Corns

Have you a painful hard area on your foot? Do you feel like you are walking on a stone? Is there something painful and annoying in-between your toes?

In this blog I will tell you about the different types of corns and what to do about them.

The most common corn is called Heloma Durum. This is a hard corn caused by an up-and-down pressure, which pushes any surrounding hard skin into the healthy skin. This can end up in a cone shape and feel like you have a stone digging into the foot. It can range from being mildly annoying to excruciatingly painful, depending on how long it has been left to grow and how deep it is. You have to be careful with these types of corns as they can lead to ulcers and cause further damage.

Heloma Millare are small seed-like corns that can come in clusters. They are usually not too painful as they are not that deep. Most people with common corns can have a few of these as well but might not even know that they are there.

Heloma Molle are soft, fibrous corns that are commonly found in between the toes. If you have one of these, you’ll know all about it because they are very painful! They are commonly caused by increased pressure in between the toes. Because in-between the toes is a little more sweaty then the rest of the feet, the corn becomes soft and leathery. They can be very painful and neuropathic, meaning that the nerves in the area are very sensitive. These particular corns can be more difficult to remove, as the tissue is rubbery and getting access between the toes can be tricky. They are usually managed by reducing the corn as much as possible and creating a toe separator or cushion.

Treatment

Getting all of these types of corns treated early and regularly, can prevent them from returning as bad as before. When you have a corn removed it allows the tender healthy skin underneath a chance to heal. When you come to me to have your corns treated, I reduce any surrounding callus using a scalpel. I then enucleate (scoop out) the corn down to the root. I look for the cause of the corn and try my best to remove the pressure that is causing the hard skin to be repeatedly pushed into the skin. With the use of the correct footwear and offloading (removing or reducing the pressure on the area by using different materials), I have managed to help my patients reduce or eliminate the return of corns altogether. Don’t suffer in silence, get yours looked at today and be pain free.

Top Tip: DO NOT use corn plasters on your corns because they do not work! The plasters contain acid so they only break down the hard skin above the corn, and can cause further damage to surrounding healthy tissue, which can lead to a neuropathic fibrous corn. Corns need to be removed down to the root with a scalpel and should only be carried out by a professional.

Fun Fact: The name ‘corn’ comes from its resemblance to a kernel of corn!