What is corns and calluses?

Corns and calluses are areas of thick, hard, dead skin. They form to protect your skin from injury. Corns usually form where toes rub together. Calluses often form on the hands or feet. They may form wherever the skin rubs against something, such as shoes.

In most cases, you can take steps at home to care for a corn or callus.

You can tell you have a corn or callus by the way it looks.

• A callus is hard, dry, and thick, and it may appear grayish or yellowish. It may be less sensitive to the touch than surrounding skin, and it may feel bumpy.
• A hard corn is firm with a thick core. It may have a yellow ring with a gray center. Or it may look darker than the nearby skin. A soft corn can look like an open sore.

Calluses and corns may not be painful, but they can cause pain when you are walking or wearing shoes. And they may make it hard for your feet to fit in your shoes.

If corns or calluses cause pain, you may be able to ease the pain with home treatment, such as using pads to cushion the sore area. If you keep having problems, your doctor may have you see a foot specialist (podiatrist). Surgery is rarely used to treat calluses or corns.

Calluses and corns can be prevented by reducing or eliminating pressure on the skin.

Calluses on your hands usually can be prevented by wearing gloves to protect your hands, such as when gardening or lifting weights. Calluses on your feet can usually be prevented by wearing shoes and socks that fit well.

Corns on your feet can usually be prevented by wearing shoes that have a wider toe box. It can also help to get both feet measured by a shoe store clerk before buying a pair of shoes.

In general:

• Wear shoes that fit well.
• Wear gloves while using a tool such as a hammer or rake.
• Wear appropriate padding if you expose other parts of your body to friction. For example, if you are on your knees laying carpet, wear knee pads.

The way you walk can be affected by the bones in your feet or even tight calf muscles. If so, a podiatrist may be able to help you make changes that can prevent foot problems like calluses and corns.

Your doctor will look at the calluses or corns that are causing problems for you. The doctor may also ask you questions about your work, your hobbies, or the types of shoes you wear. An X-ray of the foot may be done if your doctor suspects a problem with the bones.

• Wear shoes and other footwear that fit correctly. This will reduce rubbing and give corns or calluses time to heal.
• Use protective pads, such as moleskin, to cushion the callus or corn.
• Soak your corn or callus in warm water, and then use a pumice stone to rub dead skin away.
• Use an over-the-counter callus-removing product, such as one that contains salicylic acid or urea. These products come in creams, ointments, gels, and patches. But if you have a condition that causes problems with blood flow (such as peripheral vascular disease) or loss of feeling in your feet (such as diabetes), talk to your doctor before you try any home treatment.
• Wash your feet regularly, and rub lotion into your feet while they are still moist. Dry skin can cause a callus to crack and bleed.
• Never cut the corn or callus yourself, especially if you have problems with blood flow to your legs or feet or a problem with numbness or feeling in your feet.

Calluses and corns are caused by repeated pressure or friction on an area of skin. The pressure causes the skin to die and form a hard, protective surface. A soft corn is formed in the same way, except that when sweat is trapped where the corn develops, the hard core softens. This typically occurs between toes. Calluses and corns are not caused by a virus and are not contagious.

Repeated handling of an object that puts pressure on the hand, such as tools (gardening hoe or hammer) or sports equipment (tennis racquet), typically causes calluses on the hands.

Calluses and corns on the feet are often caused by pressure from footwear. Walking barefoot also causes calluses.

Calluses and corns often form on bunions or on hammer, claw, or mallet toes. They also often form on the bumps caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Calluses and corns may also be caused by other things, including a person's activities (such as a callus on the bottom of a runner's foot), how a person walks (their gait), or the bone structure of their feet.

Calluses and corns are areas of thick skin caused by pressure or friction. They may cause pain when you walk or wear shoes.

Calluses usually form on your hands or feet. They usually don't hurt.

Corns have an inner core that can be soft or hard. Soft corns are found between your toes. Hard corns may form on the tops of your toes. Corns caused by poorly fitting shoes will often go away with the right size shoe.