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Calluses, corns, calluses:differences and solutions

Corns, calluses and calluses are sometimes very painful lesions on your feet. Effective solutions exist to relieve you of these foot pains. Better still, treatments allow you to get rid of these lesions once and for all. Take care of your feet!

Corns and calluses:pain that breaks the feet!

When walking, there are conflicts between your foot and your shoe, and even between your toes:these are corns, calluses, and calluses.

The differences between hard horn and partridge eye

Thickening and hardening of the skin is the common point of corns , calluses and calluses . They result from repeated rubbing, pressure, and maceration. In medical jargon, this is called hyperkeratosis. The stratum corneum, that is to say the superficial and protective layer of the skin, is loaded with a fibrous and resistant protein:keratin. It is found in the epidermis of the skin and in the hair and body hair. In short, it serves as an anti-aggression barrier. Its intensive production is your skin's response to repeated friction!

The horn hard appears preferentially on the outer edge of your little toe, but also above your toes. These areas often rub against the toe of the shoe.

Although the friction zone is already visible, the cor budding hard is often not very painful unless you have sensitive skin. The horn installed presents a rounded and translucent shape on the surface, with the appearance of horn in the center of the lesion. However, it penetrates deeper into the layers of the skin, which intensifies the pain with the slightest palpation, pressure, or friction. The pain when walking is sometimes such that you have to change the position of your foot with each step, even without wanting to. We are talking about the phenomenon of eviction.

Sitting between two toes, the horn mou bears the evocative name of partridge's eye . Its round shape, its whitish color, and the appearance of a blackish point in the center of the lesion, recall the eye of the bird. It is as a result of repeated rubbing of your toes against each other that partridge eye forms. The contiguity of the toes also favors the maceration of the skin.

Calluses and calluses:what are the differences?

A callus is also a thickened area of ​​the skin. Unlike corns, it is a more diffuse surface of horn. It is most often located under the heels and can be complicated by the formation of cracks, that is to say cracks due to the dryness of the skin. Heel pain is called talalgia.

Calluses are areas of smaller horns. They appear under the metatarsal heads, that bony area of ​​the forefoot that bears a lot of pressure when walking.

People affected by corns, calluses, and calluses

Some people are more prone to developing corns, calluses or calluses :

  • Women are more affected:the narrowness of many shoes promotes chafing and the appearance of corns. In addition, wearing high heels accentuates the loading of the forefoot. The body weighs more on the forefoot than on the heels, and calluses form on the skin under heavy pressure.
  • Athletes are often affected by the problems of calluses, corns, partridge eye and calluses . Significant stresses, repeated friction, and maceration due to perspiration, are in question. This is also the case for workers who wear safety shoes.
  • Older people have thinner, more fragile and more sensitive skin. They regularly present this type of lesion. Also, the arch of the foot sags with age and walking can be altered. This is also the case for people with flat feet, but also with hollow feet.
  • If people with diabetes aren't more prone to corns , calluses and calluses , they remain at risk. Diabetes promotes infections, and greatly complicates the healing of the lower limbs. It is essential that they monitor the condition of their feet, and do not treat the lesions themselves. Consultations with the doctor and the podiatrist-podiatrist are necessary.

Getting rid of corns and calluses

Without realizing it, you may be changing your walk to avoid foot pain . The horns and calluses do not disappear on their own:you must act.

Sand the horn

To remove calluses and calluses , it is possible to sand the horn using a pumice stone, a rasp or a file. A prior hot water bath softens the horn.

Application of anti-calluses creams to the lesions with urea is a plus. Urea dosed at 30% destroys keratin fibres:it is said to have a keratolytic power.

Chiropodists-podiatrists can act more in depth thanks to specific tools.

Treat the lesions with a coricide:salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is a keratolytic molecule, that is, it breaks up the lesions between the cells of the stratum corneum of the skin. This power allows him to fight against hyperkeratosis, the thickening of the skin. It is said that this molecule is coricidal, that is to say that it “kills corns”! Historically, salicylic acid was extracted from the bark of the willow leaf. Today, the chemical synthesis of this molecule makes it possible to reproduce the natural active ingredient in a more controlled way.

Available in pharmacies, coricidal plasters contain this active ingredient. They are dedicated to the treatment of corns, partridges and calluses . The advice of a health professional is necessary to use them because they should be avoided in people with diabetes, allergies to aspirin, suffering from significant venous circulatory disorders and neuropathy.

Relieve lesions with protectors

Hydrocolloid dressings isolate the lesions by a "second skin" effect. These dressings are useful for relieving pain:a gel liquefies on contact with the lesion and creates a warm, moist environment conducive to softening the horn.

Protective tubes to be cut, generally made of silicone, also make it possible to isolate corns and partridge eyes from the toes. To relieve calluses, protective discs in perforated anti-pressure foam exist.

When to consult?

If the symptoms persist despite treatment, you can consult a podiatrist. This professional, specialist in foot lesions, can intervene more in depth to remove corns and calluses. He can also advise you on wearing orthopedic insoles if necessary.

If you suffer from circulation disorders in the legs, or if the lesions are infected, a visit to your doctor is necessary.

People with diabetes should consult their doctor and entrust the care of their feet to a pedicure-podiatrist. The risk of injury when removing corns and calluses without the help of a professional is too great. This phenomenon comes from the loss of sensitivity and poor healing due to diabetes.

Take care of your feet to stop pain

In order to avoid recurrences, it is important to relearn how to wear shoes and take care of your feet everyday.

Choose suitable footwear

Choose shoes that are wide enough so that your feet are not compressed. If the support of the foot is an essential element for walking, make sure that the buttresses are not too rigid. All shoes combined, the ideal heel height is between 2 and 4 cm. High-heeled, pointy-toed shoes shouldn't be worn every day. It is best to change the pair of shoes daily in order to vary the position of the foot and the friction zones.

Moisturize your feet

Several times a week, regular hydration of your feet helps nourish your skin. Shea butter or vegetable oils (apricot, argan, jojoba, etc.) are concentrated in a specific foot cream. They provide protective and nourishing lipids. Glycerin or paraffin complete the treatment to moisturize the epidermis. Your skin will be less prone to corns, calluses, and calluses .

You can also exfoliate twice a month using foot creams. Exfoliating agents are skin regenerators and stimulants. They will prevent roughness from appearing too quickly.