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A callus is a dry callus that has a root that goes deep under the skin. There is a hole in the center of the callus from which the root cap peeps out. Most often, core calluses form on the skin of the fingertips, in the area of 3 and 4 interdigital spaces. Sometimes they are found on the back of the toes, less often they are visualized on the sole.
A callus can cause pain to a person while walking, as the pressure of the whole body is exerted on a hard rod. In addition, it looks very unaesthetic, has a difference in color and structure from healthy skin.
Symptoms of corns
A callus looks like a skin seal that is yellowish-gray or yellow in color. It rises above the surface of the skin, but not significantly. By itself, the callus does not hurt. Discomfort occurs when pressure is applied to the corn, for example, while walking, or while working with any tool.
The distinctive features of such a skin growth include:
The presence of a root that goes into the deep structures of the skin. In the center of the callus is the cap of the rod.
The core corn is formed from an old dry corn. Therefore, dermatologists consider it as a late stage of hard callus.
The callus is not filled with liquid.
It will be difficult to get rid of corns on your own, as it penetrates deep into the skin.
Pain with pressure on the callus is dull, but quite intense. It occurs due to the fact that nerve fibers pass between the corn core and the bone structures of the leg. Their compression responds with painful sensations.
With pressure and trauma to the calluses, they do not bleed, which makes it possible to distinguish them from warts. To see blood, the wound must be very deep.
Favorite places for localization of such corns are:
Toes: spaces between 1st and 2nd, or between 4th and 5th fingers, outer side of the little finger, thumb.
Heel.
Palms.
Fingers.
At an early stage of its formation, a callus may manifest itself as a slight discomfort. The affected area turns red and may itch. As the skin layers thicken, the corn becomes larger in size, hardens more and more, a small hole appears in its center. When the rod grows, a person has painful sensations.
Since the root of the callus provokes pain, a person may limp while walking.
Reasons for the formation of calluses
If constant friction is exerted on a certain area of the skin, then its surface layers will begin to die off. Since the friction is frequent and intense, the epidermis does not have time to exfoliate and exfoliate.
As a result, these dead cells are layered on top of each other, compacted, compacted and form a callus.
The following reasons can lead to the formation of callus on the legs:
Wearing uncomfortable or very narrow shoes.
Wearing high heeled shoes. In this case, the forefoot will be compressed, and excessive pressure will be applied to the thin sole.
Wearing tights or socks that don’t fit or have very tight seams in the wrong place. They will put pressure on the sole, which can lead to the formation of calluses.
Incorrect position of the foot while walking.
Excessive load on the foot during sports. Athletes, skiers, and runners often suffer from calluses.
Foot diseases: bursitis or arthritis of the joints of the foot, deforming osteoarthritis, flat feet, hammer toes, the presence of a heel spur.
Injury to the skin by a foreign body that has penetrated into it, for example, a splinter or a grain of sand. This item will put pressure on the dermis, which will provoke its increased keratinization.
Infection of the skin of the feet with a viral or fungal infection.
Frequent walking barefoot.
There is evidence that smoking can increase the chance of developing calluses on the feet. This is thought to be due to vasoconstriction in the extremities caused by smoking. This can lead to a decrease or atrophy of the subcutaneous tissue. Eventually, it leads to increased contact between bone and skin, creating even more calluses. [1]
Individual risk factors for the formation of calluses are:
Overweight.
Scabies mite infestation.
Skin diseases such as psoriasis.
Old age, because as the body ages, the thickness of the body fat decreases.
Diabetes.
Avitaminosis.
These risk factors cannot directly provoke the formation of callus, but in the presence of predisposing conditions, the likelihood of its occurrence increases.
When to see a doctor
Calluses, although they cause discomfort and inconvenience, do not automatically require a visit to the doctor. But there are cases when you should make an appointment with a therapist or dermatologist.
These situations include:
Diabetes, heart disease, or circulatory problems. If you have any of these diseases, then there is a high risk of developing an infection. Possible nerve damage associated with diabetes or any changes in the legs is a reason to see a doctor. [2]
The corn secretes pus and exudative fluid. This is a sign that the corn is infected and needs immediate treatment. If the inflammation spreads to the tissues surrounding the corn, then this threatens the development of phlegmon or abscess. When the bone tissue of the foot is involved in the pathological process, a person develops osteomyelitis. And also inflammation can affect the synovial membranes and articular elements of the foot.
If the calluses reappear. Only a doctor can determine why the calluses keep coming back.
If you notice that the corn has become red, especially painful or warm to the touch. These symptoms indicate a possible infection. If the corn is not treated, or if you try to cut it off, but in violation of the rules of antiseptics, then there is a possibility of infection.
Microorganisms that get into the corn provoke its inflammation. In this case, the skin growth turns red, swells, and begins to hurt badly.
Diagnosis of callus
Most often, the diagnosis of callus is not difficult for dermatologists. A doctor can make a diagnosis based on the appearance of the skin growth. Although sometimes core corns have a certain similarity with a plantar wart. It also appears on the foot, in those places that have the maximum load. Warts are hard and painful, have roots that go deep into the dermis.
You can distinguish a plantar callus from a wart by the following features:
The callus does not bleed, even with strong pressure on it.
Warts often form not as single, but as multiple neoplasms.
There is a depression in the central part of the callus, while the wart is riddled with fine fibers. From above it is covered with small dots of black color.
Symptoms of a plantar wart.
A dermatologist must not only make the correct diagnosis, but also determine the causes of the appearance of corns. For this, the patient may be asked to donate blood for diabetes mellitus, as well as for the human papillomavirus. The doctor will definitely ask the person what sports he is involved in, assess the condition of his shoes.
The doctor is obliged to find out if the patient has foot deformities, diseases of the bone or joint tissue. In addition, consultation with an orthopedist and rheumatologist may be required.
Treatment of calluses
In order to get rid of the core callus, you need to remove the keratinized layer of the dermis and eliminate the root. The latter task is especially difficult if the rod is deep. If the specialist removes only part of the root, the plantar callus will form again after some time.
Drilling out the callus
In the conditions of a pedicure master’s office, it is possible to drill corns with a drill. Such removal is not accompanied by painful sensations, except for a slight tingling sensation. Therefore, you can do without anesthesia.
An antiseptic composition and antibacterial ointments are applied to the corn. After the procedure, a person may experience minor discomfort, but after 2-3 days it will completely disappear.
The disadvantages of the procedure include:
If the corn core is deep, then it will not be possible to get rid of it at a time.
During processing, damage to healthy areas of the skin is possible. The master must act very carefully and accurately.
Since this method of removing corns is contact, there is a possibility of infection.
Callus cryotherapy with rod
The cryotherapy method involves the treatment of corns with liquid nitrogen. At the same time, keratinized areas of the skin are affected by low temperatures (up to -196 ° C). Corn tissues are frozen and completely destroyed. The duration of the procedure does not exceed 4 minutes. [3]
After such exposure, the skin becomes white, and then a bubble forms on it. This is the so-called cold burn. As a rule, anesthesia during cryotherapy is not required, since liquid nitrogen is an analgesic. However, it is possible to anesthetize the treatment area with local anesthetics: ointments or sprays with Lidocaine.
The treated area of the dermis heals within 2 weeks. This is the average tissue recovery time. After the crust falls off, there will be no scars or scars on the skin.
The disadvantages of cryodestruction include:
If the rod is very deep, then it is not always possible to completely destroy it with nitrogen.
With improper care of the wound in the recovery period, there is a possibility of infection.
Large calluses are not treated with cryodestruction, since the death of large areas of tissue is associated with a risk of complications. In addition, it will increase the recovery period.
Removal of callus with a laser
The laser allows you to fully get rid of the core callus. This is one of the priority treatments for such skin growths. During exposure to a laser beam on the corn, its cells are simply evaporated. The carbon dioxide laser penetrates better than others into the deep tissues of the dermis. Therefore, with its help, you can remove the corn core completely. The procedure requires local anesthesia.
In time, the removal of corns with a laser takes from 5 to 10 minutes. The place is necessarily treated with an ointment with an antibacterial effect. After the procedure is completed, the former corn is covered with a crust. It will fall off in 7-14 days. It should not be removed on its own, as this can lead not only to infection of the wound, but also to the introduction of pathogenic flora into it.
The advantages of laser treatment include:
The procedure allows you to get rid of the rods that lie in the deep layers of the skin. Therefore, with its help, even chronic corns can be treated.
During the procedure, healthy areas of the dermis remain intact, as the laser has a point effect on the skin.
Blood vessels are instantly cauterized, so there is no risk of bleeding.
Processing occurs under the influence of high temperatures, so all pathogenic flora instantly dies.
Removal of calluses by radio wave method
The source of radio waves with which you can remove the corn is the Surgitron apparatus. The energy radiated by it contributes to the evaporation of moisture from keratinized cells, thereby destroying the corn.
The electrode that produces radio waves does not heat up, so it does not burn the tissue that surrounds the corn. The procedure is highly accurate.
The radio wave method of treating calluses has a number of advantages, including:
The procedure is painless, so it can be performed without anesthesia.
The healthy skin that surrounds the wart is not injured.
There is no chance of bleeding.
During the treatment of corn with radio waves, all pathogenic flora dies.
The wound heals very quickly, without leaving behind scars and scars.
Electrocoagulation of callus
Electrocoagulation of corn involves burning it with a high frequency current. The protein in the cells folds, so the corn is destroyed. A small crust forms at the site of exposure to the electrocoagulator, which will fall off on its own in 7-14 days.
This method has not only its advantages, but also disadvantages, including:
The cost of the procedure is low, it is widespread.
Corn can be worked to the depth to which it is necessary.
Vessels during the procedure are cauterized, so there is no likelihood of bleeding.
The risk of infection is minimal.
Cons of electrocoagulation of corns:
The procedure requires local anesthesia as it can be painful.
During the processing of the corn, there is a possibility of damage to the tissues surrounding it.
If the rod lies deep, then after the wound has healed, a scar may remain.
It is important to treat the corn to a sufficient depth. If this is not done, then it may appear again.
Medical treatment of corns with a rod
It will take time to get rid of corns with the help of medications. Moreover, the result will not always be positive, since the roots that lie in the depths of the tissues often cannot be removed.
For the treatment of calluses, drugs with a keratolytic effect are used. They loosen dead cells, which are easily removed mechanically. Most often, such preparations contain salicylic acid. Auxiliary components are disinfectants and painkillers.
Before starting treatment, you need to pay attention to the following points:
If you apply products with an acid in the composition to healthy skin surrounding the corn, this can cause it to burn or severe irritation. Therefore, such drugs should be used carefully.
If the remedy is used for the first time, then the body may give an allergic reaction to it.
Callus patches
Anti-corns include plasters that are capable of destroying hard core calluses. Their composition, as a rule, includes salicylic acid, lactic acid, sulfur.
Surgical excision of calluses
To remove the callus using a scalpel and scissors, they resort very rarely if it is not possible to get rid of the build-up by other methods. Under local anesthesia, the doctor excises the keratinized areas of the skin, and then the corn core itself. The wound is filled with antibacterial ointment.
The disadvantages of the procedure include its high trauma, the likelihood of infection, the risk of bleeding and a long recovery period with the possible formation of scars and scars.