Calluses refer to the hardening and thickening of the skin when constant friction and pressure are applied to the skin. It mainly occurs in areas where friction and physical contact occur a lot, such as palms, soles, and protruding joints, and has the characteristic of being widely distributed. These calluses are part of the skin that thickens and hardens, but they often do not cause pain, so they do not cause much inconvenience to life. And when the pressure applied to the skin is removed, it naturally disappears.
Corns, which are concentrated in a localized area due to the increasing number of these calluses, have a characteristic that a small range of dead skin cells proliferate and are embedded in the skin in a cone shape, and unlike calluses, they appear with pain. Also, it can be said that it is a characteristic of corns to see a hard nucleus in the center of the lesion. Now, let’s take a closer look at the main causes of corns and various information related to prevention.
Causes and symptoms of corns
The main causes of corns are friction, pressure, and mechanical stimulation applied to the skin. It is said that it is caused by repetitive stimulation by wearing small and inappropriate shoes for a long time or wearing high heels or high heeled shoes. Also, if you walk for a long time or exercise vigorously, even if one part of the skin is subjected to constant friction and pressure due to repetitive work, corns may form in that area. These corns occur a lot in spring and summer when activity increases due to seasonal factors such as warm weather, and it is reported that the occurrence frequency is higher in the age group in their 10s and 20s, who are active compared to the elderly age group.
Corns mainly occur on the soles of the feet or toes. When the upper layer of the lesion is cut, it occurs well between the hard corns and the toes, where the central core is exposed. When it occurs, pressing from the stomach may cause sharp pain and a blunt feeling at the same time. If treatment is delayed despite these corns, you may feel pain when walking, blisters, inflammation, and bleeding.
In addition, if the treatment is left unattended for a long time, the shape of the feet may become strange and at the same time, it may cause problems in walking posture, which may cause the body shape to be shifted. It is said that such a crooked body shape can also act as a cause of low back pain. And corns in the joint area can cause infectious arthritis and osteomyelitis. In addition, if you have diabetes, constant pressure on your feet through minor trauma can cause ulcers. Therefore, it is important to visit a dermatologist and receive treatment in the near future when signs of suspected occurrence appear.
Corn Treatment and Prevention
1. Treatment and ongoing care
The corn proceeds with a method of eliminating the cause of friction or pressure using orthodontic shoes or pads. However, since it is difficult to cure it with this method alone, drugs such as salicylic acid, dichloroacetic acid, liniment, and cornungo are used. When the keratin of the skin is softened and dissolved by the use of these drugs, the lesion area is carefully shaved off with a clean razor blade, etc., and then the treatment is carried out to disinfect. And if the core is not removed, there is a high probability of recurrence, so cryotherapy can be performed to remove the core after freezing the skin with liquid nitrogen. In addition, in the case of soft corns, in addition to treatment with keratolytic agents, surgical treatment to cut the corns can be performed. In addition, corns are caused by pressure on the skin, and even after treatment, if lifestyle habits are not corrected, there is a high probability of recurrence, so it is very important to regularly manage them.
2. Minimize the use of shoes or shoes that put pressure on the feet
In order to prevent and manage corns, it is most important to refrain from wearing shoes that put pressure on the feet and cause friction. In particular, it is recommended to avoid wearing shoes with a high heel or a pointed toe, as it is known that it causes the weight to shift forward and increases the pressure on the foot, as it is known that it greatly affects the occurrence of corns. Instead, it is known that wearing low-heeled shoes with a wide front nose and cheeks and a heel height of 4 cm or less helps a lot in preventing and managing corns.
3. Improving walking habits that cause pressure on your feet
As corns are caused by repetitive mechanical pressure and friction, it is important not to concentrate the pressure on one place when walking, and to walk straight with the correct 11-character pace. It’s also a good idea to put pads on your shoes to dissipate concentrated pressure. Also, regular aerobic exercise, foot bathing, toe stretching, etc. to activate peripheral blood circulation are also said to help prevent corns and improve symptoms.
However, if you exercise excessively or walk for a long time, it is recommended to avoid it because it may cause aggravation of symptoms by applying more pressure and friction to the soles of the feet. In order to remove the corn, there are cases of forcibly cutting or plucking with a knife without resolving the cause. In this case, it is recommended to be careful as this may cause secondary infection and aggravate the symptom area.
