caused by walking or tight shoes can make them very painful.
Calluses, unlike corns, can form anywhere on the body, though they are commonly found on the hands, knees, and bottoms of the feet. Some calluses that develop on the bottom of the feet are hereditary and develop without any source of irritation. Calluses that grow thick and inflexible can sometimes lead to cracking and discomfort.
If you have diabetes or any other condition that causes poor circulation, consult a podiatrist or other physician before treating your corns or calluses. Because of reduced blood flow to your extremities you are at risk for complications, including infection.
Causes
Corns and calluses develop because of abnormal pressure and friction on the skin.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Determining if you have a corn or callus is fairly straightforward.
Corns are:
- Small mounds of firm dead skin on or between the toes
- Usually yellowish, but sometimes red
- Painful when touched or pressed if the area has become inflamed
- Skin lines run through the corn
Calluses are:
- Patches of thickened skin
- Usually painless, unless they have a central core
Conditions That May Be Mistaken or Corns or Calluses
- Plantar warts
- Benign growths, caused by viruses, that form on the soles of the feet
- Plugged sweat glands (called porokeratosis) on the bottom of the feet
Your doctor may scrape a hard patch of skin to determine if it is a callus or a wart. Warts bleed when scraped, while a callus will just reveal more dead skin.
Treatment Overview
Corns and calluses are generally cured easily, but it is essential to eliminate the cause of the irritation in order to keep them from developing again.
Protecting your skin
While you're healing, try using corn and callus pads to reduce the pressure on the sore area and prevent further thickening of the skin. These pads surround the corn or callus, keeping your skin free from pressure and irritation. (Medicated pads should never be used by a person with diabetes.)
Softening your skin
Soaking the affected area in warm water followed by an application of a good moisturizing cream will help soften a corn or callus. You can then gently rub the superficial hard skin off with a towel, file, or pumice stone. Be gentle with yourself, and don't dig into the skin or pull it off, this can increase your discomfort and chances of infection.
Medicated pastes and pads may also be used to dissolve a corn or callus. When placed over the growth, the medication -- a keratolytic agent that contains salicylic acid (the active ingredient in aspirin) -- dries the growth, making it easier to remove. This treatment should be administered very carefully, because the acid can damage the normal, healthy tissue if not applied with care.
Surgery
You should never cut into a corn or callus yourself; the risk of infection is high. However, in some cases a podiatrist or other physician may decide to cut away a troublesome area of thickened tissue.
When calluses or corns are extremely persistent and painful, surgery may be considered to reduce a bony prominence contributing to the excess pressure, or to correct a deformity which is producing abnormal pressure.
Activity Restrictions or Recommendations
You should take time to examine your footwear and activities to determine if they are causing your corns and calluses, then make the appropriate changes to prevent future problems. Shoes and socks that do not fit correctly should be eliminated and replaced with proper-fitting footwear.
If your calluses or corns are particularly stubborn, see a podiatrist so they can be properly evaluated to determine their cause and what treatments are available.
Special Diets
No specific diet has been designed to assist in the treatment of corns and calluses, but as with any condition, it is helpful to maintain a healthy, balanced diet to help the body to heal.
Special Considerations
If you have diabetes or poor circulation, consult a podiatrist or other physician before treating corn or calluses. Because of the limited blood supply in your extremities you are more vulnerable to complications, such as infection.
Because of the pain associated with corns, the rest of your movements can be thrown off, causing hip, knee, or back pain.
Here's a natural remedy to soften hard skin: apply a paste of aloe vera gel and lemon juice before going to bed. Cover the area with an adhesive bandage. Remove it in the morning.
Preventing Corns and Calluses
Wearing proper shoes and footwear, as well as protective gear, should help prevent corns and calluses. Try to avoid activities that require constant pressure to specific areas of the skin.
Self-Care Measures
Once a corn is formed, corn pads may be used to stop further growth by relieving some of the pressure. In addition, the following strategies may improve the condition of corns and calluses:
- Buy roomier shoes. Many studies show that in their desire to have petite feet, women often buy shoes that are too small for them.
- Avoid high heels, or wear lower-heeled comfort brands designed to be roomier and more yielding. High heels put pressure on your toes, which can aggravate corns and calluses.
- Don't attempt to trim your own corns or calluses with a knife or razor. Self-surgery is not a good idea, as you could cut yourself and/or develop an infection.
- However, some calluses and many corns become unsightly or grow uncomfortably large. You can usually reduce their size by applying a commercial corn/callus remover. These products contain acid that eats away the excess tissue. Apply them carefully, and only to the corn or callus.
- To make a homemade plaster, apply an acid paste of five crushed, aspirin tablets (acetylsalicylic acid) and one tablespoon of lemon juice (citric acid) mixed with one tablespoon of water to form a paste. Apply this paste generously and cover the area with a bandage or plastic bag for 15 to 30 minutes. Then use a pumice stone or metal file to remove the outer layer of callus tissue. Repeat this two to three times a week until the callus has been reduced to the desired size. (People with diabetes or poor circulation should not use this treatment.)
- If a corn between your toes is bothering you, place spacers between the toes. Foam usually helps.
- Soak your foot in warm water. A warm bath followed by a good moisturizing cream often helps soften hard corns and calluses.
Websites & Organizations
American Academy of Dermatology
P.O. Box 4014
Schaumburg, IL 60168
Phone: 708-330-0230
www.aad.org
American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society
222 South Prospect
Park Ridge, IL 60068
American Podiatric Medical Association
Phone: 800-FOOTCARE (800-366-8227)
www.apma.org
Health World
www.healthy.net
FootTalk
www.foottalk.com
North Shore Podiatry
205 Andover Street
Peabody, MA 01960
Phone: 978-531-4484
Fax: 978-531-0289
www.bunionbusters.com
The Podiatry Institute
1459 Montreal Road, Suite 206
Tucker, GA 30084
Phone: 770-939-0393 or 888-833-5682
Fax: 770-493-7563
Email: info@podiatryinstitute.com
Thriveoneline.com: Corns or Callus
www.thriveonline.com
Sources for This Article
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Tierney, LM, McPhee, SJ, and Papadakis, MA. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment eds. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange, 1998.
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