Calluses

Hard skin on your feet is otherwise known as a callus. Calluses develop over areas of high pressure on the feet - and, in fact on any area of the body.  Often, people working constantly with heavy machinery develop calluses on their hands.  They are a natural form of protection for the body as they prevent  thinning of   the underlying skin when constant, repeated pressure is present. Sometimes they become more of a nuisance than a protection and may cause more serious problems such as ulcerations. Areas of high pressure are most often associated with bony prominences, which may be more pronounced due to bio mechanical difficulties.  These areas are commonly found over the toes or on the sole of the foot from downward pressure of the metatarsal heads. Other causes of high pressure include ill fitting footwear. Sometimes the inconvenience of a callus is almost negligible, but other times it can be crippling. Left untreated, the callus becomes harder and drier and there is a risk that it may crack, causing painful lesions which can become infected. This happens most often around the heel area, but can occur anywhere. There can be additional complications if the sufferer also has problems with the circulation in the feet, diabetes or in other cases where the nutrition of the skin is compromised. Once the cause of the callus has been identified, it is possible to limit the formation of the callus with padding. Sometimes small changes such as a thicker soled shoe and better fitting footwear can also alleviate the problem. Long term solutions for more difficult cases may be possible with a full biomechanical assessment and insoles. Moisturising feet with a good foot cream can maintain the condition of the callus and help prevent the skin from 'cracking'. Seeking professional advice is always advisable. Here is a fun video on feet!

Corns

What do corns look like?

"When your feet hurt, you hurt all over"
How often have we heard this said? And how many times has this been due to a corn? Many, many times! Corns can be very painful and prevent  normal, everyday activities.

If you aren't certain what's wrong with your foot and you suspect a corn, this is what you are looking for:

Hard corns (Heloma Durum) are translucent, creamy, yellow or white areas of very hard skin, usually circular, which  hurt if you press  directly on them. Sometimes they are higher than the surrounding skin, but not always. They sometimes occur in areas that also have a lot of surrounding hard skin, or callouses.  They can appear anywhere on your foot, but are usually caused by friction between a prominent bone and your shoe.

A corn between your toes is usually a soft corn (Heloma Molle), often semicircular in shape and surrounded by very white soggy skin which can easily break and become infected. The affected toe is often very red and may be swollen.

Seed corns (Heloma Mille) differ in their appearance as they are tiny white hard specks, mostly felt when you rub your hand over the surface of your skin. They are usually painless but are often accompanied by a very dry skin.

When you next feel compelled to kick off your shoes and rub your feet, get a little closer to inspect them thoroughly, as it may be a corn.

                                      

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/handsandfeet/hand.shtml

Corns (And What You Should Do About Them)

If you suffer with corns, you will know about it!  They nip and rub and, every step you take will remind you that there's a problem. You will slip your shoes off under the desk at work and avoid getting up so that you don't have to put them on again. You will try every pair of shoes you possess to see if they're any better; in fact, the very last resort is usually to pick up the 'phone to a podiatrist and Make An Appointment

Corns are areas of thickened skin which have developed in response to friction and pressure. They are cones of hard skin with the tip of the cone at the point of the pressure, usually over a bony prominence. They don't have 'roots' and are quickly and painlessly removed by a podiatrist. They form to protect the tissues underneath them, as these structures are undergoing excessive pressure. If this excessive pressure is removed then the corn will not return. For example, a tight pair of  shoes may put a lot of pressure on a little toe causing a corn to develop. Once the corn is removed and wider shoes are adopted, the corn will not return. If the cause is not removed, it won't matter how many times the corn is taken out, it will be back to haunt you.

Some corns are not so easily eradicated. If the pressure is due to a fixed foot deformity or some  other biomechanical issue, it may take a little longer to sort out, but the corn can still be removed and relief obtained.

If they are left untreated, or worse, home remedies are applied, corns can ulcerate due to the unrelenting damage to the tissue.  This opens a whole new set of problems. 

Some corns develop between the toes and are referred to as 'soft corns'. They are not any less painful because of this terminology, they are softened because of their position, where they remain moist due to perspiration. They are still caused by rubbing and pressure.

You may have heard of 'seed corns' which are tiny areas of hardened skin usually on very dry areas which some podiatrists believe occur in inactive sweat ducts. Seed corns are not, as the name suggests, the 'start' of larger hard corns.   They are easily removed by professionals.  

There are other types of corn which will not be discussed here, but if this article strikes a chord with you because your shoes are currently hiding under your desk while your feet are throbbing, then PLEASE give us a call so that we can remove your corn, find out the cause and start the road to eradication!