What are corns and callus?
Corns and calluses are a build-up of hard dead skin or keratin, often in response to increased pressure. The technical term for callus is hyperkeratosis and corns are known as heloma durum, heloma molle, and heloma millare. A callus is excessive skin build-up in response to pressure over a larger area, however, corns refer to keratin build-up in response to localized pressure. A podiatrist commonly treats this by conservatively sharps debriding the excessive skin with a scalpel.
There are four common types of corns seen by podiatrists:
Hard Corns (Heloma Durum) are normally seen on the top of toes or beneath the feet where weight is borne.
Soft Corns (Heloma Molle) are lesions that tend to occur between the toes. This can often be more common in those who smoke. Heloma Molle commonly occurs at the fourth interdigital space, between the fourth and fifth digits. This type of corn may benefit from interdigital spacers such as an Otoform device. Speak to your podiatrist to see if this is suitable for you.
Seed Corns (Heloma Millare) are very small corns the size of pinheads which tend to occur in conjunction with dry skin conditions.
Neurovascular Corns contain blood vessels and/or nerves and can often be mistaken for warts. This type of corn is also more common in those who smoke.
Looking for a Bondi Junction podiatrist in Sydney for corns and calluses treatment?
What is the cause of corns and calluses?
Corns and calluses are a result of increased pressure which causes hyperkeratosis (excessive skin build-up). This can be painful.
Some of the common causes of corns and calluses:
Pressure on specific foot structures when walking
Prominent bones in the foot which may have increased pressure when walking or in shoes
Ill-fitting shoes may increase pressure on various parts of the foot
Narrow shoes may rub on the skin causing increased pressure and therefore hyperkeratosis
Dry skin may result in seed corns
Looking for a Bondi Junction podiatrist in Sydney for corns and calluses treatment?
How do podiatrists treat corns and calluses?
Podiatrists can treat the corns and callus by removing them with a scalpel if safe to do so. This is done using sterilized and high-quality equipment.
Podiatrists can also address corns and calluses long-term by offloading the affected area to reduce the pressure and friction. Some way of reducing the pressure includes interdigital wedges such as an Otoform device or accommodative orthotics (orthoses).
Do you need help with corns and calluses?
If you want help with corns and callus, contact our experienced Bondi Junction podiatrist in Sydney today to book an appointment.
Do you want to be pampered? Book a medical pedicure with our podiatrist who can treat your corns and callus during the consultation.
We treat feet from all over Sydney, particularly the Eastern Suburbs. As podiatrists in Bondi Junction, we are happy to treat anyone that comes to our Sydney clinic. Our local area includes Bondi Junction, Bondi, Bondi Beach, North Bondi, Rose Bay, Tamarama, Coogee, Randwick, Bellevue Hill, Dover Heights, Vaucluse, and Edgecliff.
