Corns and Calluses

Corns and calluses are areas of skin that have thickened because of constant pressure. This pressure causes tenderness in the tissues beneath the thickened skin. Corns are small (less than 5 mm or 1/5 in.) and develop on the toes. Calluses are larger (up to 30 mm, or about 1 in.) and commonly develop on the ball of the foot or over a bunion. Both usually occur after you have been wearing a new or poorly fitted pair of shoes. A callus can also form if you wear high heels, since this type of shoe causes increased pressure on the ball of the foot. Some people seem to have less cushioning tissue than normal between the bones and skin of their feet, and so develop calluses and corns very easily. Calluses may develop on your palms, especially if you do heavy manual work.

What are the risks?

Corns and calluses are extremely common. Nearly everyone gets them at some time. But it is unusual for them to become so painful that you have to consult a physician. If you have poor sensation and/or poor circulation in your feet due to some disease of the nerves (see Peripheral neuropathy), which sometimes is caused by diabetes mellitus, callus formation can be followed by deep ulceration of the area, which takes a long time to heal.

What is the treatment?

Self-help: Wear shoes that fit comfortably. After several weeks, the corn or callus should disappear. In the meantime, to ease any discomfort, regularly soften your feet with a bland ointment. You may also want to rub away the dead skin with a pumice stone. Calluses on the hands can be softened and trimmed in the same way. To prevent direct pressure on corns, put small spongy rings available at your pharmacy around them. If these self-help measures do not work, consult your physician who may decide to trim the corn or callus either surgically or chemically.