Calluses
Calluses occur when the skin thickens and hardens in response to pressure and friction. They most commonly form on the feet, but can also appear on the hands. While they can be bothersome, they can be eliminated, though it may take time.
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What are calluses and corns?
A callus is a thickened, hardened area of skin. Prolonged pressure or friction on an area of skin causes the skin to thicken. If a callus continues to be irritated or pressed, a corn can form. It’s common to have faint, pale yellow calluses on the feet, sometimes slightly whitish. A corn looks similar to a callus, but has a hard core in the center. Corns most often form on the heels, toes, or the ball of the foot.
What happens to the skin when you have calluses?
The skin thickens when it is rubbed and irritated. This is due to a natural defense mechanism where the skin tries to protect itself from further irritation. The increased mechanical friction on the skin can also make it more vulnerable and susceptible to infections.
Causes of calluses
Calluses develop when the skin is rubbed and pressed excessively in a specific area. Your risk of developing calluses is higher if any of the following apply to you:
- You have a low arch
- You have prominent bunions, hammertoes, or misaligned feet or toes
- You have reduced sensation in your feet
- You have toes that rub against each other
- You wear tight-fitting shoes
- You wear socks, shoes, or insoles with rough seams
- You have a job or recreational activity that irritates or strains the skin
- You exercise heavily.
Reduced sensation in the feet can be caused by, among other things, diabetes, which can lead to reduced blood circulation or neuropathy.
Symptoms of calluses
A callus is a thick, hardened area of skin. You can get calluses on your feet and hands. Calluses on the feet are often yellow, unlike dry skin which is normally white, or red if it is cracked.
Calluses - Home Treatment
You can remove a callus on your skin. Most calluses can be treated at home with products available at pharmacies. An important part of treatment is to relieve pressure on the affected area so the skin is not repeatedly exposed to pressure and friction. This can be done in various ways using specially designed pads and cushions.
It is also important to soften the skin in the affected areas and remove the outermost, hard layer of skin. You can read more about how to do this in the next section, Callus Treatment. It is also good to use various skincare products to keep the skin moisturized and soft.
Callus Treatment
The treatment of calluses focuses primarily on loosening the hard skin. This can be done in various ways using the following types of products:
- Topical treatment: Salicylic acid is a substance that softens the top layer of skin, and it is available as an ointment, solution, and in patches that are applied to the callus.
- Medicated foot bath: A medicated foot bath is a foot bath where a special granule is dissolved in water, and it works to soften and exfoliate the skin. This means that the hard skin is loosened, and the remaining skin becomes softer. The foot bath also cleanses the skin, and it is a great way to treat the entire foot at once, which is especially beneficial if you have calluses in multiple places. The medicated foot bath creates an environment on the skin that optimizes the skin’s natural ability to heal and repair itself.
Once the outermost layer of skin has been loosened, it can then be carefully filed away. Sometimes, you can just rub the skin off with your hand. You can also peel the skin off with your hands, but be careful when peeling skin under your feet so you do not damage the healthy skin surrounding it.
If a callus develops into a corn, it can also be treated the same way, by softening it and carefully filing away the skin. In some cases, surgery may be required to remove corns or trim away protruding bone spurs that cause the skin to be rubbed repeatedly.
If you have diabetes or another condition that affects blood circulation or sensation in your feet, you should consult a healthcare professional before treating calluses and corns.
Preventing Calluses
Consistent foot care with cleansing, exfoliation, and moisturizing helps prevent calluses and other issues. It is important to keep the skin—your body’s largest organ and first line of defense against infections—healthy so it can perform its job. Washing your feet daily and cleansing the skin is good for long-term foot health and an important part of preventing foot problems. So be sure to thoroughly clean the entire foot, including
- under your feet
- between your toes
- under your nails.
A great way to clean your entire foot at once and soften callused skin at the same time is with a medicated foot bath. Be sure to remove dead skin on and under your feet afterward. Moisturizing and softening creams and other foot care products can also help keep the skin soft and supple. If you already have calluses, it is very important to treat them to prevent a corn from forming.
What is a callus?
A callus is an area of skin with thick, hard skin. You can get
- a callus on your toe
- a callus on the top of your foot
- a callus between your toes
- a callus on a finger
- calluses on your hands
What is a corn?
A corn is a callus with a hard core in the center, which can feel like a sharp object pressing into your foot. Corns most often form on the toes or the ball of the foot. You can also get a corn between your toes. A bump under the ball of your foot could be a corn, but it is more likely a plantar wart. You can get a corn as a child, though it is more common in adults.
How do you treat calluses?
You can remove calluses on your feet, though it may take time. A foot callus needs to be softened. You can do this using salicylic acid, which is available in patches, solutions, or ointments. To remove calluses on your feet, there are medicated foot baths that dissolve old hard skin, make the underlying skin softer, and create conditions for the skin to heal and repair itself.
How do you treat a corn?
Treating corns is not very different from treating calluses. Corn treatment also focuses on softening the skin with salicylic acid or a medicated foot bath, and carefully filing away the loosened skin as needed. However, removing corns can be more difficult. Particularly stubborn corns can sometimes be caused by protruding bone spurs that cause the skin over them to be rubbed excessively. To remove these types of corns, you may need surgery to trim away the protruding bone spur.
Do I Have a Callus, Plantar Wart, or Corn?
A callus usually does not hurt, while a corn feels like a sharp object piercing the underlying skin when you step on it or when it is subjected to pressure in other ways. Sometimes it can be hard to tell if you have a plantar wart or a corn, but you can distinguish them based on the following characteristics:
- Warts can grow anywhere on the body, while corns most often form on the feet
- Corns are more common on and between the toes, while plantar warts more often grow on the heels and the ball of the foot
- Corns are solitary, while warts often grow in clusters
- Warts sometimes have red or black dots, which corns do not have