How to get rid of corns: 9 tips from professionals

Your plans may not come true if painful calluses have formed on your feet. How to get rid of them? MedAboutMe offers solutions from subject matter experts. You no longer have to wait in line for a professional pedicure!​

Why do corns appear?

The skin of the legs is much thicker than in other parts of the body. In addition, it becomes dry faster and is easily exposed to infection. Fortunately, many foot problems are simply due to insufficient or improper care. This means that they can be warned, and if a nuisance suddenly happened, they can be dealt with quickly.

One of the most common problems that is familiar to people of any gender and age is corns. MD, dermatologist Ingrid Warmouth says that these are areas of hard or thickened skin, usually in those places where it is subjected to strong friction or pressure. They most often appear on the heels and feet.

The skin’s defense mechanism is that if it is subjected to excessive pressure or repeated friction, it «hardens», i.e. becomes thicker.

Home remedies for getting rid of corns

Many routine things can cause calluses, such as repetitive movements in fitness, skin damage from wearing tight or uncomfortable shoes, or simply insufficient care. What to do if the problem «bloomed» in all its glory?

1. Take a relaxing bath

MD, dermatologist Lauren Hartman advises before going to bed to prepare a warm foam bath or at least a foot bath with the addition of sea salt and relax until the skin on the heels softens (this will take 5 or 10 minutes).

After water procedures, it is advisable to use special socks to exfoliate and soften the skin of the feet. They contain fruit acids (lactic, glycolic, malic), which gently and painlessly remove the keratinized layer of the skin, intensively cleanse the feet.

2. Remove the hardest parts of the skin

Not always socks for a pedicure can cope with rough skin of the feet. In this case, a proven tool will come to the rescue — pumice.

After taking the bath, the feet should be blotted with a dry towel, and the pumice stone should be soaked in water and used for its intended purpose.

Dermatologist Ingrid Warmouth warns that pumice must be used very carefully. Excessive pressure and friction can dry out and damage the skin, which can lead to infection. Gently and carefully remove the hard layer of skin and stop immediately if you feel burning and pain.

3. Apply moisturizer or lotion daily

To soften corns that have appeared and prevent the formation of new ones, dermatologists recommend applying a moisturizer or lotion to the feet daily. Ideally, if it contains such active ingredients as vitamin E, glycolic acid, plant extracts. These components moisturize and restore damaged skin on the legs.

4. Use an extra insole in your shoes

Quality shoes usually have a good insole and excellent cushioning. However, a little extra insole wouldn’t hurt either.

Even if you wear shoes with thick socks, additional support for your feet will come in handy. Ideally, this should be a custom-made orthopedic insole. Such an insole reduces friction during walking and thus prevents the appearance of blisters in the future. And if there are already corns, it will not allow you to break your legs.

5. Don’t tolerate pain

If corns and calluses not only look unattractive, but also exasperate with severe pain or itching, additional funds should be used in foot care.

To relieve the inflammatory process and prevent infection, use tea tree oil, applying it to the feet 2-3 times a day. In addition, for itching and pain, soak a cotton pad in cold water, then dip it in a solution of borax in glycerin and apply to the affected areas 2-3 times a day for 15-20 minutes.

6. Try Apple Cider Vinegar Treatments

This home remedy works great if you want to get rid of corns on the bottom of your feet or calluses on your pinky or between your toes.

Soak a cotton pad in apple cider vinegar and place it firmly on the affected areas for at least 5 minutes. After that, put socks on your feet without removing the fixation, and leave it overnight. In the morning, remove the bandage and rinse your feet with warm water.

7. Keep your feet warm but dry

If a person spends all day on his feet, for sure, he is familiar with the problem of sweating feet. This is one of the common causes of corns.

To prevent their occurrence, as well as speed up the healing process, apply corn starch to previously washed, dry skin areas. This will quickly heal those with wounds and calluses, as well as prevent the development of infection.

With sweating feet, it is useful to take foot baths with infusion of oak bark. 3-4 teaspoons of raw materials should be poured with two glasses of boiling water, wait until the infusion has cooled to a pleasant warmth and hold your feet in it for 15-20 minutes. Repeat every day in the morning and evening.

8. Learn how to properly get rid of wet (water) corns

Most often, such a callus is formed as a result of wearing tight shoes or excessive friction. It is a water bubble, which, if burst, gives severe pain. It is best to wait until the corn «subsides» on its own, preventing accidental damage to it.

To do this, after finding the callus, gently wash your feet, dry with a dry towel. Apply a special patch for wet corns to the affected area. On top, make a “cushion” of several layers of gauze napkins and re-fix with a band-aid. Change the bandage twice a day.

9. Consult a specialist

If the problem does not go away for a long time and new corns appear every day, consult a specialist to find out the main cause of their occurrence (these may be medical reasons), as well as to get the best treatment tactics. Dermatologists, orthopedists and podologists deal with issues of foot pathologies.