What are corns?

A corn is an area of hardened, thickend skin. They form because of a constant rubbing, pressure or friction of the skin.

Corns typically develop on the top and sides of your feet. Hard corns are a little patch of hard, dead skin with a plug-like piece of skin in the middle of it. A soft corn is  white in colour with a much thinner surface and can be found between the toes. Corns on the bottom of the feet make weight-bearing on that part of the foot very tender and can alter the biomechanics of the foot.

What causes corns?

Most are caused by wearing ill-fitting shoes. Some corns can develop due to an improper walking motion.. The friction and rubbing motion that ill-fitting footwear causes on your feet are the primary causes. High-heeled shoes are a prime example of shoes that can cause this rubbing. This means that women are a lot more likely to get corns than men. A corn can be confused with a verruca or wart.

Feet spend most of their life in moist, close condition and this is the perfect place for bacterial infections to start. If bacteria enter a corn this can cause the area to become infected. When a corn is infected, you will notice pus or fluid discharging from it.

The treatment of corns

Most corns will disappear on their own over time after the friction or pressure has been removed.. However, there are some remedies that you can use to try to speed up the healing, including:

Salicylic acid liquids and plasters – these aren’t suitable for everyone, so please consult your doctor before use.

Moleskin shoe inserts – these can help take the pressure off of the area.

Antibiotics – if you think you have an infected corn you need to see your doctor.