How are corns and calluses treated?
Treatment depends on your symptoms and what caused the corn or callus. For the typical corn or callus, removing the buildup of skin is an effective treatment. Follow these steps:
- Soak the area with the corn or callus (let’s use your foot as an example) in warm water until the skin softens – usually 5 to 10 minutes.
- Wet a pumice stone or emery board.
- While the skin on your foot is still soft, gently move the pumice stone or emery board across the corn or callus to remove dead tissue. Continue to file down the corn or callus, moving the stone or board in one direction. Be careful. Do not remove too much skin. This could lead to bleeding and an infection.
- Apply a moisturizing cream or lotion to the corn or callus and surrounding dead skin every day. Look for products that contain urea, salicylic acid, or ammonium lactate. These ingredients will soften the skin over time.
Other care tips include:
- Surround your corn or callus with donut-style adhesive pads or make your own donut pad from mole skin. (The corn should be in the center hole area of the donut.) Mole skin padding and other corn and callus products can be purchased at your local drugstore. Padding helps protect the corn or callus from irritation and relieves pain and pressure.
- Wear properly sized and shaped footwear. Wear shoes with increased width and height in the toe area. Consider buying footwear at the end of the day when your feet are slightly swollen.
- Keep your toenails trimmed. Long toenails can make your toes push against the top of your shoe causing friction and increased pressure. Cut toenails straight across. Do not round the corners.
- If your corns or calluses are painful, apply a cold pack to reduce the pain and swelling for no more than 10 to 20 minutes at a time.
- Never try to cut out, shave away or remove corns or calluses with a sharp object.
- Do not try to treat corns or calluses if you are a diabetic, have poor circulation, are prone to infections or have delicate skin. See your doctor.
Should I try over-the-counter medications to treat my corns or calluses?
Over-the-counter products used to dissolve corns and calluses contain harsh chemicals. If you aren’t precise in applying the chemical, it can injury the surrounding healthy skin. If you are diabetic, do not self treat. See your doctor due to the foot complications possible with diabetes.
Is surgery ever needed for corns and calluses?
Most corns and calluses can be managed by following the simple tips listed in this article – namely, avoid snug-fitting shoes and removing any corns or calluses with a pumice stone after soaking your feet in warm water.
Surgery may be considered if you have a structural deformity in your foot or toes that results in the repeated development of corns or calluses. In this case, your surgeon may need to remove or realign bone tissue. Other reasons for surgery are if the corns or calluses are extremely painful or if they prevent you from walking comfortably or normally.