Corns and Calluses

Calluses

Calluses are the thickening of the skin due to pressure (called hyperkeratosis).

They can occur over bony prominence, on the ball of the foot or on the heel, often because of prolonged standing and may result in chronic pain. A callous appears as yellow or dark brown discoloured skin. It usually feels painful when you put pressure on it. Some of the causes of hard skin or calluses include running for long periods of time, inappropriate running shoes, mal-alignment of the metatarsal bones.

Corns

A corn is a localised thickening of the skin due to pressure. Corns often occur on the top of the toes where there is pressure from the shoes, but they also occur at the sole of the foot and in between toes. Corns can be very painful, especially if there is inflammation and swelling around the corn. They can be caused by an abnormal gait (walking or running) as well as through poorly fitting shoes – too tight being the most obvious, but too loose can also lead to the friction that creates corns, plus, seams that rub against a certain point of the foot.