What are corns and calluses?

Corns and calluses are areas of tough, thickened skin caused by pressure or friction. Calluses usually appear on the palms, fingertips, or soles of the feet. Corns are smaller and form on the toes.

How do they occur?

Corns and calluses on the feet can be caused by:

• new, tight, or poorly fitting shoes

• sandals or shoes worn without socks, which leads to friction

• high-heeled shoes

• high arches in your feet that put pressure on the tips of the toes when you walk

• any physical deformity that distributes your weight unevenly when you walk

• protruding bones or not enough flesh to cushion the bones of your feet.

Calluses are often associated with certain types of work and sports. Tennis and baseball players develop calluses on their hands, manual laborers on their hands, joggers on the soles of their feet, and violinists and guitarists on their fingertips. For some activities it may be good to have calluses because they help keep you from getting blisters.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of corns and calluses include:

• a hard, tough area of thickened skin

• tenderness or pain under the skin.

How are they diagnosed?

Your doctor will examine you and may want you to have an x-ray to see if you have any physical deformity that could cause a corn or callus.

How are they treated?

If a corn or callus doesn't heal and is painful, you may need to see a foot doctor or orthopedic surgeon. He or she may:

• remove the thickened skin with a scalpel

• do surgery if you have a physical deformity causing the corn or callus to form

• fit you for a special shoe insole.

How long will the effects last?

Corns and calluses usually go away in 1 to 4 weeks after ceasing the activity that caused the friction responsible for the callus or after problem shoes are discarded. The location and nature of the growth affect the rate of healing. Without treatment they may last indefinitely.

How can I take care of myself?

Wear loose-fitting, comfortable shoes until the corn or callus disappears.

If your general state of health is good, you may want to try one of the following measures (diabetics and elderly patients should consult the doctor first):

• Apply a plaster (40% salicylic acid) a little larger than the affected spot to soften the corn or callus. Then apply a felt pad or corn ring to relieve pressure. (You can buy these at your local drugstore. Ask the pharmacist about proper use if you have questions.) Leave the plaster and pad in place for 1 to 7 days, depending on the thickness of the corn or callus.

• Use a file, pumice stone, or towel to rub away excess skin and soften it (after bathing is a good time). Repeat this until the corn or callus disappears, then wear a protective pad over the area to keep the growth from returning.

• Use a chemical preparation to dissolve or burn away the excess skin.

A follow-up visit to the doctor may be necessary if you had surgery.

How can I help prevent corns and calluses?

It may be difficult to prevent calluses from developing on your hands and fingers, depending on how you use them. In some cases it is good to have calluses because they may keep you from getting blisters caused by certain activities.

Corns and calluses on your feet are generally the most bothersome. You can avoid getting them or help prevent them from returning by:

• wearing shoes that fit properly

• wearing a protective pad where you had a callus before to help keep it from growing back

• having corrective surgery if you have a deformity that causes calluses to develop.