Removal of dry calluses

When due to constant increased mechanical stress on the feet or toes, and sometimes on the palm surface of the hands over time formed areas of thickened hard skin, the only way to solve this problem is to remove dry calluses.

Ways to remove dry calluses

Dry corns on the feet with and without a stem, heel corns and corns - areas of excessive keratinization (keratinization) of the epidermis on the plantar part of the foot, as well as dry corns on the hands.in the majority of cases are removed with external agents that promote loosening and subsequent peeling of the keratinized cells (keratinocytes) that form such calluses.

With the same means is carried out and removal of dry calluses on the toes, read more - How to get rid of dry calluses on the toes.

And indications for removal by hardware methods - laser or liquid nitrogen - the presence of deeply penetrating into the lower layers of the dermis and even into the subcutaneous tissues rod callus, which due to irritation of nerve endings can be extremely painful when walking. [1]

Remedies for removing dry calluses

With the help of what means can be carried out removal of dry callus at home?

This requires so-called keratolytic agents (keratolytics), which include: 2-hydroxybenzoic - salicylic acid (as well as its alcoholic solution); trichloroacetic (trichloroethane) acid; oxycarboxylic acids - lactic and glycolic; urea (urea).

That is, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical products designed to remove dry calluses should have in its composition one of the above substances or their combination with an antiseptic (most often - benzoic acid).

First of all, these are plasters for removing dry calluses based on salicylic acid: Salipod, Saliplast, Salipad, Compeed (Compeed), Luxplast. Also Ureaplast and Urgocor with urea.

Preparation for their use (steaming the callus in hot water), protection of the skin surrounding the callus and all subsequent manipulations to remove dead skin are detailed in the publication - Plasters for dry calluses on toes.

In addition to 5-10% salicylic ointment in pure form, keratolytic ointments Kerasal, Bensalitin are used. Solcokerasal, Ureotop, etc. All details in the articles:

• Ointments for blisters
• Ointments and creams for corns

Creams for removing dry calluses also contain keratolytics as active ingredients. Thus, in the creams Carboderm and Keratolan it is urea. And means Mozolin and cream Nemozol act due to the content of the same salicylic acid (in combination with benzoic acid). How to use them, in detail in the material - Creams from calluses.

No one has canceled the use of anti-brush liquids Collomac or Duofilm with salicylic and lactic acid, but it is much more convenient to use gels for removing dry calluses: Good Foot, Keratolin foot with urea, ProLinc Callus Eliminator - with potassium hydroxide (potassium alkali). And Wartner applicator pen - Wartner dry callus remover - is filled with high concentration trichloroacetic acid gel.

Many people give preference to various folk remedies to get rid of shallow dry calluses. There is a detailed article about this - How to remove dry calluses on toes with folk remedies?

Laser removal of dry calluses

In difficult cases, in particular in the formation of calluses that have a rod and cause pain - often with a change in the structure of the surrounding skin, can only help hardware removal of dry calluses with a rod: laser or liquid nitrogen.

Laser removal of dry corns requires local injection anesthesia. Also, the technique of the procedure includes treatment of the callus and the skin around it with an antiseptic solution, after which its thickened horny layer is exposed to laser radiation for several minutes. It leads to photothermolysis - heating and evaporation of keratinocytes keratinized tissues, including the stem of the callus. The wound is closed with a sterile dressing, and the patient can go home.

The main contraindications to the procedure: cancer and acute infectious diseases, foot mycosis or open skin lesions, diabetes mellitus, epileptic seizures in the history, childhood (under 15 years), pregnancy and lactation.

The consequences of laser removal are scar formation, and the most common complications after the procedure are soft tissue swelling, local hyperemia and pain of varying intensity.

Care and rehabilitation after the procedure

The recovery period can last up to a month or longer, and for its timely completion, the scab that forms on the wound should not be disturbed (as it provides conditions for the growth of new skin cells). In addition, until the scab falls off, contact with water should be limited, and the wound should be treated with liquid antiseptic agents (salicylic alcohol, chlorhexidine, furcocin, alcohol tincture of propolis, etc.).

Removal of dry calluses with liquid nitrogen

It should be borne in mind that in severe arterial hypertension, vascular spasms and pregnancy to use liquid nitrogen is contraindicated.

Freezing, cryodestruction or removal of dry calluses with nitrogen, which in the liquefied state has a temperature below -190 ° C, is preceded by treatment of superficial keratinization with a special tool (cutter).

After that, the callus is treated with liquid nitrogen several times (within one and a half to two minutes) using an applicator. The place of freezing becomes almost white, then a bubble is formed, and after some time - a scab. Its gradual exfoliation takes about two to three weeks.

As after laser removal, the consequences after the procedure of cryodestruction of dry corns are limited to a scar, and a possible complication - the development of inflammation due to infection of the wound.

Care after freezing calluses similar to the recommendations for their removal by laser, you should also seal the wound with a bactericidal plaster, and in case of redness - apply antibacterial ointments (Levomekol, Levosin, Bactroban, Baneocin, etc.).

Testimonials

Regarding the effectiveness of certain pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical means for removing dry calluses reviews are different, which is due to both the characteristics of the calluses themselves (fresh and more superficial are removed more easily, and old and deep require more time or more concentrated keratolytics), as well as compliance with the correctness of their use - in accordance with the accompanying instructions.

Many reviews after removing calluses with laser or liquid nitrogen contain complaints about severe pain when moving after these procedures, as well as a long period of rehabilitation after them.