Did you know that our feet walk us around the Earth five times during an average lifespan? Just this statistic alone shows us just how much our feet are hard at work to get us moving and shaking. So it seems only normal that at some point in our lives we will be met with these rough, thick patches of skin known as corns and calluses. They are the result of too much pressure or friction, so you can thank your poorly fitted shoes for this ailment. Fortunately, there are ways that we can properly tackle these issues to reduce their appearance and to make your feet feel fresh and new again.
While you may think that corns and calluses are the same thing, they are a bit different from each other:
Corns
Corns tend to be smaller, rounder patches of thick dead skin. Since they can reach the deeper layers of the skin they can be rather painful. There are two different kinds of corns: hard and soft. Hard corns form on the top of your toes, usually on the smaller toes or outermost section of your little toe. Soft corns, on the other hand, form between toes. They tend to be soft because there is usually more sweat and moisture between toes to keep them soft.
Calluses
A callus is usually much larger than a corn and their edges are less defined. You will usually find a callus on the sole of the foot and they most commonly appear near bonier, thinner areas, usually right below the toes. Fortunately, most of the time calluses are painless.
Treatment Options
There are many ways in which we will recommend tackling your corn or callus issues. One simple way to reduce symptoms and prevent these issues in the future is to take a look at the type of shoes you wear. Get rid of shoes that are too tight or don’t fit properly and cause friction when you walk. Look for shoes that don’t rub or put pressure on the toes.
A cushioning pad may also be a great way to take pressure off a corn or callus to prevent further irritation and to help speed up healing. We can help determine which kind of padding would be best, depending on whether you are dealing with a corn or a callus and the severity of your issues.
Of course, sometimes the best approach is to have the corn or callus removed. This is best handled by one of our medical professionals. You should never try to remove a corn or callus on your own. By using a scalpel, we can carefully trim down the callus or corn by removing these layers of dead skin from your foot. By doing this we can reduce the amount of pressure placed on these areas of the foot and the problem may not reappear if you continue to wear the proper shoes.