Calluses
Calluses mean that the skin becomes thick and hard because it is worn and torn. It is most common to get calluses on the feet, but they can also occur on the hands. They can be troublesome but can be gotten rid of, although it may take time.
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What are calluses and corns?
A callus is a thickened, harder area of skin. Prolonged pressure or friction against an area of skin thickens the skin. If a callus continues to be stressed or abraded, a corn may form. It is common to get slightly yellow calluses on the feet, sometimes slightly whitish. A corn has an appearance similar to a callus, but with a hard core in the center. Corns are most common on the heel, toes or forefoot.
What happens in the skin during calluses?
The skin becomes thicker when it is worn and stressed. It is due to a natural defense mechanism, where the skin tries to protect itself against continued stress. The increased mechanical wear and tear on the skin can also make it more vulnerable and susceptible to infections.
Calluses cause
Calluses develop when the skin is worn and worn extra in a certain area. The risk of developing calluses is greater if any of the following apply to you:
- You have a low arch
- You have obvious bone spurs, hammer toe, or misalignment of feet or toes
- You have reduced sensation in your feet
- You have toes that rub against each other
- You wear tight shoes
- You have socks, shoes or boots with chafing seams
- You have a job or leisure activity that causes the skin to be irritated or stressed
- You do a lot of sports.
Reduced feeling in the feet can be due to diabetes, which can cause reduced blood circulation or neuropathy.
Calluses symptoms
A callus is a thick and hard area of skin. You may get calluses on your feet and hands. Calluses on the feet often turn yellow unlike dry skin which is normally white, or red if it itches.
Calluses - treat at home
It is possible to remove a callus in the skin. Most calluses can be treated at home with products that can be bought at a pharmacy. An important part is to relieve the affected area so that the skin is not further exposed to pressure and abrasion. It can be done in different ways with the help of specially developed plasters and felt rings.
It is also important to soften the skin in affected areas and remove the outermost, hard skin layer. You can read more about how it is done in the next section Calluses treatment. It is also good to use different skin care products to keep the skin hydrated and soft.
Calluses treatment
The treatment of calluses mainly involves dissolving the hard skin. It can be done in different ways with the following types of products:
- Local treatment: Salicylic acid is a substance that softens the top layer of the skin and is available both as an ointment, solution and in patches that are placed on the callus.
- Medicinal foot bath: A medical foot bath is a foot bath where a special granule is dissolved in water and then has a loosening and exfoliating effect. This means that the hard skin dissolves and that the skin that remains becomes softer. The foot bath also cleans the skin and is a good way to treat the whole foot at the same time, which is especially beneficial if you have problems with calluses in several places. The medical foot bath creates an environment on the skin that optimizes the skin's own conditions for healing and repairing itself.
When the outermost layer of the skin has dissolved, it can then be carefully filed away. Sometimes it is enough to rub the skin away with your hand. Pulling skin off with your hands can also work, but be careful when pulling skin off the bottom of your feet so you don't damage the surrounding healthy skin.
If a callus leads to the development of a corn, it can also be treated in the same way, by loosening and gently filing away the skin. In some cases, surgery may be required to remove corns or to abrade protruding pieces of bone that are causing the skin to chafe.
If you have diabetes or any other disease that affects blood circulation or sensation in your feet, you should consult with your healthcare provider before treating calluses and corns.
Prevent calluses
Continuous foot care with cleaning, exfoliation and moisturizing helps prevent calluses and other ailments. It is important to ensure that the skin, which is the body's largest organ and first line of defense against infection, is healthy so that it can do its job. Washing your feet every day and cleaning the skin is good for long-term foot health and an important part of preventing foot problems. Therefore, make sure to thoroughly clean the entire foot, too
- under your feet
- between your toes
- under your nails.
A good way to clean the entire foot at once and at the same time loosen hardened skin is through a medicinal foot bath. Make sure to then remove dead skin on and under the feet. Moisturizing and emollient 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 the formation of a corn.
What is a callus?
A callus is an area of skin with thick and hard skin. You can get
- callus on the toe
- calluses on top of foot
- calluses between the toes
- callus on a finger
- calluses on the hands
What is a cornflower?
A corn is a callus with a hard core in the center, which can feel like a thorn pushing into the foot. Corns are most common on the toes or front feet. You may also get a corn between your toes. A lump under the ball of the foot could be a corn, but is more likely a plantar wart. It is possible to get corns as a child, although it is more common in adults.
How to treat calluses?
It is possible to remove calluses on the feet, although it may take time. A hardened foot needs to be softened. You can do this with the help of salicylic acid, which is available in patches and as a solution or in an ointment. To remove calluses on the feet, there are medical foot baths that dissolve old hard skin, make the skin underneath softer and create conditions for the skin to heal and repair itself.
How to treat a corn?
Treating corns is not much different from treating calluses. Corn treatment also involves softening the skin with salicylic acid or medicated foot baths and, if necessary, gently filing away dissolved skin. However, removing corns can be more difficult. Particularly stubborn corns can sometimes be caused by protruding pieces of bone that cause the skin on top to rub extra hard. To remove corns like these, you may need surgery where the protruding piece of bone is worn away.
Do I have calluses, corns, or corns?
A callus usually doesn't hurt, while a corn feels like a thorn sticking into the subcutaneous tissue when you step on it or otherwise put pressure on it. Sometimes it can be difficult to know whether you have a plantar wart or a corn, but you can tell them apart based on the following characteristics:
- Warts can grow on any part of the body, while corns mainly appear on the feet
- Corns are more common on and between the toes, while plantar warts more often grow on the heel and ball of the foot
- Corns are solitary, while warts often grow in groups
- Warts can sometimes have red or black dots, which corns do not