12 Welles Street, Sandbach,
Cheshire, CW11 1GT
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Corns and Callus
Callus is just hard skin, it is caused by friction and pressure from our feet moving as we walk. Most people form some areas of callus and without intervention these can thicken and become painful.
Our feet are continually changing shape and over time we lose the fat pad in the ball and heel. This can cause an increase in pressure and increase our production of painful hard skin.
Hyperkeratosis is a condition where the outer layer of skin over produces hard keratin, this can be hereditary or acquired through external factors. It can be very painful and difficult to self-manage.
A corn is a particularly dense area of hard skin. These occur over bony prominences such as the joints in our toes or the metatarsal heads in the ball of our feet. They can even occur around and under our toenails. Similarly to callus they are caused by friction and pressure but, left untreated, they can become very painful and even cause pressure sores.
When a corn develops between two toes the natural moisture there keeps the skin soft, these are known as soft corns and can be incredibly painful.
Many people develop a combination of callus and corns especially in the ball of the feet. Deep callus with pitted or seed corns can be challenging to self-manage but a combination approach between podiatric care and regular self-maintenance can help reduce the production of hard skin and in turn the development of corns.
Podiatrists will debride callus and enucleate corns. By recognising the causative factors we can develop a treatment plan to off load pressure points using moulded silicone devices, insoles and padding .
You can complement this through addressing footwear, hosiery and socks and applying emollients. Our Podiatrists will advise you and help you select a cream that suits your skin complaint.