Hard skin develops to protect underlying tissues from pressure. Hard skin is called callus. When pressure is directed to one specific area, the hard skin develops a corn. Corns have no root. They are purely the result of focal pressure and the only sure way to prevent their return is to remove that pressure; however, debridement can give temporary relief.
What can be done?
At Acorn we look at the position of the callus or corn and offer advice as to how the pressure might be relieved. If the lesion is on the top of the toes, we might recommend roomier footwear. If the lesion is in between the toes, we can use devices such as silicon wedges to relieve the pressure. Lesions to the sole of the foot are best offloaded with use of an orthotic device or insole.
What we are trying to avoid?
Sometimes the skin behind the build-up can breakdown causing a wound so it is very important corns are checked, debrided and offloaded. A wound which opens up in this way is called a pressure ulcer and they can take time to heal, especially if they are situated in a high pressure area such as the ball of the foot. This is why it is always best to attend to corns before they cause further problems.
It’s just hard skin?
Hard skin, or callus, is usually just unsightly unless it dries out and cracks. Heels are a notorious location as some footwear allows the heel to dry out. If you have cracks to heels, you should use a foot cream to moisturise the area and see your podiatrist for debridement. In between appointments you can file your heels with a foot file or pumice stone to keep the hard skin to a minimum. The aim is to prevent the cracks deepening and becoming wounds.
