Corns & Calluses

Overview

Corns & calluses are hard, thickened layers of skin that build up when your skin attempts to protect itself against pressure and friction. They can be unsightly and annoying to deal with.

If you are otherwise healthy, corns & calluses will not require treatment unless they cause you pain. For most people, getting rid of the source of the pressure makes the thickened skin layers disappear. But if you also suffer from diabetes or any condition that constricts blood flow to your feet, corns and calluses can cause a risk of complications. See your physician for proper care.

If you have corns & calluses, you will notice waxy, dry or flaky skin, pain or tenderness under your skin, a raised, hardened lump or a rough, thick area of skin.

Corns & calluses aren’t the same thing. Corns are the smaller of the two, and they have hard centers with inflamed skin around them. These tend to grow on your feet, on parts that are not weight-bearing, like the sides and tops of your toes. They can grow between your toes, as well. They can be painful when pressure is applied.

Calluses generally develop on the knees, palms of your hands, or under the balls or heels of your feet. They are usually not painful, and their shape and size can vary, but they’re often larger than corns.

If you have a callus or corn that becomes inflamed or very painful, check with your physician to see what can be done to alleviate the pain. If you have diabetes, call your physician before you try any home remedies, so that you won’t end up with an open sore, through which bacteria can enter.

Causes

The cause of corns & calluses is usually friction and pressure. Some types include shoes that don’t fit properly, as they cause your feet to compress (if the shoes are too small) or slide and rub (if the shoes are too big). Not wearing socks can also lead to calluses or corns, because it creates friction between your foot and the shoe. Hand tools can cause calluses on your hands if you use them repeatedly without gloves on.

Some factors can increase the chance that you’ll develop corns & calluses. They include hammertoe, bunions or other deformities of the foot. These conditions, along with others, like bone spurs, can cause your foot to rub against your shoe.

If you don’t protect your hands when working in the garden or garage or the like, friction can cause calluses to develop.

To diagnose corns & calluses, your physician will check your feet and rule out other things that cause thickening skin, like cysts or warts. He or she may also take an X-ray, to check on any physical deformities which could cause the corn or the callus.

Treatment

Corn and callus treatment is basically avoiding whatever actions are causing them to develop. You should wear shoes that fit properly and add extra pads if you need them.

If you have corns or calluses that begin to hurt, even though you are taking care of them, some treatments can give you relief. These include trimming, where your doctor will pare the thick skin down or trim a corn with a scalpel. Your physician may also apply a salicylic acid patch to the affected area, like a Dr. Scholl’s corn remover. She or he will advise you about when to change the patches. You may be instructed to use a file or emory board to smooth off dead skin before you put a new patch on. You can also purchase salicylic acid for larger treatment areas, in a topical form.

Your doctor may also put you on antibiotic ointments, so that you’ll have less chance of infection. And shoe inserts like orthotics can help keep recurring corns & calluses at bay, by supporting any area of your foot that needs it.

On rare occasions, your physician may recommend that you have surgery on the bone that is causing the problems, to correct its alignment. This is not common. Usually, corns can be removed or worked down, and calluses build themselves up as you continue to work with the affected hand or foot.