Callous

Calluses are a very common sight in the practice. They are hard, rough areas of skin that are often yellowish in colour. In the feet Callous is often found on the heels area or under the ball of your feet. The edges of a callous are not as well-defined as with a corn and the skin is thick. You’ll probably find that it is less sensitive to touch than the surrounding skin.

Calluses are formed through friction, when skin rubs against something. This can be against a shoe, bone or the ground. They often form over the ball of your foot because this area takes most of your weight when you walk. This is why ladies that frequently wear high heels are susceptible to this. When this pressure becomes excessive, some areas of the skin thicken, in the form of corns and callus, as a protective response.

Excessive pressure on bony areas of the foot, badly fitting shoes, dry skin and reduced fatty padding are all possible causes of calluses.

How we can treat youcallous

You can control a small amount of hard skin by gently rubbing with a pumice stone, or chiropody sponge occasionally when you are in the bath.  If this does not appear to be working, seek advice from us.

  • We can educate you on the best practice foot-care regime. We can also offer you chiropody sponges and the most effective moisturizers and emollient creams to improve the skins natural elasticity and prevent future callous build ups.
  • If the callus is painful we advise you to come in and see us. We will painlessly remove hard skin using
  • We will relieve pain, and redistribute pressure with soft padding, strapping, or corrective appliances which fit easily into your shoes.
  • Our elderly patients benefit from padding to the ball of the foot, to compensate for any loss of natural padding.

Give us a call if your callous build up is causing you discomfort or if the area starts to bleed due to a cut or skin splitting.