Do You Have Hard Skin on the Bottom of your Foot?

Calluses are caused by the increased pressure on the bottom of your foot. This can occur as the result of having a deformity that is on your foot that causes you to have pressure points on your foot while walking. Calluses will build up over time as a form of protection. However, your body is not that smart, because as the calluses are building up they are putting pressure on the underlying structures of your foot. This can end up causing you a great deal of pain while you are walking.

There are two different kinds of calluses. There are calluses that are just regular ones we are all used to, but there are ones that have a core in the middle of them. The ones with the cores are the most painful. There are several ways to treat calluses though. One way is to use a pumice stone on them. Depending on the thickness of the callus, this may be very helpful. However, if the callus is thick, you will not get much relief as a result of this treatment. Next, there is the option to come into your podiatrist and have them use a surgical blade to scrape them down. Although, this sounds like a very painful process, the skin is actually dead and so you will not feel anything except for maybe some pressure. However, as the callus decreases in size, it will begin to feel a lot better. Finally, if your callus is really thick, your podiatrist may suggest using a urea cream or another softening cream. This cream can be applied to the callus twice a day and can help to soften your callus. This will reduce the build-up of the callus.

Sometimes, your calluses can be severe as a result of a deformity. For instance, if you have a bunion, then you may have a callus on the inside of your big toe. If there is pain associated with your callus and your deformity then you may be a candidate for surgery. However, not all calluses will be helped by surgery. For some people it is necessary to just continue the above mentioned treatments.

If you have calluses that are painful then you should see your podiatrist if you have not been able to treat them with a pumice stone. If you live in the Burlington or Stoneham, Massachusetts area, Dr. Wachtel would be more than happy to see you and help treat your calluses. We are also happy to announce our Methuen and North Andover offices located at 451 Andover St. Suite 300, North Andover MA 01845 and 87 Jackson St, Methuen, MA 01835.