Corns And Calluses

People who have changes in the normal anatomic alignment of their feet are prone to developing corns and calluses. Bunions, hammertoes, bone spurs, and enlarged arthritic joints make your feet more likely to develop corns and calluses. Walking and/or wearing shoes without socks makes you more likely to develop corns and calluses as socks serve to reduce the friction against the skin and they wick moisture away from the skin, making it less likely that corns and calluses will form. Still, if you wear shoes that are too tight and/or too narrow for your foot shape, you are more prone to developing corns and calluses. There are also some indications that individuals who smoke tobacco cigarettes are more prone to corn and callus formation.

Corns and calluses are not always painful. Many can be painful initially when they develop and then, over time and as you get used to them, the pain subsides. Just because a corn or a callus isn’t painful doesn’t mean you should do nothing. Often painless calluses can get very thick and then develop fissures, and crack within the callus. This crack usually goes beyond the upper layer of the skin and exposes the lower layers. Fissures can become infected and cause cellulitis which requires treatment with an oral antibiotic. In patients with poor blood circulation to their feet and in diabetics, these types of infections can rapidly become very serious and it’s a reason why anyone with compromised circulation and/or loss of sensation in their feet (neuropathy) should visually and manually check their feet daily, and should have their feet regularly treated by a podiatrist.