Callus in adults

Contents

What is a callus
Difference between callus and plantar wart and corns
What does a callus look like in adults
Causes of callus in adults
Symptoms of callus in adults
Effective treatment of callus in adults
Prevention of callus in adults at home
Popular questions and answers

Callus is a protective reaction of the skin in response to prolonged mechanical action: pressure and friction. Most often, corns form on the skin of the feet and toes, less often on the palms and fingers. Can occur in men, women, and sometimes children

The mechanism of the formation of callus looks like this: due to prolonged friction or pressure on the skin, a dense area of dead epidermis is formed, and it is gradually pressed into the soft tissues. This is a painful process that only gets worse over time.

What is a callus

A callus is a type of dry callus or, in medical terminology, hyperkeratosis. A callus consists of a patch of tough, rough, dry skin the size of a pea or larger. When pressing on this area, pain is felt, similar to pain with a splinter. Having endured and tried all folk recipes, already limping, a person gets to an experienced podiatrist.

And the first thing a specialist does is to identify the cause of the corn. If necessary, the patient will be recommended to consult an orthopedic traumatologist.

Transverse and longitudinal flat feet, foot deformity¹ and fingers, poor-quality and uncomfortable shoes – if the provoking factor is not removed, then a relapse is guaranteed.

Difference between callus and plantar wart and corns

Corn	Wart	Trampled
Pain	+ + + +	+	++
Size	+	+ + +	+ + + +
Color	yellowish gray	bodily	yellow
Boundaries	clear	clear	blurry
Structure	have a rod	no rod	no rod
Color	yellowish gray	bodily	yellow
Cause	mechanical pressure	viral infection	skin damage

What does a callus look like in adults

The outer part of the corn looks like a keratinized, rounded outgrowth of the skin, which has a yellowish or yellowish-gray color. In its center is a recess, which is the top of the corn root.

Causes of callus in adults

Predisposes to the appearance of callus:

uncomfortable, too narrow or wide shoes with thin soles;
increased professional or sports loads on the legs;
long walking barefoot;
excess body weight;
untreated chronic dry calluses;
foot deformity;
joint diseases;
diabetes;
lack of proper foot skin care.

Symptoms of callus in adults

pain on contact with the callus;
localization on the pads of the feet and hands, between the toes (from below or from the side), palmar surfaces of the main and middle phalanges of the fingers;
smooth edges, dense corn structure;
rounded whitish, yellowish or yellowish-gray formation, slightly elevated above the surface of the skin.

Effective treatment of callus in adults

Depending on the stage of growth of the callus and on the size of the stem itself, different methods of treatment are used, which have their own number of indications and contraindications.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis, due to the characteristic appearance of the callus, is not a problem for a specialist. But sometimes the podiatrist resorts to the help of a dermatoscope. This is a hardware diagnostic that allows, under multiple magnification, to consider the structure, color, size of pathologically altered skin lesions. Dermoscopy is a mandatory procedure before removing tumors. The examination is easy, fast, painless and convenient for the patient.

Patch

Your pharmacist can help you choose a patch.

Most often, experts recommend hydrocolloid² patches and patches with salicylic acid. Hydrocolloid plasters have a moisturizing effect, reduce pain and soften dry calluses. The hydrocolloid patch stays on the skin for up to 3 days. Change the patch to the next one until the corn is completely gone.

Salicylic acid patches have an antiseptic effect and “dissolve” the keratinized layers of the skin. They are glued to the corn and left for 2 days. If necessary, the procedure is repeated 3-4 times until the corn disappears.

It is important to remember that patches only help with small growths.

Removal

Surgical excision – in the recent past, the only way to get rid of corns. Removal is performed by a surgeon or an experienced podiatrist, possibly under local anesthesia.

Using a scalpel, the surgeon completely cuts out the corn core and fragments of keratinized skin above it. The disadvantages of this classical method are a long period of wound healing.

Cryotherapy

Freezing the treatment area with liquid nitrogen – exposure to extremely low (-1970C) temperature³.

maximum preserved skin around the callus and low likelihood of scarring.

healing takes up to 14 days and low efficiency against calluses with a deep stem.

Electrocoagulation

Electric current destroys the proteins of keratinized skin, then a protective crust is formed.

low cost and duration of only 2 minutes. Healing takes 7-10 days.

with insufficient exposure, the corn may reappear.

Laser removal

With the help of a CO2 emitter, a session of spot removal of corns takes place. In 5-10 minutes, keratinized cells “evaporate”.

painless and safe evaporation of keratinized epidermis without damage to blood vessels.

high cost and a wide range of contraindications.

Hardware pedicure

The choice of cutter depends on the location of the corn, the type of skin and the degree of keratinization.

The core callus is drilled with a hollow cutter, selected in size. This procedure can be entrusted to an experienced specialist who will select the number of revolutions and the direction of the cutter. This is very important to avoid damage.

painlessness and fast (up to 3 days) healing.

Not every master can carry out the procedure with high quality. In addition, several sessions may be required to completely remove the corn.

radio wave removal

A method for the treatment of chronic dry calluses using radio wave electromagnetic energy. Radio waves act non-contact, causing evaporation of the tissues of the corn and its core.

painlessness and rapid healing without scarring and swelling, infection and without the risk of re-growth of calluses.

high price.

Prevention of callus in adults at home

Regular care is essential for the health of the skin of the feet. It is recommended to periodically massage the feet, apply care products. Loads should correspond to the general state of health, and shoes should be soft, comfortable, so that the skin of the legs breathes in them.

If you do not follow simple rules, then the risk of the formation of areas of rough skin increases, which then develop into deep corns.