More about Corns...

There are five main types:

• Hard Corns which are the most common. These can be anything in size from quite small, up to the size of a small pea. They can also be found overlying a larger area of callus.
• Soft Corns develop in a similar way to Hard Corns, but these appear in between your toes and not on the top. They are associated with an increase in moisture between your toes.
• Vascular Corns are associated with blood vessels that develop within the corn. There is increased blood supply to the lesion as a result. They can bleed a lot if they are cut or rubbed too much.
• Neurovascular corns occur when nerve fibres develop within a corn as well as blood vessels. These types of corns can be very painful indeed.”
• Seed corns on the other hand are usually painless and appear on the bottom of your foot, either on their own or in clusters. These types of corn are associated with dry feet and can be fairly shallow.
• Fibrous Corns are the next stage for long standing corns. They appear to be more firmly attached and deeper than normal corns because they have been there for a longer period of time. These also can be very painful.

Some Common Causes

• Friction or pressure over a particular area of your foot
• Wearing incorrect footwear that is not fitted correctly being too tight or narrow for your foot.
• The way that you walk could be causing this condition by putting pressure and friction on areas that are not designed to stand constant wear and tear.
• Being overweight.
• Having “flat feet”.
• Your foot could have a bunion on the first toe (Hallux Valgus) or a similar problem on the fifth toe (Tailor’s Bunion), either of which could be a source of a corn.
• Wearing high-heeled shoes could cause this condition.
• Friction between your toes.
• Prolonged standing or overuse of your feet.
• An alteration of the bones of your feet either through surgery or another cause.
• Increased moisture between the toes.
• Deformed toes - such as Hammer Toes or Mallet Toes.

The Main Symptoms

• Localised areas of painful excess skin on your feet.
• An area of raised skin, which can be hard, rough and even painful when touched.
• Some suggested treatment programs
• Try and reduce the development of corns by wearing cushioned, shock absorbing insoles in your shoes.
• NEVER try and remove a corn with a pair of scissors, a razorblade or any other sharp instrument.
• Limit the amount of time you wear high-heeled or thin-soled shoes.
• Use foot care creams, powers and sprays to help keep the area around the corn supple

DO NOT USE CORN PLASTERS AS THEY CAN LEAD TO THE DESTRUCTION OF HEALTHY SKIN – THEY SHOULD NEVER BE USED BY PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES.

Cathy Bowen
MSc DPodM ILTM, Podiatrist