This is an area of thickened, hard skin that may appear yellowish in colour. It can occur in a number of places on the foot, commonly on the heel area. Corns are smaller areas of hard skin, roughly round in shape, which press into the skin often over high-pressure areas.
Callus doesn’t always cause pain, it may just appear unsightly. It appears as roughened skin that may be discoloured. Corns may be visible in between toes, on tops of toes or on the sole of the foot. Corns are commonly painful, some people describe the pain as ‘walking on pebbles’.
There are a number of causes for callus to form, these include; excessive pressure over bony areas, poorly-fitting shoes and excessive walking or running. However, some people have a naturally excessive production of callus for no obvious reason. Causes for corns to form are similar to those for callus – pressure, footwear and high levels of activity.
If your callus or corn is painful or it appears unsightly to you, you should seek treatment from a podiatrist.
It may be dangerous for you to try to remove callus or corns yourself with a sharp object, we strongly advise against this.
No, callus and corns are not serious conditions, though they do tend to recur after they have been removed.
Callus and corns can easily be reduced by a Podiatrist using a scalpel blade. This pain-free treatment aims to reduce pain or discomfort, restore normal appearance and improve skin function.
