Corns and Calluses: Symptoms, Treatment & Causes

What are Corns and Calluses?

Calluses and corns are brought on by friction or pressure on the skin. A corn is a toe with thicker skin on the top or side. Badly fitting shoes are typically to blame. A callus is thicker skin on the palms or the bottom of your feet. Skin thickening serves as a defensive response.

Causes of Corns and Calluses

Calluses and corns form on the skin as a result of repeated pressure, rubbing, or irritation. As a result, the skin forms a thick layer to defend itself. Corns and calluses frequently develop on the fingers, toes, or soles of the feet.

Many of the causes of corns and calluses are similar. They consist of the following:

• Improperly fitting shoes: The most frequent reason for corns on the tops of the feet is this. Shearing, friction, and pressure are brought on by shoes that are overly tight or have places that rub against your skin. Long amounts of time spent walking, running, or standing still
• Physical pastimes, athletic endeavors, or labor-intensive tasks requiring your feet
• Not wearing any shoes or wearing shoes without socks
• Having sock linings or shoe soles that bunch up or slide beneath your feet when wearing shoes.
• Walking incorrectly or placing too much weight on either the inner or outer border of your foot
• Physical pastimes, athletic endeavors, or labor-intensive tasks that repeatedly rub skin on your hands or fingers
• congenital malformations like hammertoes or tailor's bunions are examples of structural foot anomalies or altered biomechanics that might lead to corns or calluses
• Calluses can develop on the hands from repetitive pressure from activities like playing an instrument, using a hand tool, or even writing with a pen.
• The type of corn that grows on non-weight-bearing parts like the soles and palms may be influenced by genetics (keratosis punctata).

 Symptoms of Corns and Calluses

Calluses and corns are two different conditions.

Smaller and deeper than bumps, corns have a hard center surrounded by swollen skin. It could be unpleasant to press them. Hard corns frequently form on the tops of the toes or the outer border of the little toe. Soft corns between the toes are a common problem.

Infrequently unpleasant calluses generally develop on pressure sites, such as heels or balls of the feet. They can come in a variety of sizes and shapes and are frequently larger than corns.

Despite their differences, corns and calluses exhibit similar symptoms, which include the following:

• Rough skin
• Hard bump
• Soreness in affect area
• Dry skin