Description:

Calluses and corns are areas of thickened skin caused by repeated friction or pressure. While calluses are larger, flatter, and often develop on weight-bearing areas such as the soles of the feet, corns are smaller, more concentrated, and can be painful due to a hard core pressing into underlying tissues. Corns are commonly found on non-weight-bearing areas, such as the tops or sides of toes, that develop come from repetitive trauma (normally from footwear or adjacent boney prominences.

These conditions are not contagious, only they can cause significant discomfort if left untreated. Professional care provides relief and helps prevent recurrence.

Causes:

Excessive Pressure or Friction: Often caused by ill-fitting footwear, abnormal walking patterns, or high-impact activities.

Foot Deformities: Conditions like bunions, hammertoes, or flat feet increase the likelihood of developing calluses and corns.

Improper Footwear: Shoes that are too tight, too loose, or lack cushioning can exacerbate friction and pressure.

Occupational Factors: Jobs requiring prolonged standing or heavy lifting.

Activity factor: High activity levels are more likely to cause callus and corns, due to increases tissue stress.

Smoking: Smokers are frequently more vulnerable and tend to struggle more with increased pain over nonsmokers.

Symptoms:

Calluses: Thickened, rough skin with little to no pain, until thickened.

Corns: Small, hard, or soft lesions that may cause sharp or aching pain.

Both: Yellowish, waxy appearance of thickened skin + Tenderness or redness around the affected area.

Risks if left untreated:

Increased Pain: Calluses and corns may worsen, causing significant discomfort during walking or standing.

Skin Breakdown: Persistent pressure can lead to ulceration, especially in people with diabetes or poor circulation.

Infection: Cracks or open wounds around calluses or corns increase the risk of bacterial or fungal infection.

What Appointment to Book:

New Patients: Initial Consultation.

Returning Patients: Advanced Therapies.

Effective Treatments We Offer:

Debridement: Professional removal of thickened skin to relieve pressure and pain.

Offloading: Application of padding, orthotics, or insoles to redistribute pressure and protect the affected area.

Conservative Corn Enucleation: Removal of the corn core to alleviate pain and prevent recurrence.

Advanced Corn enucleation: Removal of corn, using local anaesthetic to alleviate the pain from long standing corns and to allow for more extensive removal. May also reduce likelihood of reoccurrence when combined with insoles, silicone devices or other devices.

Swift Corn Treatment: Recommended for neuromuscular corns or peristent corns only, aimed at detroying the corn tissue with microwave technology. A process rather than one treatment, though just after one treatment, pain has been significantly reduced.

Silicone Devices: Custom-made toe props or shields to reduce friction and prevent rubbing.

Footwear Advice: Guidance on appropriate footwear to minimise pressure and friction. Footwear can be the route cause for these issues, and a simple guided change may solve them all.

Surgical Correction: For severe cases or underlying deformities, minor procedures may be recommended to address the root cause.

Time Frame for Resolution: Depending on the severity, fungal nails can be resolved quickly if treated early, usually within 6 weeks. For more evere infections `