4 Tips on Treatments of Calluses and Corns

Callus is a symptom that occurs when the thickness of the stratum corneum increases due to repeated friction or pressure. Therefore, calluses often occur on the palms of the hands or on the soles of the feet, especially on the protruding joints.

Corn, like calluses, is a symptom that occurs well on the soles and toes, but it is a skin disease that causes pain or inflammation by forming a cone-shaped hyperkeratotic central nucleus in the center of the skin with the base of the lesion facing the inside of the skin.

The corns are formed when calluses form on the area where chronic stimulation has been applied, and when they are not growing any more, they are directed toward the inside. Therefore, in both diseases, hyperkeratosis occurs due to excessive friction or pressure on the skin, but calluses are caused by the distribution of abnormal pressure over a large area, and the corns are formed by concentrating the same force in a narrow area. . There is also the difference that this corn has a solid core in the center. Both diseases occur well in the foot area with structural or biochemical defects.

1. I considered warts as corns or calluses and bought corn plaster at a pharmacy and used it. Does the lesion get worse?

Commercially available corn plaster is usually a salicylic acid preparation. If you attach this salicylic acid to a wart lesion, it can destroy and exfoliate the infected skin. Therefore, if used well, it may be helpful for treatment. However, care should be taken as secondary infections or lesions may spread. Therefore, it is important to see a dermatologist first if hyperplasia lesions persist on the soles of your feet.

2. Does calluses or corns recur after treatment?

The formation of calluses or corns is caused by pressure. Therefore, even if the lesion has been completely removed by proper treatment, it may continue to recur in the area under constant pressure. Therefore, to treat the cause, wearing soft, spacious and comfortable shoes is important to prevent recurrence after treatment.

3. What types of shoes cause calluses or corns?

Shoes with high heels tend to squeeze their feet as the weight shifts forward, making calluses and corns easily. Therefore, to prevent constant pressure and friction, it is usually helpful to wear shoes with a wide front nose and a low heel height of less than 4 cm. Also, wearing shoes that are about 0.5 cm larger than your feet rather than too tight can reduce pressure and friction and help with blood circulation.

4. What if I don’t treat calluses or corns?

Corn and calluses can be painful when walking without treatment. In addition, bursitis and blisters may form under the corn. Some corns are too close to the joints and bones, causing infectious arthritis or osteomyelitis. The mechanical forces that cause corn and calluses can also destroy the subcutaneous vascular plexus, causing bleeding within keratinous tissue. In healthy people, this finding is not important, but in patients with diabetes and connective tissue disease, corn and calluses can be a trigger for a wide range of skin ulcers or vasculitis. Particularly in diabetics, caution should be exercised because repeated pressure through small trauma can cause ulcers.

In diabetic feet, corns and calluses are important as markers of repetitive friction and shearing. A simple resection of these hyperkeratosis lesions can reduce the maximum pressure on the soles by 26%. Retrospective studies of more than 200 diabetic foot ulcers have demonstrated that patients who frequently remove corns and calluses have statistically significantly reduced the incidence, hospitalization, and surgical treatment of foot ulcers, respectively.