What are Corns?

Corns are a result of the thickening of the skin in a funnel shape in certain areas on your feet, they can form on their own or within a callus.

There are a few different types of corns, and they can all cause you discomfort, pain and can affect your daily life and mobility.

Hard corns tend to occur on areas of focal pressure, such as on the bottom of your feet, tips of your toes and on the joints. They can be caused by the shape of your foot, the way you walk and sometimes footwear.

Soft corns usually occur between the toes, they are caused when there is moisture and pressure.

Seed corns are usually the result of a dry skin condition, and you tend to get these on the bottom (plantar) surface of your foot.

Neurovascular corns form with nerve fibers and blood vessels within them.

Your podiatrist can tell you what type of corn you have.

The way a podiatrist will treat your corn will depend on the type of corn you have.

Often a corn can be removed (enucleated) by your podiatrist at your appointment and can give you instant relief from the painful symptoms the corn can cause.

Your podiatrist can advise you on footwear, emollient, orthotics and make interdigital (between toes) devices that can help prevent the formation of further corns on your feet.

Sole of a woman's foot with thick corns highlighted by red circles

Is it A wart?

It can be easy to confuse a wart and a corn, but they are actually very different and so the way that they should be treated can be very different. That is why it is important to see a health care specialist so that they can give you appropriate advice.

Corn Plasters and Corn Pads

Corn plasters are over-the-counter treatments that are applied directly to the corn, they tend to have a mild acid in them and can result in superficial damage to the surrounding areas of the skin. They rarely work in getting rid of the corn.

Corn pads are different, they are usually round pads with a hole that can take the pressure off a corn and give you some temporary relief.

Podiatry at 4 Life

The podiatry team at 4 Life can give you expert advice, assessment and treatment for corns so that you can maintain and improve your foot mobility, comfort, and overall general foot health.

By Stuart Andrew, Podiatrist