Corns and Calluses

Corns and calluses are caused by an accumulation of dead skin cells that harden and thicken on an area of skin as the body’s way of protecting it against excessive pressure and friction in order to avoid creating a wound.

Corns:

A corn will have a cone-shaped core with an inward point that can press on a nerve below the skin, making it very painful. Corns are usually found on the tops, sides and/or tips of the toes. There are two types of corns: soft corns and hard corns.

Soft corns are usually found in between the toes. They are created when the bony prominences of the toes rub together, creating pressure. Due to perspiration, this area often stays moist, not allowing the dead skin to dry out and harden – resulting in a softer tissue corn. When the foot is in a shoe, the darkness and moisture caused by perspiration also can set the stage for fungal infections as well.

Hard corns are more common on the tops and tips of the toes. These corns are dryer, usually thicker, and are more commonly due to a deformity in the toe, causing pressure to the area. A hammertoe may develop a corn on the top of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint or the middle joint of the toe. A claw toe is more likely to result in a corn on the very tip of the toe due to the nature of the deformity itself. Also, these areas can have callus formations that are usually a precursor to the development of a corn.

Calluses:

Calluses are more common on other areas of the foot, such as on the outside and bottom of a bunion or bunionette; the ball of the foot, causing metatarsalgia; the heel, creating heel pain; and any other area of the foot where undue pressure occurs.

Some calluses have a deep-seated core known as a nucleation that can be especially painful. This type of callusing is usually on the plantar side, or the bottom, of the foot and is known as intractable plantar keratosis or a pressure callus. This type of callus should never be self treated.