Are You Treating Your Calluses?

Are You Treating Your Calluses?

Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

Calluses form when your skin tries to protect itself against friction and pressure. They consist of unflattering, thick, hardened layers of skin. Locations of calluses include the feet, toes, hands, and fingers. At Cherrywood Foot Care, we can tackle your calluses and give you treatment for smooth and more appealing feet.

Causes of Calluses

Pressure and consistent abrasion are the top causes of the formation of calluses, where the shoe or ground rubs against a bony prominence on the toe or foot. Some examples of why this can occur on the feet include:

  • Wearing ill-fitting shoes – Tight or high-heeled shoes can compress areas of your feet and toes. Additionally loose footwear can result in sliding and rubbing, which can abrade your feet.
  • Not wearing socks – This increases the same effects of wearing an improper shoe size and can lead to harsher friction on your feet.

Treatment of Calluses

To get rid of calluses, try avoiding any harsh abrasion and pressure whenever possible. If the calluses don’t heal after avoiding these actions, seek a podiatrist for medical attention. Some of the measures the doctor will advise include:

  • Trimming away excess skin – The doctor will shave down or cut thickened skin off.
  • Callus-removing medication – The doctor can advise using a patch containing strong acids to carefully peel this excess skin away after repeated application.
  • Shoe inserts – The doctor can prescribe you custom-made padded shoe inserts.
  • Surgery – In rare cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to correct the alignment of a bone causing friction.

Prevention of Calluses

To prevent calluses from forming in the first place, you can take some of these preventative measures:

  • Switching to better-fitting shoes or using an orthotic device to correct an underlying cause.
  • Buying socks with thicker material on the toes and heels or nylon hose with woven cotton soles on the bottom of the foot.
  • Using protective coverings inside your shoes, such as felt pads or bandages where your shoes rub against your feet.
Cherrywood Foot Care