The doctor named ways to reduce the formation of corns

Calluses on the feet are common at any time of the year. Andrey Kuznetsov, a dermatologist at the Sberbank Health medical company, told Izvestia on August 26 how to reduce the risk of their formation and what to do when they appear.

"Calluses are the skin's reaction to constant friction, pressure, or irritation. This is how the body tries to protect itself by thickening one of its layers of skin — the horny layer — as an "armor". Corns often occur due to incorrectly selected shoes, physical exertion or gait characteristics," he said.

Corns come in three types: wet ones with a bubble filled with a clear liquid, dry ones with roughened skin, and taperous ones with a dense "root" inside. The latter type can be confused with a wart.

"If a corn of any kind appears, it should be protected from injury, and it is also not recommended to try to remove it yourself, including with a knife, scissors and other cutting tools. Also, you should not use home steaming of calluses or use various aggressive acids, such as acetic acid, oxalic acid," the doctor added.

Otherwise, he clarified, there is a risk of inflammation, infection, suppuration, and scar formation. This is especially important for patients with diabetes mellitus to know, as there is a possibility that their normal skin healing processes may be disrupted and ulcers may appear.

In case of wet calluses, it is recommended to seal it with a protective plaster and wait for it to dry itself. You should not pierce the bladder that appears above it, because of the risk of complications, such as infection.

"At home, when dry calluses form, you can only provide some care. For example, use softening creams with urea, salicylic acid. The use of any additional methods, such as laser, radio waves, cryodestruction, is possible only as prescribed by a dermatologist," he said.

If you have a complaint of soreness, you should also consult a dermatologist. If the corn has a core, the doctor can refer the patient to a surgeon to remove it surgically, since in this case the use of local remedies will be ineffective.

The main preventive measure for the formation of calluses is to eliminate the cause of skin friction. For example, you should choose comfortable shoes according to the size of the foot without hard internal seams. It is important to regularly moisturize the skin, especially those prone to dryness, for example, using a cream with urea.

In case of regular occurrence of new calluses, if the above rules are followed, you should consult an orthopedic traumatologist to assess gait, foot condition and select the necessary therapy.

Alexander Arzhakov, an orthopedic traumatologist at the Sberbank Health medical company, told Izvestia on July 18 that the appearance of a lump on the foot near the thumb is a common condition that many people face. The deviation of the thumb to the side occurs due to a violation of the balance of the muscles, ligaments and bones of the foot. As a result, the joint at the base of the first finger changes.

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