Facebook Instagram Linkedin
Book Online
Book Online
Book Online

The Foot Hub

How to treat foot corns and calluses

There are many ways to treat and manage foot corns and calluses. Treatment will depend on the whether it’s a callus or corn, the type of corn, and the cause.

When you visit our clinic for corns or calluses we will conduct a proper clinical assessment to determine the best course of immediate treatment. In most cases, this will resolve symptoms in 24 hours. It will also include ongoing treatment to reduce recurrence and symptoms.

Home treatments for corns and calluses

Some corns and calluses may not be severe enough to require treatment and at-home treatment may be all you need.

Meet Our Doctors
Book Online

How to manage calluses

Sometimes removing the buildup of excess skin can be enough to treat calluses. You can do this by:

  1. Soaking the area of the callus in warm water until the skin is softened.
  2. Using a pumice stone or emery board gently file across the area to remove dead tissue. Be careful you’re not too rough or you don’t remove too much skin.
  3. Apply moisturising cream or lotion to the area each day. Products that contain urea or ammonium lactate will help soften the skin over time.

How to manage corns

If you have a foot corn that isn’t painful, we recommend leaving it alone. If this is the first time you’ve had a corn, we recommend you get it checked out by a podiatrist to make sure you don’t require podiatry treatment.

Wearing padding over the area can help reduce stress on the site and protect your skin. Gently filing the area with a pumice stone or a file can reduce the overlying thickened skin.

We don’t recommend the use of corn pads, that use acid. They don’t treat the corn and more often than not, they damage the skin further, sometimes leading to infection.

Foot corn and callus removal

Sometimes it’s necessary for foot corns and calluses to be removed by a podiatrist. This is called debridement. It involves your podiatrist gently removing some of the hard skin of the foot callus or corn so we can remove the nucleus or core. After this is done, we may apply padding or strapping to your feet to redistribute pressure on your foot and allow for healing.

Other podiatry treatment may involve:

  • footwear assessment to ensure your shoes are not contributing to your problem
  • a biomechanical assessment to check whether the way you walk is contributing to your corns and calluses
  • orthotics to help redistribute pressure on your feet
  • padding for areas prone to forming corns
  • surgery – but only in severe or chronic cases.

How to prevent foot corns and calluses

If you’ve successfully had foot corns or calluses removed, it’s important you address the issues that caused them in the first place, otherwise they will continue to occur.

There are many things you can do to prevent corns and calluses from developing on your feet.

  • get a podiatrist to assess your feet and the way you walk, as these problems can be corrected
  • wear well-fitting shoes with room for your toes
  • wear socks with your shoes where possible to avoid friction
  • take good care of your feet by washing them regularly, moisturising them to keep them soft, and keeping your toenails trimmed.

When should I see a podiatrist for corns and calluses?

We recommend making an appointment to see a podiatrist if:

  • you’re experiencing a corn for the first time
  • home treatments haven’t managed foot calluses or corns
  • you think abnormal bone structure or the way you walk is contributing to problems with your feet
  • you have painful calluses or corns that prevent you from walking normally
  • there are signs of infection in your feet such as redness, swelling, pain or pus oozing from a corn or callus
  • you have diabetes – foot problems can be more serious in people with diabetes.
Book an appointment now

frequently asked questions

Callus’s form due to mechanical stress in a similar way to what corns do. The main difference is corns occur because of higher pressure (often multiples of body weight) causing the callus material (plug) to be driven deeper into the foot.

It is best to see a Podiatrist to accurately distinguish the two. Usually warts are slightly raised and exhibit small black dots within the lesion when examined closely. Also warts are more painful when squeezed whilst corns are also usually more painful when direct pressure is applied.

Whenever the skin of the foot is mechanically irritated enough to stimulate the skin to lay down more skin for protection. The majority of corns are caused by ill fitting footwear or use of shoes that are inappropriate for the chosen sport or activity.

Yes, however this is never the first recommended treatment option. All surgery comes with risk. The main risk of surgery to remove a corn is permanent scarring which can lead to chronic pain (much like the original corn that was removed).

Recommended treatment for corns does not involve drugs or chemicals. Addressing mechanical stress on the feet that causes the corn to develop and parring back the hard skin is the best treatment for corns. 

Seeking professional help for corns is the best treatment. If your corn is very painful and impacts your daily activities, we recommend seeing a podiatrist.

Mayo Clinic, Corns and Calluses, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/corns-and-calluses/symptoms-causes/syc-20355946

Cleveland Clinic, Corns and Calluses, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16896-corns-and-calluses 

Australian Podiatry Association, Corns and Calluses, https://www.podiatry.org.au/foot-health-resources/corns-and-calluses 



Read This Next

Hard corn

Corn

Corns are a common painful condition. Learn more on what causes them and treatment available. READ MORE

Read More

Medical Pedicure

Hygienic, professional, and beautiful, our medical pedicures treat you to nail and foot care in a sterile environment.

Read More
nail conditions

Nail Conditions

At The Foot Hub, we treat a wide variety of nail conditions that go beyond the common fungal toenail. Our podiatrists are experts in toe anatomy, offering assessment and treatment to relieve your symptoms for good.

Read More
SHOPPING BAG 0

stages and symptoms of ingrown toenails

STAGE
SYMPTOMS
STAGE 1: MILD
Redness, minor swelling and pain when toenails is compressed
STAGE 2: MODERATE
Increased inflammation Warm to moderate swelling White or yellow pus or fluid coming from the toenail Small overgrowth of skin over toenail