Dry corns on feet with and without a stem

Human feet, due to their location and functions, take on a huge load, since they are under the pressure of body weight, which in adulthood often exceeds 90 kg. At the same time, the maximum load falls not even on the bones, but on the soft tissues of the sole, which, moreover, is often in the rigid framework of the shoe. Heavy weight and uncomfortable shoes lead to the fact that almost every adult, and sometimes even a child, is faced with the fact that small seals of skin, called calluses, appear on the foot. A wet or soft callus, inside which liquid collects, usually forms between the toes and on the back of the foot, which is most exposed to friction from the backs and straps of shoes. But dry calluses on the feet choose the sole and the underside of the toes as a favorite place, i.e. areas where the skin is rougher than on other parts of the foot.

What is a dry callus?

The foot is the lower part of the foot that comes into direct contact with the surface while walking. The skin of newborn babies who cannot walk yet is soft and tender. But once a person has learned to walk, they use this ability regularly, so the skin on the sole and the bottom of the toes becomes thicker and rougher. With proper care of your feet, you can maintain the softness of your skin for a long time without limiting your movement. But not everyone can cope with this task well, and then areas of hardened skin (corns), wet and dry calluses, cracked heels, plantar warts, etc. appear on the skin of the foot.

All these new growths do not pose a danger to human health, although they noticeably spoil the appearance of the feet, especially in the summer, when all the defects are on display. But the serious problem is different. Corns and especially dry calluses with a core can cause severe discomfort while walking. Sometimes they cause great difficulty in putting on and wearing shoes, especially if the shoes fit tightly on the foot.

Corns are dry calluses on the feet without a core. The name itself speaks of the reason for the appearance of such formations on the skin of the feet. Such seals are formed mainly on the sole in the area of the heel and metatarsus, less often on the pads of the toes. These are the areas of the foot that bear the maximum load; when walking, they always come into contact with the surface, experiencing great pressure, sometimes combined with friction. The sizes of corns can be different, as well as their shapes.

Corns can be either single or multiple. It should be said that such bumps on the sole, considered one of the varieties of local hyperkeratosis, do not always cause noticeable discomfort. Usually, a person feels pain and burning in this area only after a long walk or wearing tight shoes.

A core callus is usually a small lump with a light spot in the middle. This type of callus is also called an ingrown callus. Its dense keratinized core (root) penetrates deep into the tissues of the foot, sometimes reaching the muscles and nerve endings. The appearance and growth of a dry callus with a core is accompanied by noticeable discomfort, which intensifies when the core of the callus begins to irritate the nerves inside the foot.

Unlike a wet callus, this type is hard to the touch and does not have a free cavity inside. When a wet callus opens, which often happens spontaneously, a clear liquid flows out of it, and inside a dry callus there is a difficult to remove light-gray rod, after which a depression remains in the soft tissues of the foot.

Epidemiology

If dry calluses can appear with equal chance in people of any age, then corns are considered a privilege of older people and those who have to walk and stand on their feet a lot. As for the gender distinction, statistics say that women face this problem ten times more often than men. And this is not surprising, if you consider the difference in men's and women's shoes. Men usually choose what is more comfortable, looser, does not squeeze the toes, and women try to be perfect in everything, so their shoes most often fit tightly to the foot, have a narrower toe and a high heel. Women who prefer a small heel have a significantly lower risk of developing calluses.

But during pregnancy, when weight increases noticeably and gait changes, even a low heel can become a risk factor for the appearance of dry calluses and corns on the sole. Trying to balance the body, expectant mothers redistribute the load on the spine in such a way that they increase the pressure on the back of the foot (heel)

A dry callus on the foot with a core is more likely to form in people whose bodies have the herpes virus, HPV, dermatotropic virus or fungal infection. However, given the prevalence of these pathogens, it can be concluded that more than 90% of the population is susceptible to the formation of core calluses, most of whom do not even suspect that they are infected. But scientists still cannot explain how viruses and fungi affect the formation and growth of the core of the callus.

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Causes dry corns on the feet

As we have already understood, the appearance of dry calluses on the feet is associated with long-term mechanical impact on the skin of the lower part of the limb. But many of us walk several kilometers every day, stand on our feet for a long time, and this does not lead to the appearance of corns or calluses with a core on the foot. Obviously, there are some special reasons why dry calluses appear on the feet.

Yes, prolonged walking or standing can be considered as risk factors for the formation of calluses on the feet. But their appearance in such conditions can be facilitated by various internal and external causes.

Among the internal reasons it is worth highlighting:

• Physiological changes. With age, the skin on the legs becomes drier and less elastic. It is more susceptible to various mechanical damages and is prone to hyperkeratosis.
• Posture disorders, spinal pathologies, flat feet. Such disorders lead to incorrect load distribution not only on the spinal column, but also on the lower limbs, as a result of which certain areas of the foot experience significantly more pressure than others.
• An identical situation is observed with some anomalies in the structure and development of the spine and lower limbs, which can be congenital or acquired as a result of injuries (for example, insufficient mobility of the spine or different leg lengths), as well as with diseases of a neurological nature.
• The habit of walking incorrectly. When walking, the load should be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the foot. If a person is used to leaning on the heel or toes, he may have problems with the skin in these areas.
• Metabolic disorders. Any diseases accompanied by metabolic disorders can be considered a risk factor for the appearance of dry calluses. Such diseases include pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract with impaired absorption of nutrients, failures in the endocrine system (for example, diabetes), vitamin deficiencies, vascular pathologies that negatively affect blood circulation in the lower extremities.
• Excess weight, which is considered the cause of the development of many even more serious diseases.
• Excessive sweating of the feet. If the feet are constantly damp, the skin becomes more delicate and sensitive to mechanical impact. At the same time, the risk of severe rubbing from shoes increases significantly.
• Fungal and viral infections. We owe them the formation of a core in the callus and its penetration deep into the soft tissues with the development of a severe pain syndrome.

The above-described pathologies and disorders do not necessarily lead to the formation of dry calluses on the feet, but under the same conditions (for example, when it is necessary to travel 5 km to and from work every day), the risk of the appearance of rough areas on the feet in people with such deviations is much higher than in others.

Now it's time to pay attention to external causes that increase the likelihood of dry calluses on the feet:

• Wearing wet shoes. If a person in open shoes gets caught in the rain, then upon returning home, he will most likely find wet calluses on his feet. But constant work in conditions of high humidity may well cause the formation of a dry callus due to regular rubbing of the feet (a dry callus may well appear in place of a wet one if the negative mechanical impact is not stopped).
• Wearing shoes made of materials that create a greenhouse effect on your feet. The situation is similar to hyperhidrosis. In addition, these conditions increase the risk of developing a fungal infection.
• Quite often we encounter a situation when a callus on a finger appears from new, tight shoes. Usually, shoes made of genuine leather are worn in fairly quickly, but rough synthetic materials can press and rub the skin for a long time, which contributes to the appearance of dry calluses.
• Corns can also be caused by shoes with narrow toes, rough heels, or incorrect fit or last.
• The risk of developing rough spots is higher if you wear shoes without socks, knee-highs, stockings or footsies. Such clothing for the feet reduces the friction of the skin against the rough material of the shoes. However, preference should be given to natural fabrics that allow the feet to breathe and do not tend to gather in the foot area, forming rough folds that only aggravate the situation.
• High heels are considered the most popular cause of corns and calluses among young women. It is clear that such shoes look very stylish, help to look attractive and sexy, making legs slimmer, but they also cause problems with legs and spine. So, in this case, corns should be considered the lesser of two evils.

But the problem is that callus formation can be caused equally by both high heels and their complete absence (flat, thin sole). But if in the first case the callus usually appears on the toes and in the metatarsal area, then in the second case the heel suffers.

• People say that walking barefoot on the ground helps maintain health. That's true, but surfaces can be different. If you walk on grass and flat ground, the forces of nature and a gentle massage of reflex points, of which there are indeed many on the foot, will help maintain health. Although in this case, foot care will have to be increased. But prolonged walking on an uneven, hard surface (asphalt, concrete, gravel, crushed stone, any small stones) can cause calluses on the feet.
• It is believed that dry calluses on the feet can also occur on the site of old wounds that have not been treated properly. Infection of the wound on the sole and prolonged inflammation will contribute to the formation of fibrous tissue and compaction on the skin.
• Foot hygiene plays a major role in preventing wound infection and fungal infections. Neglecting it can be considered an indirect cause of calluses.
• And finally, certain sports and arts (running, dancing, gymnastics, ballet, figure skating) can be considered risk factors for the appearance of calluses on the soles and toes.

Pathogenesis

Any type of callus is the result of strong pressure and friction of soft tissues against a hard, rough surface. Such mechanical action provokes keratinization of the skin, which is a protective reaction of the body. But if for the appearance of a wet callus a short-term impact on the delicate tissues of the foot is enough, then the pathogenesis of the formation of a dry callus is somewhat different.

A dense, dry lump usually appears after prolonged pressure or friction of the rougher tissues of the sole and toes. This leads to the activation of pathological division of epidermal cells, when new horny layers appear before the old ones are exfoliated. The overlap of old and new skin layers results in the formation of a low lump. If viruses (for example, herpes virus, papilloma, dermatotropic virus) or a fungal infection are active in the body, the seal begins to grow inward, forming a hard rod.

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Symptoms dry corns on the feet

Above we made an attempt to understand in detail the reasons for the formation of corns and core calluses. Now we will try to explain what dry calluses on the feet look like and how they differ from wet calluses.

Both wet and dry calluses occur as a result of pressure and friction of the soft tissues of the soles of the toes, but they differ significantly in appearance and feel. A wet callus is a soft, fluid-filled blister that protrudes noticeably above the surface of the body and is barely different in color from the surrounding skin. Further mechanical action on such a callus leads to rupture of its tissues and leakage of fluid, with a high risk of infection in the resulting wound.

Dry calluses on the feet are small round bumps on the skin, most often yellowish or dirty white in color and rough (less often smooth) in surface. A dry callus can be almost flat or slightly protrude above the surrounding tissue. Dry core calluses on the feet and hands have a small gray or black dot in the center, which is the upper part of the root. Corns do not have such a core.

The shape of a callus with a core can be either round or oval, while corns often have an irregular shape and are often much larger in size.

On the toe, a dry callus can usually be found both on the lateral surface (most often between the first two and last toes) and on the lower part. If the callus is located on the side and is formed as a result of compression and friction of the toes against each other, it is usually dense only on the inside, and the skin around the neoplasm remains soft and tender. A callus on the rougher skin at the bottom of the toes, as well as a dry callus on the little toe on the side, formed as a result of compression by shoes, is most often hard on the inside and surrounded by slightly less dense, but still rough skin.

If a dry callus on the fingers is usually small in size, then on the sole of the foot it can reach one or more centimeters, since the contact area in this case is larger.

The first signs of a dry callus are considered to be the appearance on the sole or toes of a small convex area, which differs in color from the rest of the skin inside, which is associated with the presence of a focus of exfoliated epidermis under the skin, under which interstitial fluid accumulates. The situation is similar to the formation of a wet callus, but in this case the blister with fluid is inside the tissues and covered with hardened skin.

By appearance and touch, one can understand that the translucent horny layer goes deep into the soft tissues; it is hard and inelastic, not like normal skin of the sole.

The skin around such a bump may become inflamed, reddened and swollen. If you palpate it, you may notice that the sensitivity of the callus tissue and the skin surrounding it is reduced. With strong pressure, there is noticeable discomfort, and if there is a core, there is pain, the strength of which depends on whether the core has reached the nerve endings and whether there are cracks on the surface of the callus. Most often, pain occurs during walking when pressing on the callus.

Cracks can form because hyperkeratotic areas have extremely weak elasticity and can burst under body pressure, especially if you are overweight. In this case, the pain can become even more intense.

When a core callus forms, a person may initially feel only a slight tingling or itching. As the core grows in, the pain intensifies and soon becomes an obstacle to free movement. As the growth grows, old shoes that put pressure on the callus become uncomfortable.

Dry callus on a child's foot

The appearance of dry calluses on the feet of adults is hardly surprising. But where can such a misfortune come from in a child? It turns out that it can, and increased motor activity and delicate baby skin contribute to this. However, in most cases we are talking about a wet callus or a type of dry callus known as corns.

The appearance of a core callus in a child can be explained by infection with one of the viruses that promote the growth of the core deeper or by the carelessness of parents. After all, quite a lot of time passes from the appearance of the first symptoms to the formation of the core, and the child has probably already managed to complain to his mother more than once during this period that something is pressing or pricking him in the sole or toe. In children, a dry callus usually becomes a consequence of subsequent rubbing of the place where a wet callus had previously formed, in the place of which the skin thickened later.

The reasons why dry calluses appear on a child's feet are not due to the child's health, but to the parents' lack of attention and carelessness. In most cases, this is due to the wrong choice of children's shoes.

The stratum corneum is actually dying epidermal cells, the death of which can be both physiological and pathological (for example, due to impaired blood circulation and nutrition of soft tissues, and epidermal cells located at a distance from the blood vessels suffer first of all). The cause of impaired blood circulation in the feet is tight shoes, which either did not fit in size and fullness initially, or the child simply outgrew them.

Buying shoes for growth is also risky, especially when it comes to summer shoes that a child can wear without socks. The shoes will slap and rub the baby's delicate skin of the feet. In closed autumn and winter shoes, if they do not fit the foot well, there is a risk that the socks and tights will gradually sag and form folds in the shoes that put pressure on the skin of the feet. Tights for growth and wide socks are not the best choice for a child for the same reason.

The choice of material from which shoes are made is also very important. If a child's feet do not breathe and warm up, blisters and corns can form on them much faster.

Even in summer, it is better for small children to take closed shoes made of natural fabrics. This way, you can avoid sweating of the feet and getting sand and small stones inside the sandals, which rub the child's feet.

Quite often today you can find children's shoes with thin soles. Nowadays, manufacturers are not very concerned about the fact that walking on pebbles in such shoes can become a risk factor for the formation of calluses on the sole. Whether to buy such shoes for a child depends on the parents.

The density of a child's skin is noticeably different from that of an adult. Mechanical impacts cause compactions to form on it much faster, which means that when buying shoes for a child, you need to pay attention to the presence of rough seams and inserts that will injure the child's feet.

In the summer, children love to run around barefoot. Being close to the ground is certainly good, but uneven surfaces can very quickly cause calluses to appear on the child's soles.

In childhood, it is especially important to monitor the baby's gait, which is formed during this period. If the child has a clubfoot or develops flat feet, do not be surprised that in places where the floor pressure on the sole is maximum, small painful seals will appear.

Professional training in many sports and tanks usually begins in childhood. At the same time, the delicate skin on the child's feet can be subjected to great trials with the formation of wet and dry calluses.

Teenage girls, wanting to appear taller and slimmer, start buying high-heeled shoes. The result of early maturation is calluses on the feet and back pain. If, in an attempt to correct their height, a teenager regularly rises on their toes, the load from the heel goes to the metatarsal area, where calluses can also appear.

Boys of any age are very often fond of playing football, and if the child does not buy suitable comfortable shoes for sports games, he may again encounter such a problem as painful dry calluses on the feet.

Complications and consequences

We have already noted that corns and calluses do not pose a particular danger to human health and life. Another thing is that the pain syndrome they cause can have the most negative impact on a person's quality of life.

Even if we do not take into account the aesthetic side of the problem (and such growths significantly spoil the appearance of the legs, which is especially unacceptable for women who care about the beauty of their legs), the prospect is not pleasant. Firstly, if the callus is not treated, it can increase in size, causing additional inconvenience when walking and putting on shoes. As the callus grows, its core also grows, which contributes to increased pain when pressing on the growth. Complaints that a dry callus on the foot hurts and interferes with walking are a fairly common reason for visiting a doctor.

Secondly, such neoplasms can periodically become inflamed, which is accompanied by intense pain syndrome. Most often, inflammation occurs when a callus of cracks forms on the skin. If a dry callus on the foot becomes inflamed, then most likely the cause of this was the penetration of a bacterial infection inside, which cannot be ignored.

But the worst thing is that such a seemingly trifle as a callus can cause the development of serious diseases. Experiencing pain in the leg, a person tries to lean on the sore spot as little as possible, as a result of which his gait changes, limping appears with emphasis on the healthy leg. Distortions in gait entail incorrect distribution of the load on the spine and leg joints, which is fraught with serious problems with the musculoskeletal system caused by inflammatory and degenerative changes in the tissues of the skeleton and limbs.

Problems with the spine often affect the functioning of internal organs, and the list of medical diagnoses is gradually growing. And it is very disappointing if the roots of many health problems are generally safe dry calluses on the feet.

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Diagnostics dry corns on the feet

Dry calluses are new growths, the diagnosis of which is not difficult. The appearance of the callus itself and the pain when pressing indicate the nature of the growth. And a dermatologist (and he is the one who diagnoses various new growths on the skin) usually does not need information that can be obtained by conducting laboratory tests.

But it is not enough for a doctor to detect the fact of callus formation; it is also important to understand what caused the appearance of a pathological painful lump on the foot. After all, sometimes the problem is internal and is caused by hidden pathologies that the patient has.

It is clear that when calluses appear on the foot, the doctor will first of all inquire about the shoes that the patient wears, because it is often with them that everything begins. If the problem is not in the shoes, questions will follow about the nature of work, hobbies, and sports preferences.

Instrumental diagnostics (namely, X-ray examination of the foot, spine, joints of the lower extremities) may be necessary if the doctor suspects foot deformation or other diseases of the musculoskeletal system. In this case, a consultation with a neurologist, rheumatologist or orthopedist may also be necessary.

When core calluses are detected, the doctor may suspect the presence of a viral infection in the body and prescribe appropriate tests.

Studying the patient's medical history will help the doctor identify the relationship between the appearance of calluses and existing metabolic and circulatory disorders in the lower extremities. In this case, additional studies may be prescribed (for example, a blood test for sugar or phlebography) and a consultation with specialists (phlebologist, vascular surgeon, endocrinologist), who will prescribe a comprehensive treatment aimed at eliminating the cause of dry calluses on the feet.

Differential diagnosis

Doctors pay special attention to differential diagnostics. After all, a small callus has a great resemblance to a regular core callus, if you do not take into account the fact that the latter can have a small core. But the treatment of calluses and core dry calluses is very different.

Papillomaviruses types 1, 2 and 4 are considered to be responsible for the formation of plantar warts, while they indirectly contribute to the growth of the dry callus core by weakening the body's defenses. Plantar warts are similar in appearance to dry calluses. However, in the case of papillomatous growths, we are talking about multiple thin rods with black dots at the top inside a small depression in the center of the wart, which are easier to remove than the hard root of a dry callus. In addition, with increased immunity, plantar warts can disappear on their own, but this is not typical of calluses.

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Treatment dry corns on the feet

There is an opinion that if a callus does not cause much discomfort and pain, then there is no need to treat it. It is not surprising that people usually go to the doctor when corns and dry calluses on their feet begin to hurt, interfere with walking and putting on shoes. But is it worth letting it get to this point? After all, if nothing is done, there is a risk that the callus will continue to grow, and the core will go deeper into the tissue. Therefore, the appearance of pain can be considered a matter of time. Read more about how to remove dry calluses on your feet in this article.

Prevention

What should you do to avoid ending up on the surgeon's table and racking your brains over the problem of removing corns and calluses at home? Probably, stick to the preventive measures that we will talk about now:

• When buying shoes, you need to make sure that they match the size and fullness of the foot, do not squeeze the tissues of the foot, do not squeeze the toes, and ensure complete adhesion of the sole. Shoes with high heels should be worn for special occasions, and in everyday life, a heel of no more than 5 cm is enough. This is good for both the spine and the feet.
• New shoes, even if they fit, tend to squeeze and rub your feet until the material becomes softer and more flexible (breaks in). You shouldn't refuse to buy them. But you do need to take care of your feet. For shoes that are hard to break in, there are special stretching sprays. In other cases, almost invisible silicone inserts are enough, which need to be attached to the places where the shoes rub.
• If possible, avoid wearing shoes barefoot, too thin soles, numerous fasteners. It is important to ensure that your feet do not sweat in shoes and wash socks, tights, knee socks, footsies, the inside of the shoes themselves as often as possible, and constantly monitor foot hygiene.
• When relaxing in nature, you should walk barefoot on a soft surface, avoiding asphalt, concrete, and small stones. Grass and sand are best suited for these purposes, providing a soft, relaxing massage.
• When walking, you need to pay attention to your gait, trying to evenly distribute the load across the entire foot.
• Excess weight is considered one of the important factors that provoke the appearance of calluses on the soles of the feet, so you need to monitor your weight not only from an aesthetic point of view.
• Foot care includes not only nail trimming/painting and skin hygiene, but also a careful examination of the foot for various injuries and neoplasms. In this way, you can notice the appearance of a callus at an early stage, when its removal does not require a lot of time, effort and money.
• By paying close attention to your health, undergoing regular medical examinations and contacting doctors when any suspicious symptoms appear, you can prevent the development of not only calluses, but also more dangerous pathologies.

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Forecast

Dry calluses on the feet are not neoplasms that are dangerous to human life or health. However, if they are not treated, the resulting pain syndrome can cause the development of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, which will lead to disruptions in the functioning of other organs. For this reason (and in order not to suffer from pain), doctors recommend removing calluses, preventing them from growing in.

Treatment of corns without a core is not difficult and almost always leads to a positive result. But even with ingrown dry corns, the prognosis is usually favorable, because there are many effective ways to treat them. The main thing is to maintain hygiene and sterility during the removal of the corn and in the recovery period, prevent friction and pressure on the former corn, and simultaneously combat the activated viral or fungal infection.

But cutting or peeling off a callus on your own can end badly if the wound gets infected, because it is not so easy to maintain sterility at home. In addition, there is always the possibility of incomplete root removal and relapse of the pathological growth.

Dry calluses on the feet should be considered not only as a cosmetic defect. After all, this is one of the signals that our body gives us to think about important questions. Are we doing everything right? Do we take sufficient care of our health, which is given to us by birthright, or do we put some of our interests, hobbies and goals ahead of it? For now, we hear the first bell, which later, if nothing is done, can turn into an alarming alarm.

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