Contents
Using knowledge to treat corns and calluses so you can keep on running, the right way
What are corns?
Corns are like calluses but a little harder, and often a lot more painful. Corns can be treated with a pumice stone or salicylic acid, sure, but how do they affect your running, and do they come back easily?
You have three main types of corns: Hard, soft and seed (but of course, you get corns in between these grades). With hard being the most common type, it’s important to recognise when you have corns, instead of thinking your feet have simply obtained thickened skin, hard skin or dead skin.
Hard corns are small, concentrated and found on the wider areas of thickened skin. Soft corns are whitish or grey, and a little rubbery in texture. Whereas seed corns are small and usually found on the bottom of your foot.
So that’s what they are… but why should you care about them?
Cause for corn-cern (…)
Corns aren’t to be taken lightly. I mean, sure, they’re usually a mild inconvenience, but that doesn’t mean that they will grow into something worse? If you have very painful corn issues, or if you have diabetes, fragile skin, or peripheral arterial disease, you should consult a doctor before pursuing home treatment. If it shows signs of infection, then you should definitely follow it up with treatment. Medical treatments are rife, and with the hope your skin softens, hardened skin subsides, and your slightly swollen sweaty feet return to the hoofs they once were you can be back at it in no time.
If you show the following signs, however, then definitely consult a doctor –
- worsening pain
- pus or drainage
- swelling
- redness
Good riddance
So, those pesky corns aren’t going anywhere, what do you do?
You need to evaluate the issue first. If simply protecting your feet, in the hope they subside, doesn’t work, then it’s good to try the following. Too much skin calluses can obscure the corn, so it can be hard to see them sometimes, or certainly hard to get rid of them so…
- Try using warm water –
- The corn should be fully submerged for about 10 minutes or until the skin softens.
- File the corn with a pumice stone –
- This abrasive rock tool is great for calluses corns, and other feet issues. It gets to the skin underneath by removing the rough layer on top, and takes the surrounding dead skin with it.
- Apply lotion to the corn –
- Salicylic acid dissolves the keratin protein that makes up the corn and the surrounding dead skin. However, salicylic acid is generally not recommended for people with diabetes, poor circulation, or frail skin. In conjunction with such lotion, corn pads are to be used alongside to protect the surrounding area and section off the corn. Additional advice is to wear shoes to protect the areas too.
Conclusion
There you have it, some great options for getting rid of those pesky corns and calluses, right from the root. If you want more info, then there’s plenty online, just look it up, but if you’re happy with what you have here, then great, job done. Always be careful of your body and always be careful of how you treat it – it’s yours, and you only have one, If you want to stay fit, then do the right things to do so.
FAQ
Are these the only ways of treating corns?
No, there are others so look them up online. This is especially useful when trying to diagnose corns. If you prefer, there are many books written on the topic, too, so look those up as well.
