Corns & Calluses

Corns & Calluses

Corns & Calluses services offered in The Fan, VCU, Richmond, VA

Corns and calluses are different — but equally irritating — skin problems. At Richmond Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates, podiatrists Weston Angermeier, DPM, and Rachel Hensley, DPM, understand the underlying causes of corns and calluses. So they remove the dead skin and help you take steps to avoid repeated corns and calluses. Call the Richmond, Virginia, office now or click on the scheduling link to make your appointment.

Quick Facts About Corns & Calluses

Corns and calluses are formed when the skin is exposed to repeated friction or pressure.

Corns and calluses can be treated with over-the-counter medications and cushioning products, as well as with regular trimming and filing of the affected area.

In extreme cases, surgery may be necessary to remove a particularly painful corn or callus.

Corns & Calluses
Q & A

What are corns and calluses?

Corns and calluses are both dead skin, and they often appear on your feet in areas that experience a lot of friction and pressure. Both corns and calluses develop as part of your body’s natural protective response to injury.

How are corns and calluses different?

The main differences between corns and calluses include:

Hardness

Corns are pretty firm, with a hard center. Calluses are tough but lack the hard center.

Location

Corns usually appear on top of toes, while calluses often appear in weight-bearing areas, including the balls and heels of the feet.

Size

Calluses can be any size but tend to be larger than corns. Usually, corns are dime-sized or slightly larger.

Discomfort level

Calluses are usually painless, but corns can be pretty uncomfortable if you apply pressure to them.

You can have corns and calluses simultaneously but usually not in the same area of your foot.

What causes corns and calluses?

Several different sources of pressure and friction cause corns and calluses, including too-tight or over-lose shoes and wearing shoes without socks.

Your risk of corns and calluses increases if you have foot deformities like bunions and hammertoe. Bunions and hammertoe both represent joint changes in the foot. The area where the joint bends — the top of the toe in hammertoe and the side of the primary big toe joint in bunions — often develops corns and calluses because of friction with your shoes.

With a bunion, the big toe can also overlap the next toe, causing skin friction that leads to corns and calluses.

How are corns and calluses treated?

Treating corns and calluses often include carefully trimming the dead skin using a surgical blade. Corn and callus removal at Richmond Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates is a painless process because the skin’s already dead.

You should never remove a corn or callus at home by cutting or scraping. There’s a high risk of removing too much skin, which can cause bleeding, pain, and infection.

Gradual removal of the dead skin using a topical product like salicylic acid is another way to treat corns and calluses.

To prevent recurrent corns and calluses, you might need padding or custom-fitted orthotics (shoe inserts).

If you need help with corns and calluses, call Richmond Foot & Ankle Surgical Associates now or book an appointment online.