Most people have calluses on their feet. Usually it just doesn’t look nice. But it becomes a problem when the calluses becomes dry and cracked. But what exactly is calluses anyway? How does it develop and what problems can it lead to? This and more you will learn here.
What is callus ?
The callus is a thickening of the uppermost skin layer and consists of so-called epithelial cells. It is actually something completely normal. One of its tasks is to protect our deep skin layers from injuries.
How does callus develop?
Callus is generally created by pressure and friction.
The more often an area of the skin is exposed to excessive pressure, the more likely it is that the skin will thicken. This causes our skin to spread the pressure over a larger area.
It is similar with the friction. The more often a skin area is exposed to friction, the thicker the horny layer becomes. This happens to prevent an injury.
So you can certainly think for yourself what leads to horny skin on the feet. Wrong shoes and incorrect loads.
Wrong shoes press on the feet. And if they don’t fit properly, we rub our blisters. Misalignments are caused by foot malpositions. For example, a hallux valgus causes cornea on the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe. A hammer toe allows the tip of the toe to thicken. And a strong roll over the heel provides a thick cornea at this.
How can you treat the cornea on your feet?
- Foot baths: A foot bath softens the cornea, but does not remove it. After soaking, one of the following points should be done.
- Creams: This keeps the cornea permanently soft and can rub off on its own in everyday life.
- Peeling: A peeling gently removes excess skin.
- Pumice stone: Best for very thick horny skin. But do not rub down too much, otherwise the skin can be injured.
Why should the cornea on the feet be removed?
Initially, the cornea on the feet may still be harmless and simply look unattractive. However, if the elasticity of the skin continues to diminish, cracks form. These can become deeper over time and lead to injuries. This can become very painful. So every step becomes a torture.
This is how you can prevent calluses on your feet.
Do you also find it annoying to treat cornea? Then simply make sure that it does not develop in the first place. With the following tricks:
- Run barefoot: Take off your shoes more often and walk barefoot. This will not only strengthen your muscles and tendons, you will also rub off calluses.
- Cream: Care your feet regularly with a cream. This keeps the skin supple.
- Foot baths: A regular foot bath can work wonders. It softens the skin and thus ideally bends against the callus on the feet.
- Right shoes: Take care of your shoes. Shoes that are too tight or too wide can cause friction. The cornea then forms at these points.
- Physiotherapy: Especially for foot malpositions. The physiotherapist can bring the feet into the right shape with manual grips. Or with suitable exercises. This also reduces pressure points in the shoe.
