Corns and Calluses
What is a Corn?
A corn is a type of painful callus (area of hardened skin) on your foot. When your skin is exposed to lots of pressure or friction, it thickens to protect itself and can develop into a callus. Although calluses can cover a wide area, they aren’t usually painful. There are usually two types of corns: hard corns and soft corns (which generally occur in between ingrown toes).
What Causes Corns and Calluses?
- Hard corns tend to develop on top of the toes or at the side of the little toe. They are often caused by the friction of poorly fitting shoes. You probably already know the offenders in your wardrobe, but before you throw them out, you may want to consider orthotic insoles, which can improve comfort as well as preventing corns and calluses.
- Athletes can suffer from corns and calluses because of the constant impact and friction your feet are dealing with. We do recommend you invest in good quality running shoes with plenty of padding.
- Soft corns form between the toes and are generally, but not always, caused by bone alignment abnormalities.
- Corns and calluses can also be a sign of diabetes, so if you are prone to corns, it may be worth thinking about a diabetic foot screening.
Treatments
- Bone alignment anormalities will be picked up during a biomechanical assessment or your annual foot check.
- We can also treat corns and calluses on their own, often using salicylic acid to reduce the volume before using various paring techniques. We can review with you the best course of treatment for your corns. In extreme cases, surgery or nail surgery may be necessary, but this is very rare.
- Equally importantly, we will also recommend a regime to prevent or reduce recurrences.