What is a callus?
Calluses are hard, thickened areas of skin that are generally not painful and don’t require treatment unless they are uncomfortable, painful, or limit your ability to comfortably wear shoes.
This hardened skin is the body’s way of protecting itself from diffuse pressure or friction.
What causes a callus to develop?
Repeated excess pressure over an area can result in a callus developing - this is why they most often occur on the feet, from the pressure of walking throughout the day. Contributing factors include:
- Faulty foot biomechanics that overload specific areas of the feet
- Poorly fitted or worn footwear
- Areas of dry skin are predisposed to developing callus
How are calluses treated?
If your callus is small and relatively soft, home care may be all that you require. This includes soaking the foot in warm water to soften the callus, followed by gently buffing the skin with a pumice stone to remove the dead skin. Take great care if you opt to use this method. Rubbing too aggressively with the pumice stone may cause the callus to bleed, and an infection can develop.
Under no circumstances should you try to cut the callus off by yourself. Improper techniques can result in cuts and bacterial infection. If the callus is persistent, visit your Podiatrist for proper callus removal or reduction. Here at South Burnett Podiatry, we also provide advice to reduce the onset of callus formation in the future.