The Foot Hub

What are foot corns and calluses?

Foot corns and calluses are hardened areas of skin that occur on the feet. They are common conditions caused by repeated friction such as rubbing or pressure on your skin. While they can be painful, you don’t have to put up with them. Read more to learn what causes corns and calluses and how we can help.

What’s the difference between a foot corn and a callus?

Foot corns and calluses are similar in that they consist of hardened, thick areas of skin. But there are some key differences to be aware of.

What are calluses?

Calluses are essentially thickened areas of skin that develop on pressure points such as your heels, balls of the feet, big toes and sides of your feet. Calluses are usually more irregular in shape than corns and are rarely painful.

What are corns?

Corns are smaller and deeper than calluses and they have a painful ‘core’ or nucleus which is surrounded by inflamed skin.

Types of corns

Not all corns are the same. Different types of corns can occur in the feet, and it’s important to know the difference.

Hard corns are small, hard and dense and usually form on top of the bony areas and underneath the foot.

Soft corns are whitish grey, soft and rubbery and form in between the toes.

Seed corns are often small and form under the ball of the foot.

Subungual corns are found underneath a toenail.

Vascular/Neurovascular corns have both nerve fibres and blood vessels in them and form on high load-bearing areas in the feet.

What causes calluses and corns?

Calluses and corns are caused by repeated stress and microtrauma to the feet either through rubbing, irritation or pressure on your skin.

The repeated stress damages the skin until it’s unable to repair itself at the same rate as the stress.
In an effort to protect the underlying tissue, excess skin forms in the area.

Corns form when the skin forms a plug of harder skin to protect itself. This plug is pushed back into the skin and looks like an inverted cone. This cone-like structure is often referred to as the nucleus or core. As the mechanical stress increases, the nucleus extends down and presses on the inner layer of the skin and even nerves, resulting in pain.

Many factors can lead to excessive localised stress on the feet.

These can be intrinsic (related to a person’s specific health issues) or extrinsic (external) factors.

Intrinsic factors

Hammertoe

bunion

arthritis

abnormal foot mechanics

diabetes

peripheral Neuropathy

Extrinsic factors

prosthetics

poor fitting shoes

excessive exercise

Who is at risk of corns and calluses?

While anyone can get corns and calluses, some people are more at risk. These include people who:

wear poorly fitting shoes, or shoes that increase pressure on the feet
wear shoes without socks, which increases friction
have a condition that changes the normal alignment of bones in the feet, or that increases pressure or friction on the feet
have atrophy or loss of the cushioning and padding on the feet
have inherited a genetic tendency to develop corns.

How are foot corns diagnosed?

In order to receive the correct treatment, you should visit a podiatrist. By examining your feet, they will be able to determine whether the problem is a callus or corn, what type of corn you have, and what is causing it.

There are many ways to treat and manage corns and calluses. Treatment will depend on the extent of the problem, and the cause.

frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a callus and a foot corn?

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.

How can I tell the difference between a foot corn and a wart?

It is best to see a podiatrist to distinguish the two accurately. 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.

When can foot corns reoccur?

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.

Is there surgery for foot corns?

Yes, if you are wondering how to get rid of corns on the feet, surgery is an option. 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).

Can corns be treated naturally?

Corns are best treated by reducing the underlying cause (mechanical irritation) and gentle removal by an experienced podiatrist. Change in footwear, footwear modification or use of foot orthotics is often recommended

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

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