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What are calluses?
What is a corn?
Causes and risk factors
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment: calluses
Treatment: corns
If you ignore them
Prevention
FAQs

If you're dealing with thickened, hardened skin on your feet that feels uncomfortable or even painful, you're in the right place. As a team of experienced podiatrists who treat corns and calluses every day, here’s what you need to know to keep your feet feeling their best.

What Are Calluses? 

A callus is a thick, hard patch of skin that usually forms on your feet (or hands) in response to repeated friction or pressure. It’s your body’s way of protecting the skin from irritation or damage.

Most calluses aren’t painful, but if they keep building up, they can become uncomfortable—especially if they press against your shoes or make it harder for footwear to fit properly.

What Is A Corn?

A corn is similar to a callus in that it is an area of thickened skin caused by pressure or friction, but with a few key differences. A corn is a small, hardened area of skin with a painful core at the centre, often surrounded by redness or irritation. As it thickens, the core can press deeper into the skin, leading to discomfort, especially in weight-bearing areas like the soles of your feet. These are known as hard corns, where the skin toughens in response to pressure.

Corns can also form between toes, where the skin is squeezed together. These are called soft corns and tend to be whitish-grey, with a softer texture due to moisture buildup from sweat or inadequate drying.

Causes and Risk Factors

Corns and calluses develop as part of your skin's defence response: by thickening when they’re placed under excess pressure, the skin is protected from breaking down instead. The pressure or friction could be caused by:

• Poor-fitting footwear. This could include footwear that is too tight and narrow, rubbing against the feet, or footwear that is too big or loose, causing the foot to slide repeatedly against the shoe. 
  
• Excessive pronation of the foot (the extent to which your arch collapses inward when you walk) creates increased pressure at the front of your feet and toes
  
• Feet with high arches can experience excessive pressure on the outside of the feet.
  
• Poor range of motion and mobility in joints 
  
• Long periods of standing on your feet
  
• Previous trauma or surgery that has altered the structure of your feet, which may mean excessive pressure is applied to new areas of the foot. 
  
• Conditions where bones are closer to the skin's surface (bony prominences) may cause more rubbing and friction e.g. bunions, tailor's bunions or rheumatoid arthritis.
  
• Specific walking and running patterns that may place extra pressure on a specific area of the foot e.g. flat feet. 
  
• Dry skin
  

Symptoms

A small corn or callus may not cause noticeable symptoms beyond its appearance. However, as it grows bigger, it can become painful or uncomfortable, especially when walking or wearing shoes. Corns and calluses often develop together, with a thickened callus sometimes covering a deeper, more painful corn underneath.

You may have a callus if you notice: 

• An area of your skin that is thickened and feels firmer than the surrounding skin
  
• The thickened area may look pale yellow in colour, or feel more ‘numb’ (less sensation) as you gently move your finger over it, as a callus is dead skin with no nerve endings
  
• Some pain or discomfort if the callus has grown to be bigger or more prominent, but otherwise calluses often remain fairly painless
  

You may have a corn if you notice:

• A small patch of thickened skin, often the size of a pebble (or less), which will be harder than the surrounding skin
  
• Pain if you press directly onto the corn. This also differentiates them from warts, which cause pain when squeezed from the sides.
  
• The feeling that you’re walking on a small rock in your shoe
  
• You can also develop corns between your toes, which may appear hard and yellow, or soft and white if it has softened and macerated
  

Diagnosis

Corns and calluses can sometimes be mistaken for other skin conditions, such as plantar warts, ulcers, or even a foreign object, like a splinter, that has been covered by hardened skin. That’s why it’s important to see a podiatrist to ensure you get the right diagnosis and treatment.

At our Brisbane clinic, our podiatrists are extremely thorough in all our assessments and make sure to rule out other possible causes of your discomfort.

Treatment

Calluses

We are able to easily remove your callus (thickened skin) by debriding it back. This is painless, as it is dead skin with no nerve endings, just like your hair. However, unless you remove the underlying cause of the callus, it will likely continue to return every 4-8 weeks. This is where your podiatrist will discuss what you can do to reduce the rate at which your callus returns or stop it from coming back altogether by looking at the underlying cause.

As well as debridement, your podiatrist may recommend a number of the following treatments:

• A dermal foot balm for skin nourishment and moisture. This is similar to a moisturiser but uses urea, an extra ingredient that substantially increases effectiveness.
  
• Using a pumice stone very gently on the callused areas, being careful not to irritate the surrounding skin. 
  

Then, offloading the sites of high friction or pressure through: 

• Appropriate footwear that is a correct fit for your feet.
  
• Custom foot orthotics to offload the high-pressure areas and bony prominences, and encourage optimal foot function.
  
• Foot and ankle strapping or padding
  
• An exercise program to improve mobility, flexibility and strength to encourage correct foot function.
  

Corns

Treating a corn is very similar to treating a callus. Our podiatrists are able to remove the corn, usually with minimal discomfort, by ‘scooping it out’ with a scalpel. This removes that 'walking on a rock' feeling.

Avoid DIY removal: We do not recommend trying to remove the corn or callus yourself, as you could damage the surrounding healthy tissue or blood vessels, resulting in pain, infection, or scarring.

What can happen if I ignore a corn or callus?

• You risk experiencing prolonged pain and discomfort, resulting in more regular debridement treatments
  
• The thickened skin can sometimes be hiding a foreign object, which if not addressed, could lead to discomfort or pain in the future, especially for diabetics
  
• You could develop painful heel cracks from a callus, and these could even bleed and risk infection
  
• A corn could form a wound if left untreated, which then also has the potential to become infected.
  

Prevention

There are several approaches you can take to prevent yourself from getting corns and calluses.

• Wear comfortable, well-fitted shoes. Your toes should have plenty of room; if you can't wiggle them, your shoes are too tight. 
  
• Don't wear high heels too often as they can increase friction.
  
• Ensure you thoroughly wash your feet every day and dry them afterwards. Then, apply moisturiser to keep the skin soft and smooth. 
  
• Use protective padding where needed. Gel pads, cushioned insoles, or toe spacers can help reduce friction.
  
• Use orthotics if needed, as custom insoles can redistribute pressure and improve foot alignment.
  
• Don’t forget to stretch and strengthen your feet. Simple exercises can improve flexibility and mobility.
  
• Check your feet regularly. Catch thickened skin early before it turns into a painful problem.
  

FAQs