Corns on the feet, those whitish, hard and rough areas that we have in some parts of our feet and it seems that we only remember them, or we only see them, when the good weather arrives and we want to take our feet out of our boots and not wearing socks again for a short while. But no, the feet must be taken care of as much or more as other parts of the body, so we are going to give some remedies to get rid of calluses whatever the time of year.
Corns, cracks. rough areas, thickened nails, et. They are calluses and although we do not believe it, it is the door to a universe of billions of bacteria and fungi, for that reason, throughout this text, we are going to place special emphasis on foot care and visiting a podiatrist about twice a year at least.
Within the corns there are two types and neither of them are a serious health condition. On the one hand, we have the soft corns that usually appear in humid areas of the foot and are the ones that we must take care of the most to avoid infections and fungi. On the other hand, we have hard corns, also known as vascular, they are quite painful on some occasions and that is precisely because it has blood capillaries and it is quite frequent that they touch the nerve.
Causes of corns on feet
Everything in this life arises for a reason, and the calluses were not going to be less. There are a multitude of causes that result in these hardened chafing and we are going to review the most relevant ones, but from now on we say that the care we do of our feet is key to developing hardness or not.
- Poorly fitting footwear, the shoe should not be too tight or too loose.
- Feet damp or with a tendency to sweat.
- Areas of the foot that constantly rub against the shoe.
- Lack of hydration.
- Poor cleaning and care.
If we notice this type of discomfort, or higher that prevent us from wearing a type of footwear or even walking, we strongly recommend visiting a podiatrist, since we could have a nail-shaped callus, that is, instead of going out It goes inward, even touching the bone and that is very painful.
Methods to remove corns
Corns, cracks, dead skin, rough and hardened areas can be easily removed, but we recommend seeing a podiatrist. In Spain the average price of a podiatry consultation is around 25 – 30 euros, it is also true that it depends on the area or city, the clinic and the work they have to do on our feet.
Specific instruments
In the market there are many electrical and manual utensils that will help us say goodbye to corns and calluses, but they are not so easy to use. We must go little by little and stop when we notice a discomfort , that will mean that the callus has been eliminated and we are already on top of good skin. In almost a vascular hardness, it is best to go to a professional and they will relieve us of that discomfort quickly and safely.
The main electrical and manual instruments to remove calluses are usually files, pumice stone, scrapers, calluses, etc. All of them serve to eliminate the hard part and release the healthy skin, but be careful or we will cause a wound if we exert a lot of friction.
Make use of chemistry
With this anti-hardness remedy you also have to be careful. When we say chemicals, we do not mean bleach, but salicylic acid that is sold in pharmacies and serves precisely to burn the superficial cells of the skin and facilitate the removal of corns and calluses almost effortlessly.
This option should be used only on healthy skin, no sensitive skin, no wounds, no scabs, no blood. It is only suitable for adults, no children or animals, and if you almost want to use it on the skin of an older adult, it is best to ask the specialist.
Baking soda
Another very effective solution to eliminate these annoying and unsightly scratches. The sodium bicarbonate has to be mixed with water and obtain a kind of paste that will later be spread on the area of the foot where there are calluses. We leave it to act for about 20 minutes and carefully remove it.
What is achieved with this is to remove the surface layer of the hardness, so it facilitates part of the work. When the area is dry, we can use a pumice stone or a special file to finish the job quickly.
We recommend making a little of this mixture and testing a callus or rough area of the foot to see if this option works for us or not. Again we remember to use this option only on healthy skin, no wounds, no blood, no stains, burns or anything to use on the skin of a child or an animal.
Chamomile infusion
You have to make several cups of Chamomile infusions and let it lose a little temperature so as not to damage the skin of our feet. Then we pour that liquid into a basin or somewhere where our feet fit. Another option is to reserve half of the total infusions and make one pie first and then the other.
Next, we let both feet soak and after a few minutes, about 15 minutes, we use a pumice stone, a scraper, a cutter, a file (manual or electric), etc.
Onion, lemon and salt
It looks like the ingredients of a recipe and it almost is, but it is to eliminate the hardness. There is also another version of garlic and oil, and yes, both are a bit unpleasant (in smell and texture), but effective (not much) in softening the hardness and being able to eliminate them quickly.
They are home remedies and have passed from generation to generation. They are not very effective, but it never hurts to have more options in case the above does not work.
How to prevent corns
If we have read the causes of corns, we will know that there are ways to prevent their appearance and that is what we are going to focus on right now. If we implement these tips or tricks to prevent hardness, we will have healthy feet free of infections and pain.
- After each shower, dry the area well and use a special moisturizer for feet.
- Do not wear tight shoes, or very loose.
- Sports shoes must be of quality, that they do not hurt anywhere and have good materials and cushioning.
- Elongated toe caps and stilettos are our enemies .
- Once a week we can put our feet in salted water and remove the corns.
- Use only breathable socks to avoid humidity.
- Cut the nails, but do not leave them flush with the skin.
- Go to a minimum podiatrist at every change of season, for example, once in summer and once in winter at least.
