Treatment of Corns and Calluses

The diagnosis of corns and callus is easily made from the history and examination. Sometimes x rays may divulge areas of bony prominence of abnormal anatomy which led to the development of the skin lesions.

In the majority of individuals the treatment of corns and calluses includes removing the friction and reducing the pressure on the foot or hand.

This includes:

Wearing proper shoes and wearing protective pressure pads on the soles.

When these self care methods fail to resolve the problem, medical assistance should be sought.

A physician should be consulted if the skin lesion is

- Warm to touch

- Painful

- Has a discharge

- Swollen

- Has failed to respond to antibiotics

- Failed to heal with medicated pads

Diabetics: Because these individuals have compromised blood supply, they should rapidly seek assistance from physician before attempting any home made remedy. Diabetics should not let anyone cut or remove their skin lesions without evaluating the blood supply first.

Trimming: When the corn is thick and scaly, it can easily be trimmed down with a scalpel blade. The excess skin is cut and there is usually no pain. The procedure just takes a few minutes. The open skin may be tender for a day or two and it is best to apply a topical antibiotic for several days to decrease the chance of an infection



Anatomy:
If there is any bony defect or abnormal anatomy, the physician may provide you with custom made shoes to prevent recurrence of corns or calluses. These prosthetic shoes are expensive.

Surgery: In those individuals who have correctable causes of foot deformity like a bunion, surgery may be required to prevent recurrence of corns.

In the majority of cases, conservative care with trimming of the thick skin is sufficient for treatment of corns and calluses.

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