Our foot clinic in downtown Toronto looks after a variety of services for our patients including smoothing over corns and calluses. These areas of thick skin can develop from ill-fitting footwear and an improper walking gait. They can also form from friction and pressure caused from wearing high heeled shoes and footwear without socks.
Corns can be found on the sides of your toes and the bottom of your feet and they can hurt. Calluses are a layer of skin that develops on the feet and hands or anywhere else there’s friction.
The Difference Between Corns and Calluses
Here’s the ABC’s on what you need to know about both.
Corns can be divided into several different types. Look for them on the sides or tops of your toes.
- If the ones you notice are white or gray, you probably have a soft corn. These have a rubbery, soft texture and are found more often than not between your toes.
- As the name suggests, hard corns are dense and small. They usually form on the tops of your toes.
- If you find these growths on the soles of your feet, you more than likely have what’s called a seed corn.
Our foot clinic in downtown Toronto can identify situations that irritate existing calluses or corns or promote new ones. We can suggest the best shoes to relieve pressure points where your existing footwear rubs against your feet.
Calluses are thick and hard. They are larger than corns with a less defined and wider shape. Look for them on the sides and bottom of your feet. They can also form on your big toe, heel and the ball of your foot.
How They Get Started
Our patients often ask us how corns and calluses start to develop. We tell them they result from pressure and repeated friction on the skin. Constant rubbing or any kind of pressure can cause them to occur.
Remember, these hard layers of skin protect what’s underneath from further irritation and damage.
There are people who are more susceptible to calluses and corns than others. If you wear ill-fitting shoes that are too narrow or you walk around without socks, you’re on the list. Our foot clinic in downtown Toronto can diagnose and treat a variety of ailments to alleviate foot pain and increase mobility.
