Calluses on the feet can be ugly and painful. This piece is contributed by Dr Tan Wei Sheng, a consultant in orthopaedic surgery from Camden Medical Centre Singapore to share with you 5 home remedies for callused feet that really work! In this blog post, we share with you some simple and useful tips that you can follow to prevent Callus on your feet. Read tips and tricks that can actually help.
Key Takeaways:
- Right Footwear: Without shoes causing unnecessary friction and pressure on feet, proper fitting toe wear is a good solution for painful calluses.
- Foot Padding: Protective padding, like thick cushioned socks or insoles to reduce pressure over the sides of your heels, can prevent calluses from forming.
- Small Care Activities: Regular Foot Hygiene (daily washing with a suitable product and thorough drying + daily hydration) practice helps to keep the skin in good condition, healthy and callus feel better.
- Lifestyle changes like weight management and avoiding high heels can greatly reduce the pressure on your feet, leading to fewer calluses.
- Professional Treatments: Custom orthotics, medicated patches and even surgery can all provide lasting relief against hard-to-treat calluses when performed by a licensed podiatrist.
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Understanding Calluses
A callus is a thickened, hardened portion of skin that has been worn away as a result of constant friction or pressure being applied in one spot over time. It is your body trying to protect itself from friction at pressure points. Calluses may take place on different parts of the body e.g. feet, hands, elbows knees etc. They are not venomous but their bite can cause irritation and itching.
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What Is a Callus?
A callus is a toughened area of skin that may be uncomfortable or cause pain. It can form in the feet or hands from repeated friction and pressure. Calluses are composed of yellowish keratin and may be crumbly. They are especially common on the bony prominences under shoe pressure areas such as metatarsal heads (the weight-bearing area of the foot) they can also occur in non-weight-bearing areas feet in which skin is thinner, this is anywhere we see an increased amount of callous building up.
- Ill-Fitting Shoes: Similarly to the way in which shoes that are too big can cause your foot to slip or slide around when walking, resulting in calluses on feet; running with tight-fitted
- The culprit high heelsHigh Heels: Wearing high-heeled shoes can place extra pressure on the forefoot and lead to callus formation.
- No socks: Wearing shoes without socks puts the foot in direct contact with the shoe and increases callus risk.
- Bunions and Hammertoes: Abnormal pressure points created by these conditions can cause calluses to form.
- Activity Level: Activities like running or walking long distances create friction and pressure which can cause callouses.
Prevention Strategies
To avoid calluses, consider taking the following preventative steps. Implementing appropriate strategies can reduce the formation of foot callus.
Choosing the Right Footwear
Proper footwear is crucial. Shoes serve you better when they fit well, and this means neither too tight or to loose. One thing that the rubber sole does is to decrease foot pressure and friction. Instead, opt for rounded or square-toed shoes (rather than the ever-so-popular pointy styles) so that toes have plenty of room. Shoes that have a wide toe box promote improved toe movement, in contrast to narrow ones, which can otherwise place too much pressure on some areas of your foot and lead you into getting calloused feet.
Using Protective Padding
It provides protection pads on longer-on-feet exercises. Thickly cushioned socks in areas most prone to pressure considerably decrease friction. Although, putting cushioned insoles can help to alleviate the pain and distribute pressure equally as well Effective cushioning on abrasion areas provides feet protection against repetitive impact.
Regular Foot Care Practices
By taking care of the hygiene in our feet you will increase their elasticity and resistance. Moisturising regularly keeps hardened skin from thickening, and exfoliating with a pumice stone helps remove dead cells that prevent calluses. This maintains the skin supple and not prone to hardening of areas.
Bottom line, when used together in a cohesive plan these strategies are really good at keeping those calluses away and your feet healthy.
Lifestyle Adjustments
Here, you will find actionable steps to prevent calluses, lifestyle tips and ways regarding foot care. If you make these modifications, the chance of creating a callus will be greatly minimized.
Wear Comfortable Shoes
- Select Properly Fitting Shoes: Footwear that directly can restrain too much friction and pinching..
- Make Your Choice of Shoe Types: Shoes that are wide in the toe box and square – or rounded-toe designs decrease grinding. Stay away from those tight, pointed ballet shoes!
- Skip the High Heels: Pressure points develop from wearing high heels and contribute to callus formation. By wearing lower heels the problem can be reduced to a great extent, also choosing more supportive shoes is a good part of this subset.
Manage Body Weight
- Watch Your Weight: You create pressure on the soles of your feet when you are overweight and this can cause calluses to form. Align HC includes the advantages of a balanced diet and plenty of exercise for efficient weight management.
Importance of Foot Hygiene
Proper foot hygiene is a key part of callus prevention. Keep your feet clean and free of thickened skin.
- Proper Hygiene: Clean feet with mild soap and water needed. Clean feet ensure freedom from the dirt and bacteria that can lead to skin complaints.
- Dry your feet thoroughly after washing, and make sure to dry between the toes. This can lead to maceration of the skin and high callus risks due to moisture being held on your feet.
- Use Antimicrobial Products: Apply an antibacterial foot spray or powder to keep feet dry and prevent infections.
Benefits of Moisturising
Moisturization on a regular basis helps to maintain soft and pliable skin of the feet, minimizing the chances of developing calluses.
- Moisturize Daily: make sure to moisturise your feet with a foot cream or lotion that contains urea or salicylic acid to help keep the skin elastic.
- Use Alcohol And Fragrance-Free Products: Avoid drying out the skin too much with harsh chemicals in your soaps and lotions.
- Integrate thick creams with a massage in the heels, and balls of the foot that have gone dry or hardened due to heavy-weight workouts/treadmill.
Professional Treatments
When it comes to those with foot deformities like bunions, and if the problem persists, professional treatments provide safe methods on how to treat a callus.
Custom Orthotics
Align HC podiatrist can prescribe custom-made padded shoe inserts, known as orthotics, to distribute pressure evenly across the foot. On a day-to-day basis, these orthotics aid inhibit the development of return calluses by lessening contact and pressure sites. It is something that occurs with high arches or flat feet and can also be alleviated a lot by using custom orthotics.
Medicated Patches
Healthcare providers commonly suggest patches that contain salicylic acid. Thick, tough skin can be thinned out with salicylic acid and this makes it much easier to remove callouses. These patches are used on the skin to be treated and changed every few days. When using these treatments, it is important to follow the directions of a podiatrist to prevent skin irritation.
Surgery
Surgery may be indicated in patients with severe bone alignment (with related friction). If more conservative methods of care prove ineffective, non-invasive procedures can reposition or remove the bone that is causing painful pressure points. More than a last resort, this is considered an option if conservative treatments have failed.
When to See a Podiatrist
If calluses become painful, infected or do not respond to home treatments, see a podiatrist. For those with diabetes or circulatory issues – consult a professional to avoid complications. Correct diagnosis and bespoke treatment plan can effectively manage the root cause.
Advanced Foot Care Options
If your bunion is more severe, options include laser therapy and cryotherapy. Laser Treatment – This type of treatment uses strong light to target thickened skin in a controlled manner and can safely remove calluses without causing any harm to the surrounding skin. For cryotherapy, a doctor freezes the callus with liquid nitrogen to remove it gradually. Specialised clinics offer these treatments and provide alternative solutions against pesky callouses.
Conclusion
Avoiding calluses on the feet is just a basic must if you desire to be comfortable with your foot and have a healthy leg. Properly fitting shoes, protective pads, and well-moisturized feet can the chances of calluses forming. Fortunately, anyone with thick calluses can find solutions in professional treatments and advanced foot care options. If calluses become painful or infected, particularly in patients with underlying health conditions such as a condition that impairs sensation of their feet (neuropathy), they should see medical advice. Proactive measures result in better health and give way to a more comfortable lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are calluses?
Calluses are the hard, thick skin that forms in response to repeated friction, pressure or irritation. While plantar warts are the most common, they can also grow virtually anywhere on your body.
How can I prevent calluses?
To avoid the calluses wear comfortable shoes, inner cushion insoles in case of padding area that can keep your feet dry and always scrub the areas with a hard layer before they grow up further to give you some uneasiness.
When should you go to the doctor for calluses?
If your calluses start to hurt or get infected, or if you have diabetes, nerve damage in the area where the corn is located and poor blood flow to your foot we recommend seeing a professional.
What Professional Treatments Are Available for Calluses?
Callus professional treatments: Custom orthotics Medicated patches with salicylic acid Surgical interventions for extreme cases Laser therapy Cryotherapy
Do lifestyle modifications help with callus control?
So, adopting things such as wearing the right footwear and keeping your feet moisturised etc. can definitely help in the prevention of calluses from forming on your feet too!
Do medicated patches work for calluses?
The medicated patches that carry salicylic acid are beneficial for this original function, softening the thickened skin of calluses to better allow removal.
What is laser therapy for callus?
This highly focused light can be used to ablate sun-damaged or thickened layers of the skin (depending on wavelengths and intensity) offering a great non-invasive treatment for difficult callus.
But how does cryotherapy help with getting rid of calluses?
Cryotherapy, or freezing of the affected skin helps shrink such growth and makes it easier to remove with less discomfort while also promoting healing in healthy skin underneath.
Are Custom Orthotics Good At Preventing Calluses?
Custom orthotics are made to balance out weight and alleviate pressure points in order for calluses to never have a possibility of appearing.
Do People With Diabetes Need to Be Extra Careful About Callouses?
Absolutely. People with diabetes should always be vigilant of their feet and calluses, as they are at a much higher risk for infections and complications because nerves will lose sensation in the extremities along with reduced circulation.
